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!  :)

Katie’s teeth cleaning

The Cleaning

Last Saturday morning Katie and I walked over to the vendors across from the Big Tent.  We had an appointment at 10:30 to have Katie's teeth cleaned.  They do it without anesthesia, which I liked, and only charge $110, big dogs and small, which I also liked - and they take credit cards and cash.  If you are interested in having your dog's teeth cleaned, call for an appointment.  They are busy, but are still taking appointments.
 
We checked in early to see where they were and then came back at our appointment time.  I took Katie out of her stroller, leash still on, and handed her over to Gil.  She went right into his arms with no problem.  Everything seemed fine, so I walked away for the half hour it takes to clean the teeth.  Katie's teeth weren't bad, so it actually took a little less time.
 
When I got the call that she was done, I walked back to pay and retrieve her.  When I got there, Gil was waiting for me, with the fingers and back of his hand covered with Band-Aids with blood seeping through the centers of the Band-Aids.  He told me Katie had crate fear.  I've never had Katie at a groomers or vet where I left her, so I know she hasn't been in a wire crate since I've had her, but I don't know what happened before I rescued her.
 
There are two men who do the cleaning, one cleans while the other answers the phone and greets customers and takes the next dog back to wait for it's turn.  Gil said she was fine until he tried to place her into the crate while the other man was finishing with his current cleaning patient.  I guess Katie freaked out and tried to get away.  She slipped her collar and was going to get out, so Gil grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and she turned around and bit him.  

I was really surprised, she hasn't shown that kind of behavior at all and has never bitten anyone, so she must have been really scared.  Poor thing, and poor Gil!  Luckily his Tetanus shot is up to date, as are all Katie's shots.
 
He got hold of her and the other man put her collar back on and made it tighter so she couldn't slip out of it again. They didn't try to cage her again. Gil said she did really well with the cleaning part, no problems at all - she just laid there, wrapped in a blanket and let him clean her teeth. (They wrap them in a blanket like a new born baby so they can't wiggle and use an ultrasonic scaler and hand scalers to remove any plaque.)
 
Here they are - clean, pearlyl-white sparklers:
 


(It looks like there's a “lump” over her fang, but it's just the light – she doesn’t have anything wrong with her gums.)  She was fine when I picked her up, she had a cookie when we got home, and later ate a rawhide chew toy.  Her gums and teeth weren't bothering her at all.  What an easy way to have a pet's teeth cleaned (assuming they aren't afraid of crates).  And Gil said her teeth are very healthy, no problems at all.
 
Here's Gil - he was so great and kind and gentle with Katie.  Of course I apologized profusely, but I had no idea there would be a problem. We used to have a plastic crate, but it was different and I was always there with her.  Now I know to never leave her anywhere they will be putting her in a crate.  No boarding for her, I guess.  Unless I get a sedative from her Vet, which might not be a bad idea to have on hand.
 


Here’s their sign – Doggie Dental is located across the street from the Big Tent in Row “P” Space 29-30.
 


I would highly recommend Doggie Dental – they sure did a nice job with Katie, and even after her “episode,” Gil was as gentle as could be with her and even said they would be happy to clean her teeth again next year.  But we have agreed I’ll put a harness on her and they won’t put her in a crate. I’ll stay with her until they start the cleaning.
 
Hazel and I walked over there yesterday to make an appointment for Fleur, and I talked to Gil again. He only had one Band-aid on and his hand looked good.  He said it was fine.  :) 
 
NOTE:  For any nay-sayers and also for full-disclosure - I've read the articles about non-anesthesia dental cleaning and why it could be bad for our pets.  I've done the research.  Katie's teeth are good, didn't have a lot of plaque, she doesn't have bad breath and her vet said she could easily wait a year.  She has no gingivitis, and was a good candidate for this type of dental cleaning.  I'm not recommending this for all pets, just saying it was great for Katie.  If your pet has very bad teeth with plaque under the gums, I don't know if this procedure will remove the plaque or be appropriate, and you should ask your vet and/or question the technician.  A regular veterinarian visit with cleaning done under anesthesia might be better for your pet.
 
The Big Tent

When we walked through the Big Tent, it was crowded and got worse as we walked along.  I had Katie in the stroller, which is a great idea except when there’s a real crowd.  Then it was hard to keep from running the front wheel up the heels of the people in front of us when they stopped suddenly.  We hightailed it out the first exit I saw and walked home.  But it was fun to see all the excitement and we’re  going to head back there when the crowds abate a bit.
 
This photo is NOTHING like the crowds a little later – we were literally stopped in the center aisle and couldn’t move forward.  See those two women smiling at us?  That’s the kind of smile Katie gets when she’s in the stroller.  I get kick out of the attention she gets, and she seems okay with it, too.  :)
 


Below are a few photos of the rigs parked around my area.  In some places they are literally side by side or nose to tail, and there are RVs in almost all the available spaces closest to the wash near the Big Tent.  There is a regulation, "A minimum of 15 feet of space must be maintained between dwelling units."  It's so that emergency vehicles can get through, and I can see why that's a good idea.  I saw a couple of rigs almost touching, and if one caught on fire, there would be two rigs lost, and maybe more.  Luckily no one is that close to The Palms.
 


You’re Gonna Love This 

There is a road between me and my neighbors, Fay and Butch, and yesterday a truck pulling a trailer parked in the road right between us.  I saw Fay and Butch talking to the wife, who was out of the truck guiding her husband.  They went back to their site and the wife walked over and talked to the husband.  I assumed she told him this was a road, and she then went back to guiding him, but he wasn’t moving ahead, just getting situated.   It looked like he was actually going to park on the road.  I thought maybe Fay and Butch didn’t mention that they were in the middle of a ROAD (for friggin’s sake it should have been obvious!) so I went outside to let them know.  No point in them setting up their camp and then noticing they were holding up traffic; they would have to break camp and find another spot and start all over again.  That's another regulation:  "Campers may not block roads or trails commonly in public use with their parked vehicles, stones, wooden barricades, or by any other means."
 
When I walked up to his window, the husband rolled it down and I said, “You know, this is a road, you aren’t planning to camp here are you?”  He says Yes, he IS going to park here, kind of belligerently.  I said, well, you can’t, it’s a road, you’ll be blocking traffic.  (Meanwhile, two ATVs are at the end of the road by his wife, waiting for him to move so they can get through.  HELLOOOOO - can you spell R-O-A-D?)  I said, “If you move about five feet nearer to my motor home, you’ll be off the road and it’s flat there.”  You won’t believe what he says back to me.  “ I don’t like parking next to roads.  I’m parking on the road.  I do it all the time and I’ve never been told to move.”  So, he doesn’t like the dust of people driving on a road next to his campsite – his solution is to park in the middle of the road so no one else can use it.  I'm thinking, Oh, well then, that's okay.  As long as YOU'RE happy.
 

Meanwhile, the ATV drivers, shaking their heads, take a detour and drive through the area between me and my neighbor on the other side.  That is NOT a road, but I can see it becoming one if this jerk stays in the middle of the real road.
 
I told him the Rangers would be out to get him off the road.  Then he gives me the stink eye – and says, as he’s rolling up his window – “Well, I don’t want to camp next you YOU anyway!!!” and he drives off.
 
That was a pretty exciting meet-up.  Almost all of the people I meet are super nice and friendly, and this guy was a bit of a diversion - got my dander up - made my day.  GET YOUR BUTT OFF MY ROAD, BABY - WE ARE WOMAN, AND WE ARE STRONG!  I have to admit I was feeling quite feisty after our exchange.  LOL 
 



WELCOME to our new Follower, Dave!   Dave says in his profile that he has always loved to travel and has been to 47 states.  He hates to fly, so until they open that causeway to Hawaii, it will not go above 49. I guess he has one more to go, and I think it's North Dakota.  :)  Dave is married to Marcia and they have two dogs, Bubba and Skruffy, who are just darling.  Check out his blog, Going My Way.  Thanks for following along with us, Dave - Welcome Aboard!
 
And WELCOME also to our newest Follower, Catherine Roberts!  In her info shown, there isn't a blog, but here's what she says in part, "To those who might be interested I'm a Mum to a huge brood of boys, I adore my furry friends,Tilly, Fluffa and MIZ Bunny, I'm an artist, a knitter, a weaver, and photographer. I love motorbikes and wish I was 20 years younger to try adventure racing."  Catherine sounds very creative and very interesting, considering the fiber arts and the wish to be an adventure racer!  Thanks for following along with me and Katie - Welcome Aboard, Catherine! :)

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