I'm back - with a dozen updates for you. :)

It's been a while since I've posted - we've been busy!  My plan was to get past medical stuff, family and friend visits and lots of driving and post again when Katie and I were back in the deserts of Arizona, and here we are!

I haven't been taking my camera out much, but here's what we've been up to, in a nutshell:

1.  Enjoying Quartzsite, visiting with friends, attending the 2nd annual Bloggerfest, checking out the Big Tent and all the surrounding vendors.  Had another birthday on the 13th.  Really Good Times.  Here's a beautiful January sunset at Quartzsite.  I think it looks like a watercolor:

 

2.  A visit to San Diego for medical/dental stuff.  Had my teeth cleaned and then had a colonoscopy the next day.  Results were great and all is well.  No photos - yes, you're welcome.

3.  While in San Diego, I picked up my mail at my mail service and got the lug nuts for my wheel cover that had been lost.  I was able to put the wheel cover back on and now all four wheels are again shiny and looking good. 

4.  Had a nice visit and dinner with Tom and Trish and my San Diego grand kids that evening.  Did a bit of catching up with them and enjoyed a wonderful fish dinner at Fish House Vera Cruz.

5.  Up at 3:30 am and on the road by 4 the next morning.  We missed all the traffic through San Diego and Los Angeles on my way to Merced where I visited with my good friend and ex-husband, Pete.  I haven't been to the house since I left lots of years ago.  Seeing Pete and the house brought back many memories and we had a good visit.  We talk every week so we do keep up with each other, but it was nice to be able to sit down and have a meal together and have conversations in person.

6.  Headed north again to the Vacaville/Fairfield area to visit Kristy and Matt and my Northern California grand kids.  They were in the middle of Girl Scout Cookie sales, my granddaughter is a girl scout and Kristy is the troop leader, so they were going to Wal-Mart, Lowes, etc, to set up tables and sell the cookies.  Lauren is also into gymnastics and I was able to see a couple of practices - she is doing GREAT!  I went with Drew, my grandson, to be measured for his baseball uniform, and then on another day attended a practice.  Baseball was just getting started.  He hit a bunch of balls into the center field - it looks like he'll have another good year in baseball.  I stayed with them for nine days - going to bed early almost every night I was so tired. Kristy assured me this was an especially busy time for them, they don't usually have so many things going on, but I was glad to be able to participate in some of their activities while I was there.  We had a wonderful time together.  Kristy made us her Chicken Picatta (I've already gone out and gotten capers to make my own!) and Matt barbecued the best salmon I've ever had.  They fed me well.  :)

7.  Last Sunday, 2/14, Katie and I were again on the road at 4:00 am, driving in the dark and missing all the traffic.  (As Kristy and I say, the real drive doesn't start until the sun comes up.  I can get a lot of miles behind us before then.)  We were well past any traffic issues and had a long, but good, day of traveling back to Arizona.

8.  I was meeting up with Jeanne to spend the winter in Arizona, traveling, staying at BLM/Federal forest lands as much as possible, and checking out different towns and Park Model parks for a possible future home base for me and Katie.  Turns out the BLM where we were going to meet up now required a permit, so we changed our plans and decided to meet at a casino the next day.  I stopped driving around 6 pm in Kingman, AZ and spent the night at a Wal-Mart.  It was a long day of travel, but I was feeling good and just kept going until I was ready to stop.

9.  The next day we met Jeanne and Riley (her dog) at the casino parking lot and drove to a nice area where I'm getting back into the boon docking mode.  We've been catching up and doing a lot of walking.  Here's a photo out my window the other morning:

 10.  I ordered a Garmin vivofit 2 activity tracker on Amazon.com and with my Prime membership and it arrived in two days with free shipping.  I've been researching different fitness bands for a while now, and finally ordered one.  I looked at all the different brands and almost bought others, but I'm glad I ended up with the vivofit 2.  It shows me the time, date, steps walked, how many steps till my goal is reached, tracks my sleep, and other things, too.  I sync it with their on-line app ("connect") on my laptop and also on my phone.  I love these things!  My daughter told me about a phone app that I'm using to input my daily meals and it also syncs with the vivofit 2, so I can see how many calories I'm eating - and the walking I'm doing deducts the calories I'm using while I'm walking.  A total snapshot.  It's keeping me aware of what I'm eating and how much I'm exercising and I find I'm eating less/better and exercising more.

11.  My black and/or grey tank has been leaking (drip, drip, drip) and I was lucky to find a good mobile RV repair man who came out yesterday morning and replaced both tank valves and re-glued two pipes together and now all is well and I can use my plumbing again.   If you're in the Sedona/Cottonwood area in Arizona and need a good, reasonably priced mobile repair man, I'd recommended him.    Paul's RV (Mobile Repairs)  928-634-0423

12.  And that gets us to this morning.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the wind's NOT blowing.  Looks like a perfect day.

So, anyway, all is well.  We were so lucky on our travels to have excellent weather in each location we visited!  Katie and I are healthy and happy, The Palms is working in top form, the tanks are empty, the water tank is full, the fridge and cupboards are full and all is right in our world.   I've either been too busy to post or had nothing to post about - or just been just plain lazy.  ;)  I probably won't post often for a while, but we'll see.  Don't worry if you don't hear from me - I'll post now and then.  But I am still keeping up with your blogs, it's one of my daily "things to do."  

Katie says, "Hi!  Where've you been?  I missed you."  

From me and Katie - in sunny Arizona - have a great Wednesday, everyone!  :)

Photos of my latest RV mod–and a VERY BAD DAY

“YAAAAY, Brian’s here!"

I finally got my 12V outlet installed!  (Honestly, it doesn’t take much to make me happy.)



Brian wired the new outlet into the electrical panel.  I have room down the row where the fuses are, and he wired it into one of those and popped a new fuse in.

Here's his contact info in case you want to reach him - he pretty much does everything RV related:

Brian Boone – (406) 270-4820

gotsolarinstalled@gmail.com

He drilled a hole in the side of my upper cabinet on the right side by my bunk then ran the wires along the inside of the cupboards, drilled a hole into the closet wall and brought the wires down to the electrical panel.

There are a lot of things in that area.  I have three drawers that fit into those holes and the bottom left one is the panel.  Alongside and behind and below the drawers are my inverter, two switch boxes, a converter, whole house water filter, water pump, and tons of wiring.  (I checked behind the drawers as I was writing this yesterday, and guess what I found?  More about that bad news at the end of this post.)






Below is the cupboard by my bunk where the installation was done.  Unfortunately I didn’t get photos of the first outlet, but it was a regular 12V that went through a hole in the walls of that upper cupboard.  Brian used good sized wires so I can actually put a 200 or 400V inverter in the outlet and plug my crock pot into it (or other things).  Can’t imagine what else, but who knows?  The wires will be able to handle a larger load then the smaller wires installed with the original 12V that came with The Palms.



I talked to Brian later that week and he said he just ordered a bunch of new 12V outlets that included another outlet with a 1 amp and 2.1 amp for USB cords.  So I can use that plug to recharge my iPad or cell phone and it draws right from the battery without having the generator on, even if I turn the inverter off.  And it has a LED readout of the battery bank voltage, too.

I told Brian I wanted one!  So when his order came in, he was back to install it for me.



Here it is installed with my Sirius radio plugged in:



The photo below shows the charging plugs on each side with the battery readout in the middle:



When it’s dark, this is what it looks like:



I didn’t really take the above photo at night, but changed the camera settings to show the readouts.  I’ve NEVER had a 14.7 Voltage readout at night!

It’s fun to get little mods like this done.  When I had a sticks and bricks home and I started getting antsy for a new place, I’d move the furniture around or get something new for the house.  I’m finding with The Palms, as much as I’m wanting to nest again in a home base without wheels, just having something like this new outlet gives me so much pleasure, it takes the edge off a bit, you know?

I can’t think of another thing I want to add to The Palms.  For now we’re good!  Nice!

This was my VERY BAD DAY yesterday:

When I looked inside that cabinetry yesterday (where Brian had been working to wire the new 12V outlet), I noticed some water on the floor where some of the electronics and lots of wires are.  I immediately called Brian.  I can see his campsite from my kitchen window and his truck was there, so I had my fingers crossed that he was home and available.  He said he’d be here in 10 minutes, and when he looked inside and we tested the water pump, he said it was leaking and I needed a new one.  Mine is 10 years old and has been getting pretty loud when I turned it on, so I wasn't surprised.

It was 1:30 on New Year’s Eve and the stores in Quartzsite were still open, so I quickly packed up The Palms, grabbed some cash and a credit card for my pocket and I headed for K B Tools on W Kuehn.  The owner came over to help me, to make sure I bought the correct one, luckily they had them in stock right there on the shelf.  Whew!  Brian said he’d be over Sunday or Monday to install it.  I have fresh water in gallon jugs and Brian said to keep checking the towels he put around the water pump, and that if I needed to, I could use the water system in The Palms.  I think I have enough water to last me, though.

As I'm buying the new water pump, I realize the credit card I put in my pocket with $100 cash isn't there.  So I paid with the cash, figuring maybe I left the credit card on my dinette table.  I go back to the rig, look all over - no card.   I called CitiCard and there had been no charges, so they put a security hold on it for 5 days, and if I find it in the meantime, I'll call them to take the hold off.  If I don't find it, they will re-issue the card with another number.

I’m driving home and along the paved road through the campground I hear "clang, clink, clang."  I pulled over, checked the inside and all was fine.  I went outside and looked all around the rig, under it, everything looked fine.  Then I looked at the rear tire, and it's missing the tire cover.  Luckily it was just down the road so I went to get it.  But I'm still missing two of those little things that stick out, one plain one and the one that screws into the wheel.  (Anyone know where I can replace them?) 



So yesterday I had to replace the water pump, lost a credit card, and lost the wheel cover, luckily found it, but still need parts go get it back on. 

Looking at the positive side of all this, I was lucky Brian was immediately available, K B Tools was open and had the water pump, I found the tire cover, and when I was putting Katie to bed in the bunk last night, there was my credit card laying on the bunk.  I must have put it there when I was lowering the TV antenna, and it never did make it into my pocket with the cash.  All in all, I guess I had good luck each time after the bad.  It could have been a lot worse.

From me and Katie, have a great New Year’s Day, and a very happy, healthy, prosperous 2016!       (I love the emoticons on Open Live Writer, can you tell?)

Merry Christmas–and a little RV mod present from me to me!

Many miles have been traveled since my last post.  Katie and I left Elephant Butte State Park in New Mexico and headed toward Arizona for the winter.  We stayed at Hot Springs LTVA near Holtville, CA for a couple of weeks.   I had lab tests and an annual doctor exam scheduled in San Diego, so stopping at Hot Springs is our usual route.  Hot Springs is usually really crowded.  There’s always room and it’s not hard to find a site, but the good sites are always taken when I’m there.  This year, both the on the way to and from San Diego, I got fantastic, large sites.
 
The first one was right off the main road, a “cul-de-sac” site, very private and large.  We were surrounded by bushes and had a nice area to put the camp chairs out in the shade of the bushes. 



On the way to San Diego, I usually stay at least one night at a casino in Alpine, it's about 1 1/2 hours from Hot Springs LTVA so it cuts drive time and makes for a really short drive into San Diego.  And this is the sunset I was treated to right before the turnoff to the casino.  



We arrived right before it was dark.  It was one of those trips where, the afternoon before we are to leave I get everything put away and ready to go, and I think, “We're ready - why not go NOW?”  That’s what we did and we were treated to a gorgeous sunset.

The next morning we finished the drive to SD.  I love the views I get driving into the San Diego area.  These are my “coming home” views:



I always breathe a sigh of relief, I’m home.
 


There were some nice waves coming in from the Pacific Ocean.  Can you see all the surfers in the pic below?



My mail service is in Encinitas, which is right on the ocean, so I usually come in this way to pick up the mail, then head over to Carlsbad where my kids live.  I stayed with them for a week or so and we had a nice visit.  

My annual doctor’s appointment with my new GP went really well.  When I was there in April, my doc wasn’t happy with my cholesterol levels – they've been a bit high for years, and I was finally talked into taking meds to bring them down.  He prescribed 20 mg of a cholesterol drug.  I REALLY hate taking prescription drugs.  I had a bad result from one in the past and stay away from them if I can, but this new doc was persuasive and I agreed to try one. 

While visiting in April, my son told me about the healthy eating plan he and my granddaughter had been on and the great things it did for them – they are in fabulous shape.  So I tossed out any food in my fridge/cupboards that wasn’t on the list and made up a shopping list for when I was heading back to the desert.  And while at their house, I ate the same foods they did.  The whole family eats a pretty good, clean diet.  I dug out my Vitamix (one of the few things that I didn't put in the estate sale when I started full-timing) and put it on the kitchen counter so it would be easy to make healthy drinks for myself with all the fruits and veggies I got and planned to use.



So, fast forward seven months to November, and I've stayed on that plan pretty well since then.  I've also been walking more than usual and have lost a few pounds.  When I went to the doctor this time, a week after having lab tests to see what my cholesterol levels were now, both he and his nurse were really surprised.  Eating good foods, walking more and talking the Rx he prescribed in April brought my cholesterol down from 240 to 116.  I asked him if he would cut my prescription from a 20 mg pill to 10 mg dose every day, and he did.  So we’ll see what happens next year.  If my levels stay low with a continued good diet and exercise, I just might stop taking them completely.

When I left San Diego I headed back to Hot Springs LTVA, but stopped overnight in El Centro, CA, about 30 minutes before the campground.  I had to renew my California Driver License and I figured that was a good place to do it, since it was still in California and I thought it would be less busy than the San Diego offices.  I had made an appointment, thank goodness, because it was VERY busy!  

I was worried about passing the written test (no driving test required), because it’s been so long since I took it.  But now they have the manual on-line, as well as practice tests.  If you need to renew your license, trust me, that’s a great way to study up.  I don’t know if I would have passed it or not without taking those tests a few times and reading the manual twice.  I was only unsure of one question, and answered it wrong, but got the rest right, so I’m good for five more years.  YAAAAAY!

Then we headed back to Hot Springs again, where we got another perfect site.  The sites here are so varied – I’ve been right out in the open with no bushes or trees, and I’ve had sites like this year’s with lots of bushes and trees for complete privacy.  This one was alongside the canal which is behind those bushes, so we had lots of tall reeds. 



As you can see in the photo below, there are areas here that are VERY dusty.  Look at the tire tracks in that deep dust.  
 


One morning when Katie and I were out walking we ran across this trail the dust.  Must be a snake, right?  Luckily all we saw were the tracks!



We again stayed a couple of weeks, then one morning I woke up to rain, packed up and headed for Quartzsite.  Nice having tires on my house. 

That’s where we are now.  We’re back in a site we’ve had twice before.  Isn't it funny that out of thousands of places to park a motor home, a couple just feel right - and I keep going back to them.  This is our site, below.  As soon as we arrived, we were visited by a Broad-tailed Hummingbird, so I got out the feeders and set up a little Hummingbird Garden with three feeders.




I’ve a few more photos to post with birds and some new Katie pics, but I'll post them next time.

I always seem to give myself gifts this time of year, and this year is no different.  I really needed a new printer, and my Keurig single cup coffee maker had been leaking for a while, so I went to Wal-Mart and got a new Canon printer ($39! – and it does a nice job) and a new Keurig.  Thank you, ME! 

But the best Christmas present I gave myself – I’ve been wanting a 12V outlet up in my bunk area to plug my Sirius radio into.  I had wires running under my mattress to the one cabin 12V outlet at the foot of the bed, and this particular wire was too short and always a pain to get in the right place for a good signal.  Remember Brian, who installed my solar panel lifts?  Last year we talked about him installing a 12V outlet for me, and when I arrived in Quartzsite this year, he came over and got the job done.  He installed one that has the 12V outlet for my Sirius, two plugs for USB cords and also has a voltage readout for my house batteries.  He wired it right into my electrical panel which is hooked into the batteries.  I have some photos to show you, and will post them next time.

Thanks Brian, great job!!!  I’ve literally wanted another 12V outlet for years, so now I can cross that off the list.

If you need solar installed, or pretty much anything done in or around or on top of your RV, you can contact Brian at his new e-mail address:  gotsolarinstalled@gmail.com 

And that about catches us up for the last month.  I’ll try to post more in 2016 – and maybe more will be going on then, too.  2016 should be a different kind of travel year for us, we’ve made plans with Jeanne and her dog Riley to travel to northward to some new places in Arizona.  I'm looking forward to doing something different, and while we’re at it, I'm going to check out towns and park model parks to see if I can find a place I like with a park model I can afford so I'll have a home base part of the year.

I’ll leave you with a sunset from our site here at Quartzsite, they have just been gorgeous:


Close-up of one section so you can see the beautiful colors:



Thank you for using our Links or Amazon.com Search Box to order your online purchases this year!  (Remember to BEGIN your search with our Links.)  Katie and I sure do appreciate it!  :)

Merry Christmas to you all, and thank you for following along with me and Katie and leaving comments! 

PS – I’ve heard so much about the new OpenLiveWriter lately, I decided to try it.  And I LIKE it!  I think I’ll use it from now on.    Thank for all your posts about it. (Hope they get Spellcheck working soon.)

Checking in...

I really need to catch up - here are the last photos from the Elephant Butte Lake and Caballo Lake State Park campgrounds in New Mexico:

First a few from Caballo.  This is what the campsites are like in one of the non-reservation campgrounds - lots of room.

Mountains across the water from the campground:

Here's a bit of the lake from one of the campsites:

We spent the whole summer, from the middle of July until the end of October, in the Elephant Butte/Caballo area to see how we would do in the heat of the summer with the high temps.  I decided that as long as we have full hookups, we're fine.  All it takes is air conditioning.  We just stayed inside during the heat of the day and it really wasn't that bad.  So now I know - just in case I decide to have my home base in an area with hot summers.

We spent most of our time in Elephant Butte area.  This was one of our sites:


There were Roadrunners coming through during the day toward the lake, and then later they headed back, so we saw a lot of them.  One day I heard a thump, looked up, and there was one on the hood of the RV's truck:  (Notice the Elephant Butte Lake view right out the front window - nice!)

Well, hello there.  What'cha doin'?

Then he flew off:

That was a first!

Here are some other Roadrunner pics:

He found a small depression in the sand and made it bigger.  Then he plopped down in it.

This is a photo over the lake at sunset one evening - it's of the eastern sky.  I love the softness of the colors from the east:

And here are three sunset photos from different places in the campsite at Elephant Butte as the sun was setting.  It was so pretty!

And here's little Katie, taking an afternoon rest:

Have a great day, everyone!  :)