Third week in Q, Jan 24-29, 2012

Here we are getting some work done at Brazel’s.  We now have a new muffler, air filter, and a chip, hope we see the suggested mileage improvement.  Time will tell.

While Bob was with the coach getting its new parts installed, I did a load of laundry and the above sign was posted on the wall.

This sign was also posted on a dryer.

Meet my latest friend, her name is Porketta owned by Mary and Nick from Juneau AK.  They leave their coach and tow vehicle in Washington state and fly from Juneau, with Porketta, to spend their winters on the outside (lower 48).

A face only a mother could love.  She was very gentle, and didn’t pay attention to any of the dogs that thought she was something really strange.

Below she and Duffy are giving each other a face to face look.  She was adorable, and I want one, but Bob said NO .

 

Another Big Tent purchase, a motion sensor porch light.  It works very well and the best part, it is installed!!

This never a good sign, but this was the only way the Explorer was going to start, being pushed.  It took all day, but we did eventually get a new starter installed by going to Blythe to buy the part and then having a mobile mechanic replace it in Q.

Our front door is giving me grief again about opening, so Mike, one of the fellow irv2.com RVers tried to fix it.  Come to find out, one of the frame pins is bent slightly and that seems to be causing the problem.  He did give me an extra bay key which I put in the Explorer, so… if I can’t get in, I can now get in the Explorer, get the extra bay key,  unlock the bay, get out our ladder and climb in through an unlocked window in the coach.  Sounds convoluted, but it will work!

Sunday (29th) we left Q and drove about 75 miles to Imperial Dam LTVA for a week of R & R before heading back to our stick and brick house in central CA to get it ready for sale.  We have not lived in it for over six years, so it does need a little TLC.

Second week in Q, Jan 16-23, 2012

On Tuesday (17th) we moved the coach from LaPosa North to LaPosa South to park with a new group of soon to be friends, the IRV2.com Monaco owners group.

What a feast we all contributed to, so many delicious dishes.  Rv’s just kept coming, do believe the total count was 23 at one time.

We also went back and visited our ole friends from the RV America group.  We had by accident threw away Bob’s Quartzsite Trailer Trash hat, so we bought a white hat for a dollar, then added the words on paper and scotch taped them the front.  Looks pretty authentic I would say.  Above Bob is sporting his new hat with Mark.

I was also given a Quartzsite Diva visor as being part of the RV America group.

 

 

 

 

We waited this year to attend the Big Tent until day three, and it was still wall to wall people!  In fact we did go back several times throughout the week, and it was always busy.

Another evening in Q!

Our first week in Quartzsite, AZ, Jan 9-15, 2012

Before loading up the coach for our journey to Quartzsite, I wanted to show you the amaryllis in full bloom!

Here it is tucked away in our shower for safe riding. This year when it has finished blooming, I am going to get rid of it. My luck of getting them to re-bloom is nil.

Soon we arrived in Q and found our parking spot for a few days.

On Tuesday morning, it was time for Bob to tilt some of our solar panels.

Each day we have been here we have done some shopping. Where we park the RV is within sight of the Big Tent that will open the 21st, but there are loads of other booths and areas to see.

Then there is someone else’s j-u-n-k!

Recognize Randy Sparks, the founder of the New Christy Minstrels? Last year was their 50th anniversary of being together, even though only three original members are still singing with them. Another great show!!

Our bird feeders have NOT been a mecca for our feathered friends. We see maybe two hummingbird visits per day, and an occasional house finch stopping by to rest and munch a little.

Late afternoon sun on the coach really lights it up well.

Sunday afternoon we looked up and visited some blog readers, Leonard and Val. What a great visit and I was able to get my pet fix as they had both a cat and a dog!

Another day is done in Q.

On a very sad note, we woke up Sunday morning to find our Betta, Red Rob, had passed on to the giant pond in the sky. With daytime temps in the 80's (being in the sun) and nighttime lows in the high 40's, we think the daily fluctuation was just too much for him to endure. He was a sweet fish with a giant personailty, well as much as a fish can have.

In this special moment in Life...slow down

6th Year Anniversary, Jan 5, 2012

Six years ago today we took possession of our new coach.  Our first night in it was spend in Boomtown, NV, just a few hundred feet from where the driver left us.  Since we took an out of state delivery (saved us the sales tax), DeMartini RV Sales had one of their drivers drive Bob and I followed driving the Explorer from central California up I80 to Boomtown Nevada.

Hard to believe, but tomorrow we start our 7th year on the road!  We are still enjoying each day’s new adventure!

In this special moment in life…reach out

New Year, Jan 1-4, 2012

Our amaryllis’ evolution, from the first of January to this evening (fourth)

NO MORE BEANS!!! Today I was cleaning out some areas of the coach and found 17 pounds of different beans and lentils. Now I have an inventory so I know what I have. You better believe it, beans will be in many of our future meals.

Yesterday we changed our water filter inside filter, major yuk! Somewhere we got into some high iron in the water. Our new filter (Ace $23) will filter down to .5 micron and filters all kinds of things out, also suppose to make the water taste better. The water here and in Quartzsite does not taste good.

They even have a filtered water dispenser here in the RV park.

In the special moment in time…enjoy exercise

Finishing up 2011, Dec 25-31, 2011

Our Christmas Day was quiet, finally figuring out how to keep the refrigerator running. Just turn it off when the outside temps get to 28 degrees, any lower and it shuts down by itself and blows another 5 amp fuse…and we are running out of those fuses.

On Monday, we ended up heading across the border to the Pink Store in Palomas. Some friends of one of Bob’s blog readers lives part time in Columbus, NM. Through emails we set a lunch date with Lew and Helen. Great lunch and great conversation.

Success, the package was at the Post Office on Tuesday morning. Back at the Coach, we soon ready to leave and drive to Gold Canyon, AZ.

Our scenery varied from nothingness to beautiful canyons.

I love my new throw for the coach of three of my grandkids. They are now with us when we travel. Thanks Jenny!

We weren’t in Gold Canyon very long until Bob called the Mobile RV Tech to talk to him about our Norcold not working in the cold. I hate to say it, but it was as I predicted, unless it gets cold enough for the control board to fail and can be tested at that time, there is no way to prove something is wrong. And the forecast is for wonderful weather, lows in the 40’s for the next two weeks. The tech did say he would stop by in a few days, and he actually did. Still don’t have a definitive answer, but he said in all likelihood, it is the Power Control Board and he suggests only putting in Dinosaur boards. So we have one on order to arrive on the 5th for Bob to install at some point.

Our good friends, John and Judy +Mollie, were on their way east and stopped for the night right next to us. We had a wonderful visit getting caught up on happenings over the last six months.

We enjoyed our margaritas for New Year’s Eve and were in bed shortly after the red ball fell in NYC.

In this special moment in time…enjoy each other…laugh more

Happy Birthday, Justin, Jan 2, 2012

Happy #16th Birthday to our grandson, Justin.