More folks arriving & ...

When we pulled onto Foothills Boulevard two weeks ago, we joked, "there was no one home". Off in the distance we saw maybe 2 or 3 cars. This morning as I came over the little rise there were maybe 50 cars and RVs...I've been busy making a big dinner today. Boo n Ethel arrive this afternoon. It will be our treat for them, because they always make dinner for the new arrivals in the neighborhood.

The weather is still pretty darn hot, pushing 100 everyday. But today it's a bit cloudy and supposed to only get to 95, although the clouds are making it a tad muggy. The weather certainly hasn't slowed any of us down. A couple days ago 3 of the men used a jackhammer for a couple hours and tore out a fountain. And at the same time a couple of us cleaned up the cement chunks and threw them in a pickup...This was the second trip to the dump for the guys. The first was Monday, when we filled a pickup with all the yard debris, Norman and I had stacked from a couple of the yards.

Harry, who bought Velma's house down here, passed away in Oregon a couple days ago. Has a bunch of us pretty upset. But over-shadowing the grief is the anger at his family. I guess they had to learn their behavior somewhere, and it was probably from Harry. But he was alone, when he died. They put him in a hospice unit, took his meds away and flew down here to empty his house....sad. On the other hand, they are being pretty fair to Harriet (his long time girlfriend). She will get first opportunity to buy the house.

I've been helping this neighbor and that one...visiting here and there...and began sewing a quilt. It's called an Irish Chain. Here's an example of one:

Now mine isn't going to look much at all like this...LOL. But so far, I've cut and sewn 72/2 inch strips into six tubes. Now they need to be cut again, and then I'll arrange the squares from that cut into patterns. Here's a pic of the fabrics I'm working with...

Not much else to write about. We've finished more books. I'm anxious to get my library card down here and hook my Kindle into their system. That will happen soon...We're also more than ready to get the quad out into the desert and play, but not much shade out there. So we're waiting for the temp to cool a bit more...Still not able to start the RV, because the computer (brain) hasn't gotten back to us. Eh gads, that is another big bill. We may be eating nothing but beans soon...LOL

A TYPICAL day lately...

Each morning we've been trying to walk increasing the distance by a block or two nearly every day. It's been pretty dang warm, so some mornings we don't go far.

When we get back, it's time for morning happy hour with tea or Coke visiting with whomever of the neighbors are outside. Old neighbors are arriving every couple days.

Norman has been getting satellite dishes re-adjusted...fixing air conditioners...and repairing sprinkler systems, which are mostly clogged from the summer windstorms. Those neighbors, who have nice landscaping, leave some part of their systems on during the hot months to protect their plants.

As we were coming south, it donned on us, our lot will be full of weeds. What a pleasant surprise to arrive to a clean...weeded lot. So we have been 'paying it forward' by cleaning up a couple neighbors yards. In this picture you can see the piles of weeds, aguava prunings and we even trimmed the dead fronds from the two palms flanking the gate. A trip to the dump is in order in the next couple days.

Then today I finished four tote bags made from feed sacks which held horse food. I'll probably put them in the block-long garage sale we're planning for January. After the first one, they went together pretty quickly. I got the directions online.

We've also each finished at least one book. We're hoping for a bit cooler weather by the end of the week, then we'll be off into the desert on the quad or geocaching. It's just much too hot without any shade right now to do those things.

This, that and t'other...

I wonder if any of us mentioned this Geocoin? We, Tina n Family and Norman and I, earned it this past summer. We had to tour Roseburg and answer various questions, then we had to find several designated caches. It was fun, and we learned something about our fair town. I just registered it on the geocaching.com site, so I'm thinking of starting it traveling with hopes of a world tour.

This is our first cache in Yuma this season. We picked it up just a block and a half away from us one evening during an after dinner stroll.

Speaking of strolling...We saw this cactus bloom along our morning walk. I'm not sure of the type of cactus, but I'm thinking this is a baby saquaro...those big ones with the arms.

In the kindness of her heart, our darlin' oldest daughter thought I needed another project. So here are some of the plastic feed bags she collected for me to make into tote bags. Well, Tricia, they are all washed (but still smell like feed) and cut out.

Octoberfest lunch in one of the parks...polka one-man band playing...kegs of beer...bratwursts...sauerkraut...German potato salad...fun time!

Happy Halloweeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnn!

BOO!

Outta the cool, into the HOT!

Our drive south was comparatively uneventful, which is a good thing. We turned off I-5 at Shasta and thoroughly enjoyed going through Shasta & Lassen forests. It's been many, many years, but the forests haven't changed, although the small towns certainly have.

These mugs were sitting on a curb near us at the Susanville Walmart. I'm pretty sure they were left by a snowbird cleaning out their RV as they drove south. What do you think?

It was always warm and sunny during the day...but the nights, brrrrrr. In Susanville and Tonopah the temperature dropped to the very low 30s. We were up during the night turning on the furnace and grabbing afgans to throw over us.

Since we were later getting out of the driveway, than we planned, we headed straight on through Reno over to Hwy 95 and south. Now, this is not a pretty drive...long straight stretches of road with a curve or hill here and there...and not a thing to look at except sagebrush, bare hills and more desert.

BUT by taking this route Norman got to drive (see) the new bridge over the Colorado River, which everyone has to take instead of driving over Hoover Dam, since 9-11.

approaching Lake Mead

...coming to the bridge!

WOO-HOOOOOOO! Spectacular bridge (ha-ha)...and, you guessed it, can't see the dam...LOL...

We stopped at a viewpoint, which was kind of pretty, for lunch, to stretch our legs and shop. Nah, we didn't buy anything, but it was fun to look and visit. Several blankets of trinkets and pretty pots were laid out under the sign saying "No selling here". Well, that's not the actual words, but close.

Did you notice we haven't gotten out of our warm sweatpants yet? But by evening we were in a lovely county park along the Colorado River in shorts, "happy hour" drink in hand and strolling through visiting with folks.

I could mention...well, I will mention...there was a bar with loud music and boats and jet skis tied up to its docks right next to the park. The air smelled like hamburgers n French fries the closer we got. My man really wanted to go over, but I declined...Actually, he just wanted to get closer to the barely covered bikini hard bodies...LOLOL. Aren't I just a mean one?

We're finally set-up in our lot in Yuma. It's really hot right now...close to and over 100 through the weekend. I'll chat more on here later....