update

We got a call from Rog's sister.   She has been experiencing discomfort in her abdomen so she headed to the doc.  Well, she had surgery yesterday and they found cancer.  They think they have removed it all.  The docs think it is Stage 2 which is "good".  We have not heard today how things are.  Her sister is with her now.  We need your prayers.

I have a cousin in North Carolina that is an author.  I want you to go to her website and download her books.  They are really a good read and the subject is fun and up beat.   Go to the email address below and start reading.  

 http://www.lkcampbell.com/

We are still in the country of AZ and loving the quiet and nature.  Rog has been doing some additions to the place and I have been knitting and doing counted cross stitch pieces.  I love being retired.  We are talking with Laura and she is still loving her new digs.  She will be coming this way real soon.  

 
Just a reminder.
 

Verde Valley AZ

We were kind of wondering about this when we were traveling through IL. 

I have been busy and lazy so not much blogging got done.  It is a lot of work and time to get this thing all together.  

We have been spending time with our son in Tucson and traveled to Phoenix a couple of times to see the grandpeeps.  It was a 400 mile round trip so we did not go as much as we would've liked.  We are now in Cottonwood, AZ at a Thousand Trails Resort.  It is so quiet here.  In the park in Tucson there was construction happening on both sides of the park and it was very noisy.  This was happening both day and night.  They are doing a huge interchange thing on the interstate with new bridges and on and off ramps and on the other side, well I am not sure, but a lot of digging.  We are thinking it has to do with the sewer because if the breeze was just right, man it was bad.  They are suppose to have everything done by Feb.  I hope so for the peeps in the park.  

Tom works nights and the construction on the one side of the park is quite near to his rig and they work all day.  So the big construction equipment is going with their loud engine noises and  also the beeping as they back up.  I do not know how he gets any sleep.  But, again it will be done soon.  I think the construction close to him will be done really soon.  They are also planting trees and bushes there so will be quiet and look pretty soon.  

I like what Tucson and Phoenix are doing with their freeway overpasses and on and off ramps.  They are putting in beautiful designs in the concert . sand art on the slopes and desert landscaping too.  It is so very bright and clean looking.  Way to go AZ.

Our daughter purchased a  38' 5th wheel RV.  We found it here in AZ and with cell phone calls and all we purchased it, found a long hauler to take it to her in CO.  After getting someone to move into her leased apartment as a roommate to take over the remaining time on the lease, finding a good company to haul the rig up to her, and finding a place to park it in CO was very hectic, but it has finally arrived.  As of 4:30 pm Saturday Laura owns and is living in her own home.  Now all the stuff that belongs with home ownership begins.  It is really a beautiful rig and has lots of fun bells and whistles for her to learn and enjoy.  But the best thing of all is she only has one neighbor and will only have one neighbor ever at this park anyway.  She is so tired of the noises in apartments.  I am eager to hear how she slept on her first night. *Heard it was really great.

The guy's name who hauled the 5th wheel to CO is Gene.  I have been talking to Gene a lot on the phone to get and keep things on schedule between him, Laura and the RV sales peeps.  With all these conversations we became "friends".  He seems like a really nice guy.  Well once he left with the rig in AZ I turned the worrying over to Laura at her end.  After he pulled the rig in and leveled and all he left never to be heard from again.  But soon after leaving Laura's he called me again to say I had a great daughter.  How nice.  She gave him a tip, not as much as she would have liked, but money is really tight with expenses that you never expect with this sort of thing.  Well, he said that getting tips does not happen very often in his line of work and he really appreciated it and I was to thank her again for him.  She is a really nice lady!!!    

We will be seeing her this coming weekend because she is bringing down some pieces of furniture for her brother and family.  She does not have room for them in her new digs and they are things her dad made and she wants to keep them in the family.  And she will also be here for Thanksgiving!!!!   She will also see if she wants to take the tent trailer back with her.  She will give it a test live-in for the weekend.  We are going to have her take it down and up at least once a day and park it too.  She needs to know if this is the thing for her before she hauls it to CO.

We are having and have been having wheel aliment issues with the car for years now and each time we take it in to be worked on we think it is finally fixed.  Rog is going to take it in again to see if they can get it done right.  We are going to have to purchase new shoes for it too.  With it's designer tires we see $$$$$$ leave us.   So Rog is off this morning to get that done.  We were right lots and lots of $$$$.  When they got the car up on the hoist Rog could see one tire with the cords showing.  We needed this done and now.

I have been knitting fish hats for the grandpeeps.  They are quiet cute.  I will try and get some pix for this blog to show you.  Rog said maybe on the chance one of the grandpeeps looks at the blog I had better wait.  You see they are Christmas presents. 
 
The blog will be spotty because my life is really boring and I will also be very busy soon with family and the holidays, but will try and keep you updated now and again.  Boring and busy yes it works.  Boring so nothing to write about.  And when I am busy doing and going I do not have time to write.  LOL

 
Let's get some cards out. 

Another day in Tucson

We are having fun here in Tucson.  We get to visit with Tom everyday and have our noon meal together.  And the peeps here in the park are fun to hang around with and play cards and dominoes.  

Yesterday we headed to Mesa and paid for the two RV's.  We did our walk through for the Mobile Suites 5th wheel.  It is really a very nice unit.  I could live in that one myself.  The tent trailer was interesting.  They had it all opened when we got there so we learned how to collapse it.  We did not do all that great for our first time doing it, but there were a few things impeding our smoothness of the job, so I do not feel so bad.  We did take the tent trailer home with us to work on.  The 5th wheel will be delivered to Laura when she is ready.

The tent trailer is a 1994, but looks like no one used it on the inside, but the outside needs a little TLC.  We are going to open it up tomorrow and work on some things so it will work smoothly for Laura. The canvas for the tent part is in really good shape the problem we are having is the easy of the slide of the bed sections.  So we are going to wax them up good and see if that does the trick also the latches that hold the top down need to be replaced and a corner of the base unit needs some looking at.  But we can't complain too much because they practically gave us the tent trailer after purchasing the 5th wheel.  We need things to go together with easy because Laura will be setting up and taking down on her own most of the time so it has to be easy. 

The weather has been wonderful here.  That said we have had a couple of days that have been very windy.  There is more wind in some places than others.  We went to Mesa to pick up the tent trailer and all.  Going we took the freeway and coming back we took the road less taken and saw some wonderful country.  We are so glad we took the road less taken because there was a horrible accident on the freeway because of blowing dust killing three people and involving 11 cars, truck, and RV's.  We saw pix on the TV, what a mess.  It was breezy where we were at, but no dust blowing and really no wind.  We took the awnings down before we left because of the weather forecast so all was fine when we got back home.  We do not  think the wind was very bad here anyway.  

We got back home and settled in and then called Tom at work to see if we could meet for dinner near the base.  So we missed our noon meal, but saw him for dinner.  It was great.  

I am knitting the grandkids hats.  Drew and Bella wanted fish hats so I finished those up yesterday.  We need to head for the store to purchase big buttons for their eyes and they are done.  Will work on a pretty hat for Juliet next. 

 
My what a cute puppy.
 I can not imagine the size of the poop bags for this guy. LOL 

 

enjoying life

We have not done much the last few days.  WE are lounging around the ole RV park enjoying doing nothing.  Well we (as in Rog) have washed this big thing and the car.  I have been playing cards and dominoes with the girls, knitting, swimming and the most fun is hanging with Tom.  

We had  a really nice BBQ lunch here at the rv park.  Met some more of the peeps that winter here.  They are being to straggle in now.  Some of these peeps have been coming to this park for the winter for 15 and 20 years!


It is hard to blog about boring stuff that really no one wants to read about anyway.  

I am posting pix I have stored away for some time for this sort of time in blogging. 

  

Sorry Mississippi, but this sign is very funny.  Maybe not that true?

  

   

This is just my opinion. LOL

I have actually been up that creek without a half a paddle in North Carolina.

The new RVs

We pretty much hung around the old RV today.  I went and played dominoes with the ladies for a couple of hours.  Poor Rog stayed home and washed the RV.  It does look really good.  He did a fine job.  

Yesterday after the birthday party we went to an RV place to look at some RVs Laura had texted us and wanted us to look into.  We did find the ones she wanted us to see, but there were sold signs on them both.  So we wondered around some and found a 5th wheel a big 5th wheel and even Laura's father knew she would love this one.  Well Rog's wife loved it too.  It is a Mobile Suites by Double Tree.  It is used, but in wonderful condition.  So we decided to make an offer and well we, she is a proud owner of a new home.   Below is the link to the pix and all about it.  Highlight, copy and paste to see all the details and pix.

http://www.worldwiderv.com/inventory/274985/Used-2006-DRV-Luxury-Suites-Mobile-Suites-36-TK3.aspx


Laura is so tired of living in apartments with the noise on all sides and even noise from above.  She could not nor does not want to  own a house house so we thought an RV could fill the bill just find.  If you don't like where you are living hitch up and move.  If your job moves just hitch up and move.  Well that is easier said than done with this big thing.  Her truck can not tow it.  So what you do is hirer a big pick up truck with a 5th wheel hitch to move your house, belongings and all to the new location.  No packing involved.  Pull up your jacks, slide in your slides and hitch up.  It is way less expensive than packing everything and having movers come and move you, then you have to unpack all that stuff too.  Not this way.  Jacks down, slide outs out and you are home with no unpacking.

Well we knew she wanted to camp when she is off work so we looked into a tent trailer she can tow.  So we located a used tent trailer that needs a bit of cleaning, but the tent part of the trailer look brand new as does the sink and stove so we made an offer and she is now the owner of a tent trailer too.

Needless to say Laura is so happy, but now she has to down size some.  Get rid of all furniture.  and move out of her apartment.  She will be a busy bee. 


Hopefully she can get is all together before it turns into a pumpkin.

 


No balloons pix, but I thought this was so cute and wonderful.

b day

  We had a great time at Maddy's 8th birthday party at Chunky Cheese.  It was great to see the Tom and Sheri's family again.  It has been just too long.  They have added three foster brothers to the clan and now they are 8 kids and two adults (sometimes they as much a kid as the kids, which is great).  They are doing great and that is great for parents to see.

Maddy is blowing out all of her many candles.  She has to really concentrate to get them all out so she can get her wish.  

There was so much smoke from the many candles that it was hard for her to get her breath.  LOL

Maddy and her mouse friend.

 
Getting last minute instructions on the up coming musical session with the Mouse.  


  Dancing with her pal. 
  Now she is rocking out and having a ball. 



   This is Sam's earring.  I thought it was a hoot.  It really looks like a screw, but it is not.  It has the studs and is two parts with a front and back.  Tough lady without having to be tough.  LOL

Tucson AZ

We are staying in a RV park in Tuscon, AZ.  Our son is stationed at the Air Force base close by and is living in his RV in this park too.  It is great being able to visit and do things with him.  It has been over three years since we have been able to do that in person.  He was stationed in Japan for a couple of years and we have been touring the East Coast for a couple of years.  

We are really glad to be in the western part of the USA.  our country is amazing and it's people are wonderful too. And we have seen and done some amazing things this last couple of years back East, but we really like the openness of the West and I didn't think I would say this, but I even like the dryness too.  

We have been accepted at this park.  The first day I was invited to play cards with the ladies.  So every day since we got here I have played cards.  They play Hand and Foot and 13.  I have played Hand and Foot before, but 13 is new, but it is like other Rummy games I have play with it's own little twist.  They play 13 for a penny a point and I am down about $3 so far.


Because we are staying a month we have our own mail box.  That was nice so had the mail sent by USP and got a bunch yesterday in our little box.  One of the things is in the mail was the Obama Care Medical Insurance Enrollment Stuff.  He and They lied to the American people so much.  We have to pay 8 times more to get the plan we had before.  That is just not right, especially for people on fixed incomes.  This country and its people do not deserve what is being done to them.  Maybe we do if we do nothing to stop this madness.  Rog and I will do just fine, but I worry about our grandkids.  They are not going to have the same wonderful country we have had if we don't stop this.  Please people just stop and think about what they are doing and the children coming along that have to really live it.

This is the last bunch of Balloon pix.

 

Uncle Sam, Dakota Duns, SD

 

This pic was taken right at the end of the row that our RV was parked.  One of the reasons for so many balloons here is the field just beyond the little bushes you see in front of the people is where there is a competition taking place.  This time the special shapes balloons are involved.  They come in close and try and throw a bean bag into a basket in the middle of the field and closes one or ones get a money prize.  I am not sure the amount for this game.  With the game field so close just bring a chair down and enjoy.  Also with the special shapes once they drop the bean bag they land as soon as possible so we got to be in on that excitement too.  You have been enjoying those pix for a couple of days now.
   The other "ordinary" balloons also go up with the special shapes too.  I thought this one was so pretty.





Spider Pig, Albuquerque, NM  

 

Snobird, Chandler TX  Notice his camera around his neck.

 
Hopper T. Frog, Park City UT

   

  

Taken while on the field.  It was just amazing
 

Center Stage trying to inflate 



Darth Vader   Court St. Etienne, Belgium

az

We are now in sunny Arizona.  We are staying in the same rv park Tom is staying.  He is stationed in Tucson and goes home on the weekends.  We thought we would hang with him for a month.  It was so great to see him this morning.  It has been almost 3 years now since we saw him last.  He is looking great.  Tom is working from 2 pm to 11pm.  We got to take him out to breakfast.

Also at this park I was invited to play cards with the ladies in the afternoon.  It was fun, but I did not get my glasses in for repair or call the doctor's office of an appointment.  I was just having too much fun.  I must get this done tomorrow.  They are having a BBQ at noon here tomorrow.  Tom will be able to partake because he does not have to go to work until after.  The girls are maybe going to play cards tomorrow.  I may have to bow out to get my stuff lined up first then have fun later.  

   Getting here we stopped at a rest stop and noticed this train heading down the tracks.  We figured out that it was loaded with those giant wind machine tower parts.  There was nothing else on this train just the wind machine tower parts and lots of them.  

  Sunrise .  Looking out my window.  Really beautiful stuff. 

Now for some more, yes more wonderful balloon pix.

 
Joelly, Maricopa, AZ

This is one of three bees that would inflate everyday and sometimes would be able to lift off.  This is the baby bee.  This is a special bee, well the pilot is special.  He is the only wheelchair bond balloon pilot in the world.  This particular day the balloons came right over our heads and were flying oh so low.  

  

He has a special "basket" for his balloon.  He is even sitting on his propane tanks that he uses to inflate the balloon.

 

 Arky, Grants Pass, OR
This is the morning of the mass assention for the special shapes.  This is the only time we saw the arch up in the air. Isn't it beautiful.   It came down in the field near us.  After watching them deflate this bad boy I can understand why it would not go up so many times. 

 
Coming down

  

They are deflating each and every animal on the arch.

 

 
 

  

  

 

  
It took them a good amount of time getting the arch deflated and in the bag.  It was very interesting watching this all happen.  Pencil boy was in most of the pix.  They moved him around to use the same tarp that was used with the Arch. 

 
Buddy Beaver, Yuma AZ

   These two are "kissing" up high in the sky.  
  Rocket Boy, Brazil  and Farm Chicken, Brazil are having a little talk. 

 
Oggy The Friendly Dragon, Westfield, IN 

 
Old Lady and The Shoe, Amarillo, TX 

   RIGHT ABOVE ME!!! WOW!!!
  

 
Party Panda, Etna, CA


  Cow up


Cow coming down
 

  


Scarecrow, Bloomington, IN

I have more pix.  Hope I am not boring you with them.  I know I had fun seeing them the first time and the second time with you was just as wonderful.