May 2020

We are settling in nicely and getting caught up on a few things.

Only been home a couple of days and happy to report that the yard is officially cleaned up.
The foot high shade grass is back to its beautiful manageable length.
Just like everything during this Pandemic it needed a haircut!

It was really nice to have it cleaned up....thanks to Eve and her family for doing

such a great job, as usual! 

We are selling the RAM truck in the next couple of weeks so I am doing a major clean on it.

I had no idea that Bronco actually had all this hair in the vehicle.

I know she and Chuck are going to miss Big Bertha but we just don't need that big of  truck any

longer.

What a great truck she has been.

I am happy to say she is going to still be in the family as my step-sister and her husband are purchasing it from us.  

Of course the batteries, yes I say batteries, since she has two to get her going have decided to die and we are having to replace both of them.

With the lockdown in full swing Chuck purchases a couple from Batteries Plus and we make a drive over to pick them up.

Now she is ready for her new home!  

Since we now have a much smaller motorhome we no longer need the extra length on the barn so that means we need to close up the back of it and put the barn back to its enclosed self.

This time around we are going to be using the clear panels on the top portion of the barn so we can get some natural light in.

We had saved the old tin that came off the back so it was pretty easy to get the wall back up.

Chuck went back with wood to secure the panels since we had removed the metal struts that ran across the back of the barn.

I am going to be so glad to have the barn enclosed again as it will stay a lot cleaner and hopefully that will also keep the Leprechaun a little cleaner as well.

The task was a bit trying on the high spots as we didn't have the right ladders for the job, but Chuck was able to stretch enough to secure the panels and we had this little job done and cleaned up within a day.

Hey, we are retired, so we can take a little longer on projects if need be!

Mother's Day was spent with the family coming to the house and we all spent the afternoon outside.

We didn't get to do our usual hugs and touching but it was so nice to have them out to spend some much needed "family" time together!  

Chuck had been working on Big Bertha getting her ready to sell, and had placed his glasses on the back bed on the cover.

Forgetting that he had placed them there he took the truck for a spin and later in the evening he started looking for his glasses.

He remembered that they were on the back of the truck so we set out looking down the road by the house to see if they had fallen off.

We weren't lucky enough to find them.

I just knew they would be on the side of the road squished.

Fast forward to Monday.....our neighborhood has a group on FB.

I was looking on FB and someone had posted a picture of his glasses on the site.

I immediately responded to the post.

The neighbor was so kind and actually brought the glasses to us.

Amazingly they really weren't scratched up or anything.

The cactus that stays in Oklahoma has bloomed right on time.
I think you could almost set a clock to the day that this goes shows all its glory.
I am thinking of taking some of the small ones back to Yuma and see if they will flourish there.
Will let you know about that next year!

We meet Rita and Keith at our favorite Mexican restaurant and have lunch before handing over the keys to them.

I knew Keith was as excited to be purchasing her as we were when we got her.

So glad they were able to buy it and give her a good home.

Tony has been going by our place in Yuma and checking for snakes.

When he shows up, he always rings our doorbell so we get to talk a little with him.
This got us to thinking and we came up with a plan.

It was decided that we would have to get Heidi in on this as well, so we came up with the idea to have a virtual "Happy Hour" ever so often so we could catch up on what is going on in Yuma.
Now I'm not saying this is a lightbulb moment as our Canadian friends have been doing this for quite some time but they are using the app Zoom and we just don't feel that secure with it due to all its breaches.

Tony & Heidi don't have Apple phones so we looked into Google Duo and have to say that it is a flawless app so far!

I have been working on the inside of the Leprechaun and trying to make it look more like "ours" instead of looking like all the rest of them on the road.

The painting of the cornices have been somewhat time consuming but I am so excited to get rid of the busy pattern that has plagued the inside of the rig.

Have to say that I am quite pleased with the outcome.

I also was able to get rid of some of the busy pattern on the dinette.

It was just not in the cards right now to reupholster the cushions.  

For one thing, I can't make up my mind what material I would want to use, so this temporary fix works for me!

I ordered some of the chair cushion covers I have been seeing all over the internet.

The ones that are to cover the dining room chairs.

In my mind the shape of the chair and the curvature of the back of the dinette were pretty close so I am going to order some and see if I can make them work.

I also framed the large mirror that is on the wall by the dinette area.
I think it looks a little more finished.
There is more to come for the mirror, but you will have to wait and see next month.

I will also post pics of the rig when I get  it all put back together....or should I say when Chuck gets it all back together.
He has been working on the solar panels for it and has it basically pulled apart at the moment to run the wiring.
Heck might as well make one big mess all at once.
Stay tuned for more pics!

We got a call from the grandkids asking to come and spend the day with us.

Of course we were delighted for them to come out.

The day was filled with Starbucks drinks and some fun playing around the house.

Cash was really excited because Pops let him shoot his pellet gun.
Cash kept calling the rifle a "sniper rifle"....think it has to do with one of the video games he plays :)

Going to have to nick name him "Eagle Eye" as his marksman abilities were right on target.

He was one proud kid.  

Cash also got to go on the top of the Leprechaun and check out the roof as Pops was working on the solar panel installation.

Cooper and I baked some brownies and smashed the middles when they were done so it made a bowl.

Of course we had ice cream to go into that bowl.

All in all it was a good day with the grandkids.  

They are very special....and we are always happy for them to come and visit.

I guess I haven't gotten tired of painting as I decided to try gel staining the garage door.

It was in really bad shape and Chuck helped me power wash it to prep for the paint.

I have used the gel stain in Yuma on a few things and am hoping that it works out good on the metal door.

I only got one coat of stain on today and the wind is supposed to be blowing the rest of the week.

That means the cotton wood tree down the street will be filling the air with cotton, so that concludes this painting for a few days.

Its the end of May and we are knee deep in the Pandemic.

Things are opening up and people are acting like they have been set free around here.

For myself I am still wearing a mask and trying to stay my distance from everyone.

Hope June will be a little more friendly to us, but the way its looking I don't think the Pandemic is over yet!  

April 2020

This month is brought to you by the letter "Q".
The Q is for quarantine!
Since the Covid-19 virus is running pretty rampant in many states and quarantine has become the new normal, it gives us time to start thinking about packing up and making our way back to Oklahoma by the end of the month.
With this said, we will be paying a lot of attention to "hot spots" and make sure we are able to get back home without any issues.










We have yet to sell the Taj-Mah-Hauler and that makes me a bit sad but it is what it is.
The Taj will be loaded with all the "stuff" that we really need to bring back, so it will be fine.







Chuck has finished all the modifications to McClass"C" and she now has new suspension & steering stabilizers.
I am happy to report that it has definitely made a difference!














I have been messing around with a few things in the "C" as well.



















The brownness of the rig is getting a little paint.
Not painting the walls or the woodwork but a few small fabric changes are in order.





I took the headboard out and "painted" it with chalk paint.
The way I see it, if I don't love it I can always change the material, but I have to say I think it is a winner!





Since I wasn't able to go to the store and buy fabric to change out the valance boards I painted the one in the bedroom to see if I would like it.
I have to admit I am not overly excited about it, but once again, I tried.

April 7th we got to experience our last full moon in Yuma for awhile.
It was a very nice moon but oh so non eventful....sure miss our howlings!

















That same evening we saw the Space Station fly over.
The path was perfect for viewing as it basically flew over our house!
















More shenanigans with the neighbor that lives behind us with his parrot.
Our Toucan sported a mask (Walmart sack) to show him that we are taking all needed precautions to keep the neighborhood safe.

Glad we have enjoyed the moon and space station last night because the weather has made a change and April 8th we had a dreary day.
The wind blew like crazy and it was even a bit cold, so we stayed inside most the day.

The sun was back on April 9th and I got the old Solar Tea jar that mother wasn't using any longer and made some Arizona Solar Tea.
















Since going shopping is out of the question I have resorted to the next best thing and placed orders on Amazon for a few things to add to the Casita.
I was so excited when the "garage jewelery" showed up today.
It isn't much, but I think it gives the doors a little more character.
Nice thing is that they are magnetic and can be removed when we leave in a few weeks.
You ask why would I want to remove them, well, I think the 115 degree weather might be a little too harsh on them (and really didn't want to leave them to see) .





More deliveries today included blinds for McClass"C".
Anyone ever have an RV of any type know the shades in some of the older models lack a lot.
They are terrible to raise and lower and I for one have restrung way too many of them while in business!

Out with the old and in with the new.
We put in the cell shades so that we get some help with heat as well as cool weather.
Same cordless product we used in the Taj-Mah-Hauler.
Sure does clean up the windows.
I only wish I would have been able to get some fabric and re-cover the cornice boards during this process.....oh well, there is always tomorrow!













With the pandemic in full force we are seeing a lot of produce being given away.
Todays bounty is cauliflower and white asparagus.
I can't say I have ever seen white asparagus.
The lady said it was reserved for all the 5 Star restaurants.
Guess our little abode will be 5 Star when I cook it!













Chuck wants to use up some gas in the RZR before we retire her in the garage until next season.
We take a little ride to the solar fields that are close to the house.















He shows me a little area that he calls the whoop de doos and we do just that around the small track.
It was nice getting out and exploring the area even if it was close to home.















My back wouldn't be able to handle very much of this but all in all it was a good ride.
The back issues remind me that I need to make an appointment with Dr. Doyle when we get back to Oklahoma.











The mail brings the sweetest letter and picture from our granddaughter today.
















Cooper knows I like Frida so she sent me a picture she made.
What a wonderful uplifting piece of mail from home.
























Cooper has been doing a paint by number painting she got for Easter.
She has been sharing pictures of her progress.
The painting is officially finished today.

I am so impressed with Paint by Number!
Has come a long way for sure!!!!!

During our morning walk today April 19th I was able to take some really great pictures of some of the cacti that are blooming in the neighborhood.
















The cacti are Argentine cacti and I am in love with them.
The colors are so beautiful and am so amazed at the size of the blooms.


















Sadly they only bloom one to two days, so you better catch them in their splendor.
















We are busy packing up the trailers and garage and getting ready to exit at the end of the month.

I get a text from a guy that had been looking at the Taj-Mah-Hauler and he says he is buying it and will have a check in a few days.
I told him we were planning on pulling out on April 26th but if we need to stay longer to let us know.
On April 24th we are sitting in front of his bank and doing our sale transaction Covid style.








We will be delivering and setting up the Taj-Mah-Hauler for him on April 26th.
All the packing that we have done is now being undone and getting the Taj ready for its new home.
The buyer is in the Army and stationed at the Yuma Proving Grounds.
His family is stuck in Tennessee due to the Pandemic and he is buying the trailer to have something to live in and when his family is able to join him he will have them a place to live.








April 25th is officially our last day to pull Taj-Mah-Hauler.
I know it is bitter sweet for Chuck as he loves this rig...but our needs have changed and this is the best thing for us to do!
It is supposed to be 105F today so we wanted to get started fairly early with the setting up.
Derek was excited to get his (new to him) rig set up.










We finish by noon and head back to the house so we can now figure out how the heck we will get all the stuff back to Oklahoma.

Starting over on the packing as it is decided we need to take our RZR trailer back with us so we can return some items to Derek in the fall that go to the Taj-Mah-Hauler.
This involves clearing out the garage again so we can get the trailer out and remove the RZR off it.
You see, we are so organized we are dis-organized!

It really didn't take too long to get things undone and done again.
I think the plan will work out great.
Only bad part is that we will still be driving separately as we have to bring Big Bertha back home and sell her.
Things change rather quickly for us sometime and we adapt to what we are given.
I had really wanted to get the 5th wheel sold and not to have to haul her back to Oklahoma.
It all works out, sometimes not in the sequence we want but it usually works out the way it is supposed to.

April 27th the Higdon's are heading east to Oklahoma.
Big Bertha has a 12' trailer with a few extra vehicle parts on it.
The McClass"C" is pulling Lil Bit the Jeep.
We are out of here.....but first a few tearful goodbyes to our wonderful neighbors.
Jay comes out and gives us brownies for the road.
Doris and John come out and give us virtual hugs.
As we round the corner I need to stop and use the trash cans of Tony and Heidi's.
They come out and we say our goodbyes.
Man, I hate to leave these wonderful people....so much love!!!
It won't be long before we come back....well, at least that is our hopes...with the Pandemic who really knows!

Chuck is driving the "C" as we head out.
We want to see how well she does with the small but trying mountain pass we immediately come to on I-8.
I am happy to report she got an "A" and all systems are go.
Our 1000 mile drive is happening.
Time to escape this heat!

Chuck has planned for us to take 3 to 4 days to get home.
I know we will get closer to home and start pushing it a bit, but today we will stop in the little town of Bowie, AZ at the Mountain View RV Park.

Seems a little strange to be out amongst people even if we are really still staying socially distant.
I have to say we have been really good at staying to ourselves in Yuma.
I can't say it has been fun but we felt we needed to stay safe.
I am still driving Big Bertha with my trusty side kick Bronco.
I know she would much rather ride with her daddy but I'm not interested in getting her hair in both vehicles!
We stop in Gila Bend and fill up the "C", and we discussed me taking over but we decide its best for him to drive thru Tucson.
I have to say I am good with that!




The traffic on I-10 was so much less than we are used to but the traffic was still brisk.
We stayed in the outside lane and navigated our way through town without any major life threatening mishaps.

When we get on the outskirts of town Chuck pulls into a truck stop and I fix us a bite to eat for lunch.
It seems like it is my time to drive the "C".
Bronco is delighted to have her daddy with her in the truck!

It was nice to get to the Mountain View RV Park and set up.
I have to say that setting up the "C" is so quick and easy!
The weather was a little cooler that what we had been having in Yuma, and I think we both rested quite well.

The next morning we are up and ready to get on the road and tackle some more windshield time.


Our plans for today is to stay outside of Tularosa, NM.
I am driving "C" today and I am impressed with her handling of the Jeep.

We stop and fuel in the town of Tularosa as Chuck has made sure we have our tank topped off on the "C" as we aren't sure how the fuel mileage will actually be since we are towing Lil Bit!
The stop of the day is only about 14 miles down the road.
It is very early in the day (1:00pm) and as we get closer to our destination we decide to abort the idea and keep moving.
As we drove past the spot we were going to stop at I can say I am happy we are moving on.
Its out in the middle of nowhere and there are 3 spots available.
Didn't look like a very hopping place and we are really thinking we can make some time today and actually get to Santa Rosa, NM for the evening.
This being said, we will then dead head it to Oklahoma the next day and be "home"!

We actually roll into Santa Rosa RV Park around 5pm along with a few other folks.
Chris was glad to see us and asked what the deal was with the truck and trailer.
Chuck told him the story of selling our 5th wheel and that Big Bertha was making her way back to Oklahoma to probably be sold as well.

Chris has his restaurant open and of course we think we should patronize him and order dinner.
We have tried most of his food on the menu and really aren't overly impressed with some of the food so tonight we tried the fish and chips.
It really is nice to have it delivered to the site.
I thought the fish and chips were really pretty good.
They were a bit over cooked but hey, at least it was done and I didn't have to cook it!
The park continues to fill up with late arrivals and we even have a neighbor.
The time is starting to change on us and we have lost an hour today.
Tomorrow as we hit the Texas border we will loose another hour.
Have to say that the two hour change of time takes a little tole on me.

Up and ready to get on the road on this final day of travels I get in "C" and follow Big Bertha to the highway.
The winds are supposed to be up today and we are hoping by starting early we will miss some of it.
We stop and fill with gas in Vega, TX.
Of course Big Bertha is still fine on her diesel.
It is so nice to have an auxiliary tank...little fact...she can go close to 1400 miles without having to refill her tanks.
If we tow, it drops to around 600 miles, but gosh it is still amazing to have that capability!



Chuck takes over driving as I wasn't very excited to drive through the construction in Amarillo.
Think this is a lot safer for us as I would like to get home with all the fenders and mirrors on the Jeep.
By 10:40am we are making our way through Amarillo and yes, the wind is blowing!












Other than the wind the rest of the trip was non-eventful....thank goodness.
We roll into Chukadi Acre right around 3pm.


So nice to be "home"....to a very overgrown yard!
I have already been in contact to have the yard mowed and the soonest they could get here is Saturday.
We will just have to look at the mile high grass for a few days!
Bronco seems to be quite pleased to be back in the land that has grass!
It does really look nice to see the color "green" everywhere!






We will self quarantine for a couple of weeks as we have come from a relatively low infected area.
Oklahoma however is still seeing growth in cases.
The Mayors of each township is beginning to slowly relax the "stay at home" suggestion.
We are going to be busy for awhile getting unpacked and getting things back to normal around here but it is truly nice to be back "home"!

I will also add that I am so very proud of my mom and step dad.
They have been very good and have stayed home since this all began.
My step-sisters have stepped in and gotten them their groceries and what ever else was needed.
Their only big issue was that lightening hit their Cox Cable in February and according to the Cox repairman, their TV and land line phones are fried.
They didn't want anyone else in their house so this has had to be on hold for a few months.
Once we feel it is safe, Chuck and I will go over and check everything out.
So glad the cable guy at least hooked up their little 20" TV for them to watch in the living room.
Crazy times for sure!

The Green Green Grass Of Home Spring 2017

All packed up and ready to go and the goodbyes have been done as well.
A few tears were shed by me as we say goodbye to our great friends that were still in the park.
Mark and Martha live at the park full time, so they will be there during the heat of the summer.

Wayne, Karen, Joann and Ernie left this morning....so you see the park is getting pretty empty!




Jerry and Konni will leave sometime in June I believe.
Bonnie and Randy will leave in May.




Big Bertha and the Taj-Mah-Hauler are ready to make the trip to Oklahoma.
I am driving the newly acquired Jeep that I fondly named Lil Bit.
I am going to change the name to "Bandit" as Jerry made a comment that it looks just like their dog Bandit.

I have to agree with him as Bandit the dog is black and white and so is the Jeep.
So from this day forward the Jeep previously known as Lil Bit will be known as Bandit.
So it is written, and so it shall be.











My view was the same for the next few days.
Always looking at Taj's back end.

I enjoyed seeing the fields of wild flowers around Deming New Mexico.
Other than that, it was a quiet ride with lots of miles to travel.













We stayed our first night on the road in Las Cruces N.M. at the Hacienda RV Resort.
Our friends Jeff and Stella had recommended the place so we decided to try it.

We got there around 4pm, and I have to say it was great timing, as we noticed after we had parked that there were quite a few people pulling in for the night.
The Resort was very nice and well maintained.
Most all of the spots were pull through and that made it nice for us to get our rig in and out easily.
There was a very nice dog run for the furry friends in our lives.
Bronco has no idea she is a dog, so she really could care less if there is an area for her to run or not!
We saw a few people out walking in the evening and other than that the place was very quiet.

My view the next day was the same as the yesterday...Taj's behind  :)
Our destination will be Tucumcari N.M. today.

Yesterday and today makes us one hour closer to Oklahoma since we entered another time zone....specifically Central Standard Time.
This crazy time change is interesting to keep up with.
You see, Arizona doesn't do the daylight saving time thing.....so in the Fall we are 2 hours different than Central Daylight time, and then in the Spring we are 1 hour different.
The one hour isn't bad to deal with, but the 2 really messes with me...LOL










We make a pit stop around 11:30am, and I had to take a close up of the beautiful yellow flowers that I had been seeing.
I don't know why we didn't get something to eat during this stop, but we didn't....we just got back in the vehicles and drove.
Thank goodness for mixed nuts and my green tea!!!!!











We roll into Tucumcari N.M. around 4pm.
Trying something different this time we go to an old RV park known as Cactus RV Park.
It gets mixed reviews on a lot of sites, but we weren't impressed with the KOA that we stayed at the last time we were out this way.






The Cactus RV Park has seen better days, but hey, its is on Rt. 66.
The lady was very nice that checked us in, and she even escorted us to our site.
The site was very very long.....long enough for Big Bertha, Taj, and Bandit to fit in and even room to spare...LOL
The grounds were quite clean and nothing fancy by any means.
It was a place to stop and spend the night...it works for us!

I noticed that someone had posted a picture of the Cactus RV Park on a Facebook group that I belong to.
Realizing we have people in the park that are in this group was pretty cool.
I tried to comment to the lady and she said her phone was going dead and she would get with me a little later.
I was excited to meet up with her.










But first FOOD!
We know this area fairly well as we have ridden here on the bike several times on our way to Santa Fe...and Del's Restaurant was just down the street, so dinner was not hard to figure out.

I was starving and the chicken fried steak sounded so good.
I hadn't had one in quite some time.
The salad bar was wonderful and the food was good as well.
Enjoyed the meal very much:)







As we walked back towards the trailer we strolled by the trailer of the lady I was trying to meet up with.
They weren't there so we just went on back to our trailer.




Later in the evening I hear someone outside the trailer saying "hello"...it was the person that I was wanting to meet.
Beverly Kees and her husband were making their way back North.
Enjoyed talking with them and knowing we actually met someone from the site we follow.
Little things like this just make a trip even more special.












We are packed up and out of the park before 9am.
Our last leg of the trip was fairly quiet.
We did know we were back in Texas and Oklahoma because the wind really ramped up and made me grip the steering wheel a little tighter.

I picked up a little more speed and passed the Taj-mah-hauler around Clinton, Oklahoma.
I told Chuck I would see him at the house.
My plans are to have to gates opened so he can pull the trailer on into the yard.
The plan worked and we officially were "home"....safe and sound.  :)





Now comes the fun stuff...Cleaning out the trailer and putting all the stuff away.
This was done in a fairly timely manner, and we had the trailer back into the barn within a day.

Our trip was complete and I have heard from several of our other friends from Arizona that they are either still at the park or have made it to their destination.













Bonnie and Randy were on their way to their summer destination and we get a message that they are not having a good trip so far.
Seems they had to be towed into Benson Arizona with a cracked radiator.
Geraldine the giraffe documented the even for them.
Sorry to hear of their misfortune.

Hopefully they have been able to get the repairs done to their truck and are on their way.


Martha has informed us that the temperature has gotten to 106 already but as she puts it "it isn't that bad".
Sounds pretty hot to me, but you know the saying...."It's a dry heat."  :)

The Spring weather has been fairly calm for the middle section of Oklahoma.
We have had a few storm warnings, but all in all it has been calm.

Our Arizona Snow birding is over for this season.
Now lets get on with Summer.