A CHANGE OF PLANS - AGAIN!

Yesterday, we had what we thought was our last Dr. appointment, but alas the checkup on our cataract surgery revealed that both of us must have a tune up.  

Our first appointments are July 7th.  Who would have thought that in May, when we made our emergency return to Indianapolis for John's pacemaker that we would still be here until mid July! 

So here we are in the heat and humidity of an Indiana summer that we were thrilled to escape just three years ago. BUT that means even more time with the kids and grands. There are blessings everywhere we look.

I THINK OUR JELLO JUST MELTED -A LITTLE!  

Today, we interviewed the owner of the body shop where the Miata is going to be repaired.  We looked at his work in progress and completed and are satisfied.  

My baby will be repaired by the time we are ready to leave for the northwest.   

Many thanks to those who ordered through the Amazon link near the top right side of the blog.  

I hope that you all are keeping cool and not being pestered by the nasty mosquitoes.

Until next time, God bless!

SNOW IN THE DESERT? KUMEYAAY NATIVE AMERICANS.

Anza Borrego State Park, CA
Clark Dry Lake


You will never guess what was on the desert mountain top when we came outside Saturday morning.  


Keeping in mind that the days have been very hot, would you believe snow at about six thousand feet?  And it lasted well into the day.  

Our day was a bit cooler and we had a full day of activities on our agenda. 










The visitors center and the Anza Borrego Foundation and the Begole Research center were hosting an Archaeology Weekend.

  









There were seminars and activities for adults and children.

Clay pots were created by budding artists.  As they were working the clay, they heard how the Native Americans, in this case the Kumeyaay, made water vessels, bowls and other useful items for their everyday living.  

There were Kumeyaay attending to sell their pottery, jewelry, and to demonstrate weaving with reeds and grasses.

I was eager to ask the ladies questions.  I tried the small amount of Spanish that I know to no avail.  Thank goodness there was a translator. The ladies speak their own Kumeyaay language!

There was also a display of native plants and their uses by the Native Americans.

When I grew up, the Native Americans were called Indians. Now, that term is 'politically incorrect.'  I agree. Native Americans were here longer than our ancestors, unless your ancestors are natives that is.  








The visitor's center was crowded with guests there to learn about the animals and the culture of the area.  

The extra volunteer staff was extremely busy answering questions, selling merchandise and giving directions.

Each display had visitors learning about the birds and animals that populate the Anza Borrego Desert. 

How many animals can you find in the photograph on the right?  Can you name them?  




The day ended with a silent auction and ice cream social at the Begole Research Center. 





They served chocolate and vanilla ice cream with every topping that you can imagine.  

The volunteer on the right was also making root beer floats.  All a nice treat on a warm spring afternoon.   

For the auction, there were almost two hundred items donated by Borrego Springs businesses.    

Many beautiful items were displayed, but they were too large or too heavy for a motorhome.  We went home empty handed.  

John and I are considering volunteering at the Beogle Research Center next winter.  

This is one of our favorite destinations.  It is relatively close to our daughter, Jojo. And we have so much more to see and do here at the Anza Borrego State Park.

Thank you for visiting today and a big thank you for shopping Amazon through our blog.  

God bless you - especially during this Holy Week as we remember the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.  

WHEN IN THE DESERT HEAT

John was fixing us a lunchtime snack and suddenly says he feels dizzy and needs to lie down.  

He feels better, so he stands and feels dizzy, once more.  

Hummm, I test his oxygen level.  It is ninety five percent, that is great. His pulse is fifty four. It is usually fifty seven, so that is acceptable. 

Then I check his blood pressure.  This is not acceptable. We are talking fifty-three over seventy-four.  I check it about twenty minutes later and it is worse.  Skin tugor, tent-like. Not good.

I called his physician in Indianapolis.  "How much water is he drinking?"  I ask John and get a very sheepish look.  

Now, this is at two in the afternoon.  He has been out in the sun working on the motorhome.  He has had nothing but two cups of coffee at breakfast.

"Dehydration, get him to a hospital and tell them I want him to have fluids by IV.  A hospital?  None in Quartzsite.  Yuma is an hour away, but there is a hospital in Parker, half the distance of Yuma.  So, off we go to Parker and the La Paz Regional Hospital.  

All the way, I have him drinking water all thirty two ounces!   Having him drinking water was better than making him listen to my ranting a raving about fluid intake!   

After an EKG, a brain cat-scan and a complete blood count (CBC), he was given the IV.  The drip was set fast so we were out of there fairly quickly.  And we were on our way home, where I, again, checked his vitals....just to be sure.  

So, how does one stay hydrated in the desert?

1.  drink water!  Not energy drinks  and water needs to be room / air temperature.  Cold water intake requires time to warm to body's temperature to be absorbed.2.  eat foods with a high water content.

2.  eat foods with a high water content. 

Everyone needs from eight to twelve cups of water each day. A better way to determine how much water YOU need is to note your weight, divide those pound in half.  Change the pounds to ounces.  (150 pounds divided by 2 = 75 pounds therefore you would need 75 ounces a day.) 

We are looking into purchasing these from Amazon. It just makes good sense to have one of these rather than carrying water bottles.                                                  These are reusable and just think about how many plastic bottles you would not be throwing in the landfills to take forever to break down.   

Symptoms of dehydration but not limited to:

1. thirst 

2. chills

3. headache

4. loss of appetite

5. muscle pain/cramps

6. feeling fatigued

If these signs and symptoms are ignored the condition can worsen to heat exhaustion or even worse yet, heat stroke.  

We are talking life and death here, so please do not take any chances while out in the hot sun.

Thanks for visiting the blog today and for shopping Amazon through my link.  

God Bless ..... and drink water!  

WESTWARD HO? NO! A ROADRUNNER AND STEALTH R Ving

After four days of non-stop travel, John finally decided he had had enough.  We stopped at the RV park directly behind the Shell station at the I-10 and I-8 junction near Gila Bend, Arizona.  

John's legs were swelling, a danger sign for one who was in the hospital just over a year ago with congestive heart failure. This is how he spent most of our time there. He also walked in order to increase circulation in his legs.  It worked and he is better today.  

This RV park is an Escapees fifty percent off park, so we stayed for just over $13.00.  To put it mildly, we thought this was not going to be a pleasant experience.  But we were mildly surprised.  We had full hook-up, WIFI and very little noise from the interstate.  We slept very soundly, but John had maxed out his energy and I decided that a second night was needed.  

I did laundry, fixed some good vegan meals, walked dogs and just chilled.  It was a good rest.  

We had a visitor this morning.   He was running around just trying my patience.                                             I needed to use the telephoto setting to get these pictures.        But get them, I did!                                      He was on his way to  visit another unique  RV.    At least I think one could call it an RV.  It actually was a fifty-six foot trailer pulled by a huge tractor!  

This trailer has a fold down "deck".  They climb a set of stairs to get to the deck and enter from a double sliding glass patio door!  There is also a garage door in the back for their un-toad. Even with the car in the rear, just think of the room and storage they have inside!  I keep wondering if it had a split level inside since the trailer is so tall.  

The paint was stealth black.  It had no decorative "swooshes" on the sides.  What I would have given to been able to see inside. The license plates indicated North Dakota. Have any of you seen it? 

This morning, we  made the short run from Gila Bend to Quartzsite and all is well.  Well, kind of.  

OK you master-mechanics, we have a problem.  The inverter is not working properly.  There seems to be a loose wire someplace in the inverter.  John wiggles the wires and sometimes the it starts working, sometimes not.  

Tomorrow, Monday, we head into Quartzsite to find someone (any suggestions?) to look at the wiring and fix it.  This puts a damper on boondocking since we need electricity for the refrigerator.  

That is all of our exciting day of full time travel.  Some days are great, some......well......are a challenge.  

Thank you for joining us today and again, thank you so much for shopping Amazon through the link at the top, right of the page.  

God bless you in your travels...

WESTWARD HO!

I absolutely have no idea what has overtaken John and I.   But our travels have changed quite rapidly.  We left San Antonio on Monday.  And each day, we have done nothing but drive. Right now, we are zipping right through Tuscon.

We are zipping along so much that this is the photo I managed to get of the "Welcome to Arizona" sign.  The continental divide sign flew right by too.  

This does not seem to be a PDD though as we do not crank out the miles each day, But we don't stop along our short route each day.  I believe this is a new disorder.  Not sure of it's name.  







I believe it might have something to do with these things in the distance. 

It's like once we sighted these mountains and the desert, something just took over our brains and it is full, slow speed ahead.  

Even with this semi and road construction, the view keeps drawing us closer and closer.  




                                      What is a full timer to do? Good grief!  Now we are going to need to travel this route once more.......at least. 

  

We are having one new experience though.  With the rain that this area had about ten days ago, we see flowers along the road.  Yellow brittlebush, red and purple flowers.  The Palo Verde is turning green!  All new experiences.  (from the coach, that is)

I have been in touch with a couple of RV friends to see if it is convenient to meet, so we will see if the foot is released from the accelerator.  What do you think?  

If we are fortunate, I will have more to blog about tomorrow.  Wish me luck!  

God bless........

GULFPORT MISSISSIPPI TO NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans, LA
Temperature: 72 degrees

We leave Gulfport heading west toward New Orleans.  I have been to NOLA but John has not.  John is looking forward to the experience.  John is a huge jazz fan.  He will fit right in.  

We are driving on Interstate 10 therefore there are no beaches to see as there were in Gulfport.  It is just time to veg out and watch the miles slip behind us.  Now, this is a relaxing drive.  

We arrive in New Orleans in time to settle in, have dinner of beans and cheese quesedilla and a salad.  Yes, I know, vegans do not eat cheese.  We have lost our vegan member ship and eating vegetarian some of the time and vegan when it suits us. 

I am awake and it is seven thirty.  I know it will be a while before John is up, so I just sit in the sun coming through the windshield and chill.  

After breakfast we head into the city of New Orleans.  Our destination: the French Quarter.  I know what to expect, John has no idea what is in store for him. The sights, the smells, the people.  

We park the car at a public parking lot.  Six dollars for the first hour, ten dollars for two hours.  My, that's a bit pricey.  Oh well, this is John's treat.  

As we walk closer to the French Quarter, we hear lovely music. A violinist and a guitar player.  The music is nothing I have heard on any street, anywhere.  Neat.  

Some stop to listen to the music.  Others hurry by as if there is no one performing.  I guess they are locals and have become immune to the lovely sounds.  

We turn left down one street and I am thinking, "great! we are missing the crowds."  Ha!  that does not last but a block. 

The sidewalks are narrow and filling.  Lines are forming at the best restaurants, mimes are doing their thing.  We continue to explore.  

I give a huge sigh of relief when I learn that the parades do not start until next weekend. Phew!  

There are a total of sixty-three parades in several locations. Four parades are in the French Quarter.  Others are located on the West Bank, Slidel, Uptown, Metairie, Mid City, Covington, Chalmette, Madisonville, and Marigny.  This is one big party town.  

The parades are not this weekend, but the bright gold, purple, and green decorations are on balconies that we pass.  Each color has a significance.  Purple represents  justice, Green represents faith,  and Gold represents power.  

If you would like to read more about Mardi Gras, here is the link to their website. 

It is really getting warm!  Should I say that I am actually hot??? Yep, I am hot!  Not complaining, mind you.  Just saying. 

The colors if the French Quarter are a party for the eyes.  Many buildings show their age with layer upon layer of brightly colored paint.  Many of these buildings date back to the seventeen hundreds.  If I dated back to the seventeen hundreds, I'd need a ton of paint too! 

John just has to walk on Bourbon Street.  All I know was that Bourbon Street is the most fowl smelling street we walk. 

The odors are terrible and the music coming from the businesses is at a decibel  higher than I am comfortable with.  We cannot even hear each other talk!

On another street I see a sign in a candy / praline store window that says they have classes.  Now, that is my cup of sugar!   I would love to take a New Orleans candy making class.  

Ahhh, there is a person handing out samples and of course I made sure that I do not disappoint her and accept a praline sample. Oh, my gosh, this is delightful!  Would I be a pig if I turned around and begged for another?  Probably.



A little later, I spy a gumbo shop.  Too bad we had a huge breakfast and there is no room for gumbo.  


Now we come to Jackson Square. Artwork, I love artwork.  All artwork. Any artwork, I love it all.  There is artwork all around the square.  

Something is wrong here... all around...the square.  Yep something is wrong.  

Many of the artists paint in their areas. This kind gentleman allows me to take a photo of him.  

Man, I am getting tired and really hot! How can I whine coming from Alabama that had an ice storm a few short days ago.  I do not know, but I can do it, just fine.  Just ask John.  

We head back to the car after two delightful hours of walking. Did we see everything?  Not on your life.  Will we return to New Orleans and the French Quarter?  New Orleans, yes.  The French Quarter? Not in this lifetime.  I want the open spaces, nature, birds, animals, trails to hike.  Oops, John says he wants to return.  

The French Quarter is for the young.  Being retired makes me not young.  Does it make me old?  Probably in the books, but I don't feel old.  I just have different interests now.

We come home and I begin to think about dinner.  I have saved a recipe Quinoa and Black Bean Enchilada Bake on Pinterest and I want to try it. So I did.

Doesn't this look delish?  Well, it is. It is a keeper for sure.   

                                 http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake

In my last post I had a photo of Emerson (Emi).  I called her Harper.  

This, my friends is Harper....singing to a song on the radio as Adam is driving and Megan snaps a photo.  I think we have a diva on our hands, don't you?

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Have a great week.  And of course................

God bless y'all!  

GUNTER HILL C.O.E.

Montgomery, AL
25 degrees & freezing rain

The drive from Jackson County Park to Gunter Hill Army Corps of Engineers Campground was uneventful.  As usual our Verizon navigator was right on spot.  

John worked on the electrical problem with the help of Stanley at the Tiffin Motorhome Service Helpline.  The diagnosis was a loose connection within the inverter.

It was up to John to locate the culprit.  Within fifteen to twenty minutes, all house, battery powered equipment was up and running!  Thanks Stanley and John.....and Bob Tiffin for having the service helpline!  

Despite the weather, we are enjoying our stay here at Gunter Hill C.O.E.

Gunter Hill is beautiful and the sites are huge! Three forty to forty-five foot coaches could fit into our pull through site.

This is our view of the water.  The campground is on Catoma Creek part of the Alabama River backwaters. 

The campground sits in a forest of Hickory, Pine and Sycamore.  Sites have electricity, water and sewer hook-ups.  

It is so nice to be able to do our laundry here in the motorhome as we wait for good weather to continue our journey across North America.  

I am longing for the desert in the Southwest. Earlier, I was contemplating whether it is the journey or the destination that is best. Finally came to the conclusion that it is both because this is our chosen lifestyle.  

Yes, it is cold outdoors. But we are warm as toast with our electric heaters inside the motorhome. 

We have chosen to use the electric heaters rather than the propane gas furnace due to the price hike and supposedly propane shortage.  



Electricity is included in our daily, America the Beautiful pass rate of $11 per night. Our closest neighbor is about 200 yards from us if you don't count deer as neighbors. 

If I were to rate Gunter Hill Campground, it would receive a five out of five.  It is dog friendly, wonderful concrete pads on which to park, water, sewer and electricity are on site. The distance between sites is good and in the summer there is privacy created by the surrounding forest.  A picnic table is situated on a crushed stone base and has a fire pit / grill located close.   

Now it is time to take the load out of the washer/dryer and start on bed clothing and a late lunch.  If we are lucky, we may be able to leave here tomorrow, if the roads are clear and safe.

Megan sent this photo of Harper, the big sister and Emerson, the baby sister.  I just had to share them with you, my friends.

Oh, oh, the freezing rain has stopped and it is officially snowing.  Oh happy day!

Thanks for stopping by and for leaving your comments.  

God bless each and every one of you.

UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE? AND CAMPGROUND REVIEW

Leaving the Tiffin Service Center, our destination was Scottsboro, AL, the home of Unclaimed Baggage Center. 

The store was large and filled with clothing, sporting equipment, cameras, e-readers, laptops and other electronics.  

For the first-time visitor, it was too much merchandise to consider.  Had I known what I know now, I would make the center a two day event.  One day to walk the store and make a mental list of what interests you and the second day to make your purchases. I picked up a set of hiking sticks for just over $10, looked at e-readers and cameras, felt overwhelmed and left.  At least I am ready for our hikes again.

My suggestion is to know your lowest retail cost for the items you might be interested in.  Then you can make a wise purchase.  One negative is that there is no guarantee on electronics.  The clothing made me feel as if I were in a Goodwill store.   

Would I return?  Maybe.  Only if I had a shopping list with prices.  

We stopped at the Information Booth to check on places to park our motorhome for the night.  They gave us the names of two RV parks, one we passed on the way into Scottsboro.  

The other and best suggestion was the Jackson County Park and Marina which was just about five minutes from the center.

Located at 2302 County Park Road is the Jackson County Park sitting  beautiful Lake Guntersville.  The campground is the ideal place for a peaceful, relaxing break from shopping at the Unclaimed Baggage Center. The park has something to offer the outdoor enthusiast as well as the avid shopper. 

Sitting only four miles from the Tennessee River channel, it is the perfect spot to park your RV, sit and enjoy the area.  Or you can fish, hunt ducks, boat, swim, and water ski.  



A covered, handicapped-accessible fishing pier welcomes those with disabilities to enjoy nature. There are also many spots along the shoreline for fishing. 

For the shopper, there are some well known chain stores as well as many local shops, and the world famous Unclaimed Baggage Center. The park is just a short drive from both Huntsville and Chattanooga. Well known and hometown restaurants are just minutes from the park. 

Sunset had passed leaving just a touch of pink in the distance as we parked our motorhome.  We had no neighbors around us, only ducks out for a cold swim.  

The sites were leveled crushed stone, spacious and costing $30 a day.  The large pull through sites were equipped with fifty and thirty amp service.  We would visit this place again. Of course we would not have stayed if it were not dog friendly....on leash of course. 

While at the Park, we experienced an electrical problem.  I believe I must have hit a switch or something near the inverter while vacuuming that bay.  We now are without the ability to recharge our house batteries.  

John and I have read all the information provided by Tiffin at the point of sale.  We still cannot figure out the solution so we will be calling our  Tiffin Service hot line and Stanley to walk us through the solution.  

This occurred previously and the solution was simple.  We just do not remember what we were told.  This time?  I will write down the instructions.  

Thanks for stopping by.  We enjoy your comments and suggestions.  

God Bless y'all!

MURPHY,,,,, GO AWAY!

Here we are, about an hour from leaving Jojo's and now the water pump will not run.  In other words, we have no water.  

We have referred to the Tiffin Allegro Bus owner's manual and have followed all directions.  It is not a relay switch, not fuses, etc.  But it is extremely frustrating.  

Right now, we are looking at all the Tiffin literature trying to locate the placement of the water pump.  If not too difficult, John may replace it.  

We still plan to leave today.  We will purchase gallons of water for flushing and drinking that will last until we can find a Tiffin Dealer to either purchase a pump or fix our pump.