OMG - The End!

Well the blog has been a little lacking this go around, mostly because our time has been spent enjoying the sunshine, beer and sunshine... not necessarily in that order J

Greg usually complains that I never get around to finishing the blog so I figured I would make an attempt to wind it up this time, since there wasn’t much of a beginning I didn’t think there would be much to wind up......

Now my blogs are usually an excuse for me to show off some of the pictures I have taken along the way and that is part of the problem this time, I didn’t get out and about much so I didn’t take a lot of pictures and that would mean I would have to actually write things .... and then you would have to actually read it, and if you read it I might start to think I should write more and then I might start to ramble on and......

Hang on where was I??

Oh right Casa Grande!

We were supposed to spend two weeks in Casa Grande and two weeks in our home park in Indio.  It is still too hot for a lot of people that spend time in these parks so we tend to get the place to ourselves this early in the season.  Usually we love the heat so it works for us, this time unfortunately between me still working on recovering and the fact that they had a heat wave and Tess absolutely hating it because of the fact there isn’t a blade of grass to be seen we decided to move on to Indio early. 

Hmmm, the bob cat trying to eat Tess may have made her a little nervous too....

See this is where I could have saved you all a lot of reading with one good picture, unfortunately for us my camera had  temporarily disappeared (it was found right after this of course)

So here is the amazing picture I missed.... our little RV was set up about 5 feet from a wall that went around the park, we had just set up a nice little fence around so Tess could sit outside when we had the door open.  She wasn’t so sure it was a good idea but this morning I think she got  stepped on one too many times so Greg put her food outside and tried to encourage her to get some fresh air.  She got as far as the fold down step and figured that was a good place to sleep.  We were enjoying our morning coffee in the trailer when I looked up and saw this really big cat sitting on the fence glaring down at Tess on the step about 15 feet away...ok so I already gave away the punch line.  A second look at the cat I realized it was a bobcat...and I think it was drooling......

After sending Greg to get Tess in the trailer I searched for my camera and well, you get the picture... no I guess you don’t which is why you had to read all this!

I don’t think I have ever seen a bobcat that close even in a zoo, it really was an amazing sight.

Oh another wild animal tale from the park, I did get to come face to face with a very cute little owl on our evening walk.  Ok, not so dramatic but again could have really used the camera.

That pretty much sums up Casa Grande for us this trip, one morning we got up and decided that Indio had grass and Jackalopes (a restaurant we really like to go to for happy hour) and shopping and trees and it was the day before my birthday so Greg made a call and got us in early to Indio and we were out of there in half an hour.

Indio

We like Indio, it’s our home park so we are allowed to stay for three weeks, we could then go to another park close by for a week and then come back here for 3 more weeks... if we could just figure out how to get Bruce to send down the pay check...and win a lottery so I can get the kids down here and my beautiful granddaughter, Rylan....ok think we need two lotteries and the pay check.

Well I think that’s almost enough writing now so lets try and sum up the three weeks here... sunshine... yup that about does it J

Orange tree in the park

Grapefruit tree in the park

We did meet up with Kerry and Bruce when they came down and have a wonderful dinner at the Cliffhouse, where the wine was half price so it tasted that much better!!!

We were supposed to be leaving today but my health has been off and on and I really wanted to go to the living desert with my camera as I hadn’t had any chance to take pictures the whole time.  So Greg made arrangements for us to stay one more night and we went to the park yesterday.

We have been there before and there are lots of signs and Greg said he knew where he was going so I wasn’t paying much attention and so, on the very last day of possible outings, we managed to find lost....

OK  here come the pictures!!!!

We didn’t get too lost but I was suddenly paying attention when we were on a skinny road that twisted and turned in the middle of nowhere and the park is pretty much in town...

It was a wonderful view point though

Took no time at all to find our way back and locate the park.

There now, wasn’t that better? J

Well that’s about it, we pack up today and head out early tomorrow, takes about 5 days to get home and I dig out my winter cloths.  Can’t say I am too upset to be heading home, love the sunshine but have you seen how cute my grandbaby is?!?!? J

Part Two

Ok maybe we have done something, almost every morning we get up, have coffee, walk Tess

and do kata before it gets too hot

(oh and Sensei Norm I have one or two questions....). 

This gruelling routine is followed by lounging, oops I mean active pool time.

As the temperature approaches 100 degrees we locate shade, quickly followed by beer.   This is a good time to do any of the business type work I mentioned in the last post inside with the air conditioning, mixed in with a little drawing and creating a pair or two of earrings.   Happy hour starts around 3pm and we have been known to return at that time to a nice little Mexican place for an ice cold Margarita, on the rocks of course.

I know it sounds like an exhausting holiday but don’t shed any tears for us, we will overcome!

Yesterday, we did break from our routine, it was time to step up the pace and see the world.....besides we were out of beer....

Wed Oct. 13,

We have been to Casa Grande, Western Horizons RV park, a number of times in the past and so far have not made it to Tucson, so this trip was to be dedicated to exploring that city.   Our first plan was to see the biosphere 2 and do some touring in the city, then we decided that maybe we would just do one thing at a time.  It was a good choice because although I am feeling fantastic I am still a ways off from being able to walk around a desert in this heat, so today we stayed with just the biosphere.

That was a good choice; there was a lot of walking.

Both Greg and I really enjoyed the tour. 

It is hard to believe that 8 people lived in it completely independent from the world for 2 years starting in 1992. 

One part I found interesting was the kitchen.  Nice enough kitchen but each person took their turn at the cooking and since the food was limited to what was in the biosphere if you ruined a meal you had to make do........ think that might stop my cooking experiments!!!

The tropical ocean

All the plants were grown in greenhouses close by so that nothing outside would contaminate the enclosure, at the time they could see the sky I’m sure but they have grown just a bit since then!

Lots of basement and underground equipment needed for air movement, temp control etc because at the time of the two year experiment the biosphere was completely sealed up.







I pretended to pose, actually I was taking a much needed break!!!

Now where was that margarita!

In the Beggining.... sort of!!

Well it’s Thursday Oct. 14 and we have officially been in one place for a week now.  The blog was almost not happening due to a serious limit on our internet but, as most of us know there is just something about being told that you can’t do something to make a person go and figure out how he can.....no one specific here of course ;) 

Now this issue may not have been as pressing if it wasn’t for Wow (World of Warcraft – an online game Greg and I enjoy playing with the kids, and my mom, amongst others).  We have been playing this game for a couple of years now as it is a wonderful replacement for tv as well as a great way to have fun with the family no matter where they are.   Normally I have no interest in games when we are on holidays but this time WOW was very inconsiderate in deciding to release a big update.... ok HUGE update that you have to download in order to continue playing, with all sorts of neat new things to check out, the day after we left on holidays.  We may have been able to ignore this thoughtless timing if we weren’t getting constant updates about the neat new things from almost every family member we talk to!

The real point of this ramble is that the intrigue has been just too much for us and with some careful investigation a way to increase our internet was discovered.... strictly for business purposes of course!  So lucky for all of you desperately awaiting word of my blog, the time and means has arrived!!

So on with the blog!!

Ummm well we haven’t really done anything........