Monday, November 18/2013

We arrived here in Nephi, Utah on November 5th and are leaving today.  We have been here for 13 days and although they were restful, it is certainly time for us to move on.
Kay has finally finished with her job here in Utah and is more than ready to get on with her winter.  All in all, she had another good run although it was shadowed with her stint in the hospital with a ruptured appendix.  On the other hand, that allowed her to spend some time with us in Canada so all was not bad.
Today, there are a few ends to tie up, and we will then batten down the hatches, get Kay's trailer winterized and head on down the road.
The sun is shining this morning so that is a good thing.  The roads are dry and we will be stopping in Beaver, Utah to do a bit of sight seeing.  Kay has seen some of the trails around there and wants to show us a few of them.
It should be a bit warmer in Beaver as it is about 2 hours further south.
Now that we are "back on the road" again, every day will get me closer to Wickenburg and my bathtub!!
We arrived in Beaver without incident and got parked and settled in our usual spot behind the Flying J. John unloaded the quads as we are on a quad trip tomorrow and got the "campfire in a can" out and had the chairs set up in the little trailer.  We will sit inside the trailer tonight and enjoy a quiet evening.  It is chilly here but tomorrow is supposed to be better.  I sure hope so because we are headed up into the mountains around here!!

A little Bar we stopped at on one of our trips

Kay has been here before as you can see by the bill on the wall. That is her nickname, K Bear.

Deer along one of the back roads

We had to stop for some sheep being herded

Back at Kays

We had a rib BBQ and fire for Kays end of work party. These folks are friends from Nephi

Sunday, November 17/2013

The sun is shining this morning and it looks like it is going to be a nice day.  Hopefully no more snow as I am getting a bit tired of walking around the damp towels on the floor.  This leaky roof sucks!!
The Riders play football today so that is what is on the agenda.  Both the Eastern and the Western final is on today so we will have at least 6 hours of football to watch.  Woo Hoo!!
Double Woo Hoo……The Saskatchewan Roughriders have won the Western Final and are headed back home where they will not only host the Grey Cup, they will be playing for the coveted trophy as well.  Now that is totally awesome.  This team is due for a win but have to beat the Hamilton Tiger Cats to do it.  Next Sunday is going to be another great game!!
We watched football all darn day today, ate leftovers for supper then played a silly game of "What is the Picture" on Kay's Kindle.  Now that was fun but there were a few that totally stumped us.
We are leaving here tomorrow so we all had to get our beauty rest as there are several things to do tomorrow before we head further south.
Kay heard from Mitch today and he will be headed South this week as well.  Hopefully he travels safely and is able to stop and see us as he goes by.

Saturday, November 16/2013

With 9 people coming for supper tonight, Kay and I headed to the grocery store to pick up some last minute supplies.  Once we got back, the three of us headed over to Mount Pleasant so that Kay could sees her friend and say goodbye before she heads to Arizona.
Of course we can't just travel by the highway, we have to go over the mountains on a back road.
Big Hollow Road took us through some pretty awesome scenery and we managed to even see a few mule deer along the way.  They certainly were not too terribly concerned about us as they stood quite calmly while we took their picture.
It was snowing pretty good along the way and the snow added to the beauty of the country side.  It truly was awesome to see the juniper trees dusted with the snow.
Big Hollow Road was not that long and we were soon on the highway to Mount Pleasant.  It was nasty and a snow plow sure could have been used.   One vehicle in front of us actually did a complete 360.  He was coming towards us and did his little spin out and must have decided to call it a day as he continued on back the way he had come!!
We arrived at our destination and unfortunately, Kay's friend was not available.  She is the owner of the bar in Mount Pleasant so we had a couple cool ones and headed back to Nephi.  We had company coming for supper!!
We took another obscure little road back to the highway to Nephi and managed to see three more mule deer.  They too were not in a hurry to leave and we managed to get a few more pics.
Once we accessed the highway, we made good time but had to stop for a herd of sheep.  They were helter skelter all over the road so traffic was backed up both ways.
Finally, back at Nephi, we got things going for supper and a campfire started.  Company arrived and we sat around the fire chatting while the ribs and the potatoes cooked.
Eventually everyone was fed and our guests left.  All in all, it turned out rather nice and was a great way to connect with friends we met last year.
It was a good and productive day.  Tomorrow is football and our Riders are going for the Western final.  Hopefully they win and we will be going to the Grey Cup Game.   Go Riders Go!!

Friday, November 15/2013

Kay is "on hold" as far as work is concerned today.  The weather is nasty in Salt Lake so they are going to wait and see…..
Woo Hoo, Kay just got the call saying she is done for the season!!  No more long drives for her this year.
With that news, we headed off to the store, picked up a few things then came home.  We will hang here for the weekend and be gone on Monday.
We got into a cutthroat game of Ship, Captain and Crew, ate supper then headed over to the bar for a few drinks.  It was Karaoke night and I must say…..the singing has not got any better since last year!!  I must commend everyone who got up though as that does take some guts!!
We invited "the gang" for supper tomorrow and everyone has agreed to come.  John will cook ribs for 9 people tomorrow so that will be good. Hopefully the weather cooperates and we can have a campfire too.
Earlier, I noticed that the roof was leaking so now there are towels on the floor and a bucket under the leak.  John was supposed to have caulked all the holes but I fear he missed one….or two!!!  We will have to deal with that once we get into the warmer, dryer weather and hope that it doesn't snow or rain anymore while we are here!!

Thursday, November 14/2013

Oh Dear, it is a bit chilly this morning with the temperature hovering just above freezing.  Kay has already text and said there was frost where she is working  today.  Nasty, but perhaps this will be what gets her finally laid off for the winter season.
It was another quiet day spent with John mucking a bit with the truck, checking oil and getting things ready for our trip further south.  He is hoping to get some quadding in around Beaver, Utah but the weather does not seem to want to cooperate!!
Kay was home a bit earlier today and is scheduled to works again tomorrow but once again, the weather may have something to do with that as there is a huge storm moving into the Salt Lake City area and that is where she is working.

Wednesday, November 13/2013

It is rather dreary outside this morning.  The sun has finally come up over the mountain but there is some heavy cloud coverage and it is struggling to get through.  Oh well, we can't complain after the two really awesome days we just had.
The sun did eventually break through and shone for a few hours this afternoon but eventually gave way to the clouds and the chill of the evening set in.
I tried a new recipe for supper today.  One I got off Facebook which had me adding a box of Stove Top Stuffing to a pound of hamburger to make a meatloaf.  It was good but sure could have used some spicing up.
Kay got home after dark again tonight so it was supper, a bit of TV and then to bed for her.  She still has not found out if this is her last week of work.
The weather is supposed to turn colder after this week so it would be nice if we were headed further south.   Time will tell!!

Tuesday, November 12/2013

Once again, the sun is shining and we are headed for another great day.  It is supposed to be warmer than yesterday.
Kay is already long gone and Hogan is outside doing his perimeter check!!  I think he can smell cat!!
It turned out to be a wonderful day with the sun shining and Hogan and I spent much of the afternoon sitting outside.  Even John sat outside for a while today!!
I must say though, as soon as the sun goes down, the chill is definitely in the air.
Kay was late getting home again tonight.  Man, those long drives home after work are tiring.  Today, she stopped for pizza for supper and it was awesome.  Papa Murphy's has "bake at home" ones and they are delicious.   Mmmmm….beer and pizza….does it get any better than that??
Hopefully tomorrow, Kay will find out when her work is done for the season.

Monday, November 11/2013

It is Remembrance Day today.  Time for us to stop and remember and to say Thank You to those that served and sacrificed and to say Thank You to those still serving in our many military campaigns around the world.   Lest We Forget.
The sun is shining again today and this week's forecast actually looks pretty darn good.  Sunny and warm.  I just may have to start on my tan!!
It was beautifully warm this afternoon ….18C  (sorry folks!) and Hogan and I sat out in the sunshine for a bit before it got too hot and I moved to the shade!!  Real sorry about that Kimmy!!
I managed to throw another load of laundry in today and relaxed until Kay arrived home.  It was dark again by the time she arrived.  She will be working at the same job site again tomorrow.  She travels 90 miles one way so once again, it is a long day for her.
I made a potato salad today to go with the leftover KFC and that is what we had for supper.  It was quick and simple and good!!  Kay has been taking awesome leftovers for her lunch and some of the guys have been commenting on her lunches.   Apparently they have greatly improved since we have arrived!!
Our evening was spent watching The Voice (we live a very exciting life here) and then it was time for Kay to head to bed and get her beauty rest for another early morning drive and a full day of work.  She is so hoping that this is her last week of work.  Me too!!  I can almost hear my bathtub in Wickenburg calling me!

Sunday, November 10/2013

Today Kay and I are headed to Walmart for some shopping.  She loves shopping with me!!!  I am looking for some lawn chairs to replace the sad pathetic ones we brought with us.  They have certainly seen better days and are headed to the garbage can once they are replaced.
We headed out after breakfast and were soon cruising the aisles of Walmart.  No chairs to be had so we ended up going to Cal Ranch to look.  No luck there either so it looks like we will have to wait until we get a little further south and into the perpetual warm weather to find some.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are playing in the Western Semifinal today so we have to hurry and get back in time for kickoff.  As it turned out, we were right on time.
We brought an official Rider's T-shirt for Kay and made her put it on and cheer for the team so all three of us were wearing our shirts and cheering the team on.  It was a good game and thankfully, we won.  It wasn't pretty but we now get to play in the Western Final to see if we get another shot at the Grey Cup.  Go Riders Go!!
While we were in town today, we stopped at KFC for some hot wings and enjoyed those after the game.  We spent a quiet evening watching TV and then it was time for Kay to head to bed.  With only the one day off, it is hard for her to properly rest up after 6 days of work.  She is hopefully starting her final week of the job.  She too is getting anxious to head home for the winter.

Saturday, November 9/2013

The sun is shining this morning and it looks like the wind has finally gone down.  Woo Hoo!!  Actually, the afternoon was really warm and I thought of our friends and family back home who are trying to dig out from yet another snow storm.  (Kimmy is wanting a snow blower for Christmas!!)
Kay worked again today and since I didn't have anything better to do, I did the laundry.  Woo Hoo… nothing like spending your Saturday doing the laundry!!
It is John's turn to cook…again and since it is Saturday…..well that is steak and baked potato night.
The three of us headed over to the bar for a few drinks and to listen to the band.  It was fun and we got to meet a few more of Kay's friends.
Back at the trailer, it was time to throw the steak on and eat and then time to call it a day.
Another good day spent here in Nephi, Utah.  Hopefully we will be out of here next week and continuing our journey southward.

Friday, November 8/2013

Well the wind is blowing again - no surprise there!!  The temperature has warmed up though so that is a good thing.  Maybe, the wind will die down and we will be able to get the lawn chairs out and sit outside and absorb some good old Vitamin D.
Kay is off working again today and will not return until later this evening.  John cooked supper for us and it was waiting by the time she arrived back at the park.
She found out today that she is still needed at the job site for another few days next week so it looks like we will be hanging around here as well.  John did promise to winterize the trailer for her.  Oh well, it is not too much of a hardship sitting here and relaxing.
Hogan is loving the freedom and is outside lots.  I think he is waiting for Kay's stray kittens to make another appearance.

Thursday, November 7/2013

It is warmer outside today but that bloody wind is blowing like crazy.  This town is surrounded by mountains and I am wondering if there is ever a day when the wind isn't blowing.  I seems like it is whipping off the face of the mountains and sweeping down upon us.
My nose is plugged and I am sneezing like crazy.  Love it when my nose tingles and my eye waters too!!  My cold is awesome!!
Kay did not make it home tonight until after dark.  Apparently, the boss wanted that job finished tonight so they all worked late.  She looked tired when she arrived back here and was not looking forward to heading back there in the morning.  She is at an elevation that is at least 2000 feet higher than what we are here and she says it is damn cold up there in the mornings!!  Ray had given her a pair of good quality cold weather pants that he used for the Forest Service and she says they are really warm so she wears those a lot.
It wasn't too long before supper was eaten and Kay headed to bed.  She had a really long day today and is hoping that tomorrow is her last.  Hopefully it is  as we can then get this trailer winterized and be headed further South on Monday.
There are two Canadian football games on Sunday and watching them is most definitely on our "to do" list.

Wednesday, November 6/2013

It is chilly and windy out this morning.  Kay had to be at the job  site at 7:30 so she is long gone.  She does an incredible amount of travelling back and forth to the various sites but she has a real nice spot here at this little RV park.
Hogan spent the day cruising the joint and keeping an eye out for the cats that Kay has befriended.  They seem to know that he is about as I have not seen one cat since the first day we arrived!!  I am trying to convince her that Turbo needs a buddy back in Arizona!!
Kay arrived home early and we did manage to sit out in the late afternoon sunshine before the wind and the chill of the evening got the best of us.
John got the bbq out and we had steak and baked potato for supper.  It was good…..as usual!!  It was soon time for Kay to head to bed as she has to be up real early so that she arrives at the job site in good time.
Gosh, I think I am getting a cold so I headed to bed as well…..time to get the echinacea out!!

Tuesday, November 5/2013

We arrived in Nephi, Utah today via a rather circuitous road that wound through the Utah back country.  We got off the interstate yesterday and travelled part of the Pony Express Route.  It was an interesting route that took us through the vast basin desert that makes up much of this part of Utah.
We arrived in Nephi to find Kay already home from her day of work.
Hogan was so excited to see Kay that he was doing his little "boxer talking thing" with her.  God, one would think he hasn't seen her in years!!
We will stay here for a few days so that Kay can finish up her job for the year and then John can help her winterize the trailer.  We will then continue on our journey to Arizona.

Fallowing the Pony Express Trail 

Markings

Coming into Nephi, UT

Monday, November 4/2013

We now have travelled through Montana and Idaho and today are entering the state of Utah.  The weather is holding and that is always a good thing.
The folks back home in Leoville are digging out from a nasty blizzard that dumped a ton of snow on them.  I am soooo glad we left when we did.  A massive snowstorm for the first one of the year is one hell of a way to start the winter season.  Hopefully everyone will stay warm and safe.
We stopped today at the Camp Floyd Cemetery not too far from Lehi, Utah.  This cemetery was established in 1858 and abandoned three years later as the troops stationed at Camp Floyd returned to fight in the Civil War.  The actual number, location and identities of those buried in the cemetery is not known because the Army did not keep burial records during this period and all surface evidence of the grave locations was destroyed.  Ground penetrating radar done in 2009 revealed the location of 33 graves and each site has been marked with a grave stone. New headstones, placed in 2011 read "UNKNOWN".
Our night's stop was at a recreation area not too far from the cemetery.  Looks like there are trails aplenty in this area but that will have to wait for much better weather.

Sunday, November 3/2013

Our journey continues and we travelled through rain, blowing snow and sunny skies today.  Fortunately the highways remained in good condition.
The truck continues to run like a top and the fuel mileage has improved since the wind has stopped its relentless blowing.
We stopped tonight at McCammon, Idaho.  We stayed here as well in the Spring when we were headed North so this spot too, is familiar.

Saturday, November 2/2013

The wind is blowing this morning so hopefully it will settle in time for a campfire later on tonight.
There are two football games on today, one of them being the Riders.  Hopefully they win although, it really is a game that means nothing in the standings.   That has already been decided.  It is the next game that is a must win for them.
John fixed the hole in the trailer and I must say, if I didn't know about it, I would never suspect.  He has some wild idea that he wants to put a small TV in the new enclosed trailer at some point down the road.
It has remained windy and looks like it could rain (or snow) although the temperature is fairly good.  John started a campfire from the wood we gathered yesterday and we got out the lawn chairs and enjoyed our first US campfire of the season.
It tried to rain on us but I had packed an umbrella and we sat under it until that bit of nonsense passed.  Actually, I am not sure if it was rain or sleet and I really didn't want to know!!
The Riders lost the game and Hogan spent the latter part of the evening in the camper.  He is not impressed with the weather!!

Friday, November 1/2013

Thursday, October 31/2013 has strayed out of line.  I think it somehow ended up posting at the end of August so will quickly add it under the November 1/2013 entry.
We crossed into the US of A this morning.   Woo Hoo….they let us in again.  The crossing guard was friendly, loved Hogan and knew exactly where Wickenburg was as he had gone to school in Phoenix.  He checked out both the camper and the trailer, was apparently satisfied with everything and wished us a good trip.
It is windy and chilly so I am thinking that our fuel mileage will not be all that great.  It is Halloween today so we are passing several pretty "scary" looking yards.  It looks like the ghosts and goblins will be having a good time tonight.
We stopped in Great Falls for the night at the same spot we stopped at on our way home last Spring so Hogan has plenty of room to run around and stretch his legs.  Unfortunately, the wind is blowing like crazy and he is not impressed.  On a positive note though…..the phone is still working!!   Woo Hoo!!


On the road again and the highways remain dry and free of any of that nasty white stuff.  The truck continues to run well, and John is pleased with the way the hitch is holding up.  So far, there are no issues.
We stopped for gas before finding a campsite for the night and when John backed away from the pumps he turned too sharp and managed to put a rather nasty looking hole in the front of the new enclosed trailer.  Well…..I guess the gong show has started!!
Although not too impressed with this, he did say it was easily covered by the TV access plate.
We stopped for the night at Glen Fishing Access.  It is situated right beside the Big Hole River.  We found a spot,  got settled in and before too long, a Fish and Game officer stopped by wondering if we were out hunting or fishing.   Apparently, tis the season.  We assured him we were not hunting and had stopped here for only a few nights (there are two football games tomorrow) then are continuing our journey South.  He carried on, wishing us a safe journey.
Hogan enjoyed chasing the ball and was soon ready to have a rest.  I have found another huge lump in his neck (afraid his thyroid cancer has returned) so will have to have him checked out once we hit Wickenburg.  Shit, Oh Dear.
We spent the evening watching Football.

Leaving Shaunovan on SK Hwy 37 S

Border crossing at Turner MT

US Hwy 87 S MT

Hogan guarding my beer

Our spot in Billings MT

I - 15 S MT

Damn camper jacks!

Our spot at Glen fishing access, MT

Hogan checking it out

Fixed for now

Wednesday, October 30/2013

We are headed Southbound today and as usual it is always a little bittersweet.  I am headed to the warm weather but I am also headed away from family.  Thank heavens for phones, email, Facebook, chat and every other technological gadget so that I can keep in contact.
Last year we travelled on some pretty icy roads when we left the farm but today the highways were dry.  There is snow in the forecast so hopefully we can out run it.
Our first night's stop was in the town of Shaunavon.  It is not too far from the US border so we will be crossing tomorrow.
The truck ran great but I don't think Hogan is too impressed with riding in the camper.

Thursday, October 23/2013 - Tuesday, October 29/2013

Once we got all the initial running around done and the camper roof caulked, we headed out to the farm where we would stay until the final doctor's appointments were done.
The peace and quiet at the farm is awesome.
Unfortunately, Kimmy's Mom was out of town so there was only Bernie, John and I, along with numerous cats and of course Hogan out there.
I had free reign of Gloria's kitchen and loved it.  It has been so long since I actually got to cook in a real kitchen - one that wasn't attached to a motor home or truck camper.  I was in heaven and the three of us ate rather well - even if I do say so myself.
I managed to touch base with Casey and got to see his fractured leg for the first time and even managed to get him to the doctor once.  It seems to be healing nicely but still needs several months to recover.
Jace and Kimmy moved to a new home in the town of Warman so I managed to help them move on the Saturday before we left then Kimmy and I cleaned the old place on Sunday.  I certainly was a bit tired after those two days but a good soak in the tub at the farm was exactly what I needed.

Out at the farm

Bernie and Hogan chillin

Coors and Hogan in the camper

Sunset on the farm

Doctors appointments were finally done on the 29th and we are out of here tomorrow…..

Wednesday, October 22/2013

We arrived in Saskatoon this afternoon and headed for Jace's shop.  He was on the road and so was  Anton (the fellow he shares the shop with).  We had the run of the place.  Kimmy came by and we had a few beverages and ordered pizza.  It was fun.
Tomorrow she will pick me up in the morning, I will drop her off at work then will do all my running so that we can get out to the farm and back to some peace and quiet.
John has some stuff to finish up on the roof of the camper and some caulking to be done.  Good thing we have a heated shop so that the caulking can dry.

Enjoying a beverage with Kimmy

Saturday, October 5/2013 - Tuesday, October 21/2013

6:00 in the morning comes early but Kay got to the airport and boarded her flight back to the States.  She was safely home in Utah buy mid afternoon.
John and I headed back to Leoville as there were all sorts of things that needed to be done before heading South.  All kinds of loose ends needed to be tied up and so we spent the next three weeks doing just that.  The yard was cleaned, the boat put away, the man cave cleaned and all vehicles dealt with.   The solar panels on the camper were finished off and the satellite TV/Internet was ready to go as well.   The motorhome was made ready for the winter and now it was time to head into Saskatoon for the final week.  Doctors, Dentists and what not awaited.  Snow and cold is in the forecast…….time for us to get out of Dodge!!

Our first bit of snow

It did melt