It is overcast and windy today. Actually, a bit on the "bitchy" side. Even Hogan is in and out so it must be chilly for him as well. He didn't even spend that much time by the fence checking out all the "goings on" in the empty acres beyond. It is a good day to sit and relax, watch some football and get ready for the upcoming week.
Keith and Charlotte stopped by for a quick visit and brought the rest of the parts for the TV we bought from them. They stayed for a short while and enjoyed a few of the remaining birds that were still hanging around from the evening feed. The javelina were still around as well so they got to see them too. They mentioned that they saw some wild burros the other day on one of their hikes and like the ones John and I saw, they did not appreciate the intrusion. It was awesome that Keith and Charlotte got to see some actual "wild" burros though.
The heater that Keith purchased is now up and running and both Keith and Charlotte are very pleased with how it works and are basking in the warmth it provides. It is so much better than the bus's furnace and takes NO power what so ever and that is a big thing when you are living on what your batteries will give you. I love our heater and know they too will love theirs.
Kay was up at Mitch's for part of the day getting her Horseshoe "fix" and when she returned I went over for a quick visit. Ray, Kay and Mitch were sitting around their chiminea so I spent an hour or so over there chatting with them.
It was soon time to head home so that I would be able to catch up on all my Sunday night TV shows. With that in mind, I headed into the bathtub then settled into bed to cuddle with Hogan and watch TV.
John has watched football most of the day so he too will be rested up for the upcoming week.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Saturday, January 5/2013
The sun is shining this morning and it looks like it is going to be a pretty nice day - at least until the sun goes down.
There are wild card football games on today so that means there will be no work done on the trailer today. I guess we will be taking the weekend off so perhaps some of my broken and cracked fingernails can recover over the next two days!!
Kay and I took the aluminium cans in today and got enough money to buy two cases of beer (like we need more!!). Of course, there is nothing better than drinking free beer!!
I think the evening will be spent playing cards or dice, so we will put off the usual steak and potato supper for something that is easier and can be eaten whenever anyone is hungry. This way, no one is having to get up and cook.
I decided to make a potato salad and pick up some fried chicken. Quick and easy and, can be eaten anytime someone gets hungry.
I threw the birdseed out and watched as the silly things came in to eat. Man, I bet I don't even have the gate closed before the birds are already enjoying the seed. I get quite a kick out of the quail as they come scurrying over to peck away. They make such a unique sound when they eat and I am sure that it is this sound that attracts the others. Today, I think there were close to 25 quail eating and I must say, some are getting to be a nice size. I am sure there is some "good eating" out there walking on two little bird legs!! Corn fed, wild quail .......Mmmmm. Ray keeps threatening to bring out his gun!!
Ray and Kay had been out and about visiting with some friends but arrived home just in time to enjoy the javelin. The triplets showed up today and of course Hogan was being the ever diligent "guard" of the fence.
Kay and I retired to the warmth of our trailer and sat around chatting until "girl talk" was interrupted by John. I guess he got tired of watching football.
Mitch arrived shortly there after and it was not long until the dice came out and it was game on. The chicken and potato salad was eaten as one got hungry and at the end of the evening, Mitch left with the four dollars he came with, breaking even and Kay left with most of our quarters (our laundry money). Once again, the laundry will not be getting done!! It was a fun evening with lots of laughs and time spent with good people.
There are wild card football games on today so that means there will be no work done on the trailer today. I guess we will be taking the weekend off so perhaps some of my broken and cracked fingernails can recover over the next two days!!
Kay and I took the aluminium cans in today and got enough money to buy two cases of beer (like we need more!!). Of course, there is nothing better than drinking free beer!!
I think the evening will be spent playing cards or dice, so we will put off the usual steak and potato supper for something that is easier and can be eaten whenever anyone is hungry. This way, no one is having to get up and cook.
I decided to make a potato salad and pick up some fried chicken. Quick and easy and, can be eaten anytime someone gets hungry.
I threw the birdseed out and watched as the silly things came in to eat. Man, I bet I don't even have the gate closed before the birds are already enjoying the seed. I get quite a kick out of the quail as they come scurrying over to peck away. They make such a unique sound when they eat and I am sure that it is this sound that attracts the others. Today, I think there were close to 25 quail eating and I must say, some are getting to be a nice size. I am sure there is some "good eating" out there walking on two little bird legs!! Corn fed, wild quail .......Mmmmm. Ray keeps threatening to bring out his gun!!
Ray and Kay had been out and about visiting with some friends but arrived home just in time to enjoy the javelin. The triplets showed up today and of course Hogan was being the ever diligent "guard" of the fence.
Kay and I retired to the warmth of our trailer and sat around chatting until "girl talk" was interrupted by John. I guess he got tired of watching football.
Mitch arrived shortly there after and it was not long until the dice came out and it was game on. The chicken and potato salad was eaten as one got hungry and at the end of the evening, Mitch left with the four dollars he came with, breaking even and Kay left with most of our quarters (our laundry money). Once again, the laundry will not be getting done!! It was a fun evening with lots of laughs and time spent with good people.
Friday, January 4/2013
More trim went up today and things are progressing nicely. What tedious work. All those pieces and not one of them are the same size so each one needs to be measured and cut. Carpentry is NOT my gift in life!! It is a good thing John has some clue as to what he is doing!!
All too soon, it was time to throw some seed out to the birds and call it a day as far as work goes.
Ray has been stewing a huge pot of chili all day and that is going to be our supper. Kay says he makes awesome chili and has promised me that he will leave "the heat" out of it. Ray and Kay eat everything SPICY hot and by that I mean habanero chilies on their eggs in the morning!! Dear God, what is this world coming to?
With every one's work done for the day (once we got through watching the birds and the javelina) we headed into our trailer and started playing Kaiser. Of course Kay and I got our asses handed to us but once again, we did manage to win one game!!
Mitch arrived back from his Christmas/New Years trip to Utah. He had been on the road for several hours and was happy to be home. It was good to see him but I think Hogan was the one that was the happiest. For some reason, Hogan LOVES Mitch and perhaps it is because Mitch always takes the time acknowledge Hogan and talks to him every time he sees him - despite the fact that he always tells Hogan "I don't even like you"!!
Once that was done, we started on the dice game Ship, Captain, Crew so out came the quarters and we played until it was time to eat and call it a day. We all came out of that game relatively unscathed although I swear I started with more quarters than I actually ended up with. Mitch, I do believe was the winner - the bandit!!
The chili was awesome as previously stated and everyone dove into it like we were starving. There was not much left when we were done so it was a good thing that Ray made a huge pot. Thanks Ray!!
It was an awesome way to finish off the day and like so many days here in Arizona, we finished with good food, fun and friends. Life is Good.
All too soon, it was time to throw some seed out to the birds and call it a day as far as work goes.
Ray has been stewing a huge pot of chili all day and that is going to be our supper. Kay says he makes awesome chili and has promised me that he will leave "the heat" out of it. Ray and Kay eat everything SPICY hot and by that I mean habanero chilies on their eggs in the morning!! Dear God, what is this world coming to?
With every one's work done for the day (once we got through watching the birds and the javelina) we headed into our trailer and started playing Kaiser. Of course Kay and I got our asses handed to us but once again, we did manage to win one game!!
Mitch arrived back from his Christmas/New Years trip to Utah. He had been on the road for several hours and was happy to be home. It was good to see him but I think Hogan was the one that was the happiest. For some reason, Hogan LOVES Mitch and perhaps it is because Mitch always takes the time acknowledge Hogan and talks to him every time he sees him - despite the fact that he always tells Hogan "I don't even like you"!!
Once that was done, we started on the dice game Ship, Captain, Crew so out came the quarters and we played until it was time to eat and call it a day. We all came out of that game relatively unscathed although I swear I started with more quarters than I actually ended up with. Mitch, I do believe was the winner - the bandit!!
The chili was awesome as previously stated and everyone dove into it like we were starving. There was not much left when we were done so it was a good thing that Ray made a huge pot. Thanks Ray!!
It was an awesome way to finish off the day and like so many days here in Arizona, we finished with good food, fun and friends. Life is Good.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Thursday, January 3/2013
Whoops, I just did the 2012 thing on the date so had to make a quick correction!! I am not quite used to that as my fingers are programmed to hit the 2 so will have to be careful when dating these blogs.
I am up early and the sun is just starting to rise. It is so very peaceful at the moment as the desert dwelling creatures are just starting to wake up. Even the birds are not out and about yet.
I spent over an hour talking to Jan on the phone today and we talked about everything and nothing. It was awesome. Sometimes I just need to hear her voice and know that things are OK with her. Sisters (and Moms) can tell a lot from the sounds of a loved one's voice so beware if you are trying to hide something from us!!
Hopefully the rest of the trim gets on the walls today. That would be awesome. I guess it is time to add a few more pictures of the progress in the trailer to this blog. Maybe I should do that but will have to clean up a bit of a mess first. There is still Styrofoam all over the place from the fireplace packing. Man, that stuff is like a disease when it clings to everything.
A lot of the trim was put up today and another few days of this tedious work aught to get it done.
A few pre dinner refreshments and then supper and before you know it, the day is done. Now doesn't time just fly when you are having fun or working like a dog and breaking everyone of your finger nails!!
I am up early and the sun is just starting to rise. It is so very peaceful at the moment as the desert dwelling creatures are just starting to wake up. Even the birds are not out and about yet.
I spent over an hour talking to Jan on the phone today and we talked about everything and nothing. It was awesome. Sometimes I just need to hear her voice and know that things are OK with her. Sisters (and Moms) can tell a lot from the sounds of a loved one's voice so beware if you are trying to hide something from us!!
Hopefully the rest of the trim gets on the walls today. That would be awesome. I guess it is time to add a few more pictures of the progress in the trailer to this blog. Maybe I should do that but will have to clean up a bit of a mess first. There is still Styrofoam all over the place from the fireplace packing. Man, that stuff is like a disease when it clings to everything.
A lot of the trim was put up today and another few days of this tedious work aught to get it done.
A few pre dinner refreshments and then supper and before you know it, the day is done. Now doesn't time just fly when you are having fun or working like a dog and breaking everyone of your finger nails!!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Wednesday, January 2/2013
The sun is shining again this morning although it is chilly in the bus. Now that the trailer has the fireplace/heater working, we brought the infrared heater back into the bus and kept it on all night. I guess we need to turn it up cause it is chilly in here!!
I turned on the big propane heater and in no time I was shutting it off as it was too damn hot in here!! Gosh, I just can please myself!! Freezing one minute...Tropical Moment the next!! When will this madness ever end?
Today John and I are supposed to be getting into gear again and getting the trim up on the walls and around the windows and doors. It is time.
We got a call from Keith and Charlotte asking us if we wanted the TV that was hanging in their new bus as it pulls too much power/wattage/amperage for the batteries so they need one that is way more efficient. Of course we said yes since we need at TV for the trailer and also need a big one for the man cave at home so I am not too sure exactly where this one will end up. They brought it over and it sure looks nice. I think it will be just fine where ever we decide to put it.
John and I got a lot of the trim up and the place now has a much more "finished" look to it. It looks down right "homey". When we get furniture in, it will be awesome. Fridge and stove will be next then a couple of beds and finally the living room.
It was soon time to feed the birds and put snacks out for the javelina and sit and enjoy the last of the sunshine. Once it is gone, it will be too chilly to sit out unless we are out by the campfire and we only have one more burn and then our wood is gone. I really should phone the wood man and get some more ordered. We blew through the last cord rather quickly. The Citrus wood burns quickly and leaves a lot of ash behind so I think we will try some eucalyptus and some mesquite this time.
Once the sun set, John and I headed into the trailer to sit and admire our work for today. We were joined by Ray and Kay and spent a few hours chatting and commenting on all the renos being done on both our trailers.
I was mucking with our hateful "smart" phone and complaining about it as usual when Kay taught me how to send a text by speaking into the phone. Now THAT is awesome. I am a real "techy" now!! I sent talking texts to Kim, Jace and Casey!! Jace sent me a message back welcoming me to the 21st century - such a smart ass!!
It was soon time to call it a day and eat supper. Leftover cabbage rolls and beef on the menu tonight and hopefully that will pretty much clean up the cabbage rolls as I gave both Keith and Charlotte and Ray and Kay a plateful earlier today.
Of course John ended his day staying up late and watching hockey. It is getting down to the medal rounds now and Canada is still very much in the running. Go Canada Go!!
I turned on the big propane heater and in no time I was shutting it off as it was too damn hot in here!! Gosh, I just can please myself!! Freezing one minute...Tropical Moment the next!! When will this madness ever end?
Today John and I are supposed to be getting into gear again and getting the trim up on the walls and around the windows and doors. It is time.
We got a call from Keith and Charlotte asking us if we wanted the TV that was hanging in their new bus as it pulls too much power/wattage/amperage for the batteries so they need one that is way more efficient. Of course we said yes since we need at TV for the trailer and also need a big one for the man cave at home so I am not too sure exactly where this one will end up. They brought it over and it sure looks nice. I think it will be just fine where ever we decide to put it.
John and I got a lot of the trim up and the place now has a much more "finished" look to it. It looks down right "homey". When we get furniture in, it will be awesome. Fridge and stove will be next then a couple of beds and finally the living room.
It was soon time to feed the birds and put snacks out for the javelina and sit and enjoy the last of the sunshine. Once it is gone, it will be too chilly to sit out unless we are out by the campfire and we only have one more burn and then our wood is gone. I really should phone the wood man and get some more ordered. We blew through the last cord rather quickly. The Citrus wood burns quickly and leaves a lot of ash behind so I think we will try some eucalyptus and some mesquite this time.
Once the sun set, John and I headed into the trailer to sit and admire our work for today. We were joined by Ray and Kay and spent a few hours chatting and commenting on all the renos being done on both our trailers.
I was mucking with our hateful "smart" phone and complaining about it as usual when Kay taught me how to send a text by speaking into the phone. Now THAT is awesome. I am a real "techy" now!! I sent talking texts to Kim, Jace and Casey!! Jace sent me a message back welcoming me to the 21st century - such a smart ass!!
It was soon time to call it a day and eat supper. Leftover cabbage rolls and beef on the menu tonight and hopefully that will pretty much clean up the cabbage rolls as I gave both Keith and Charlotte and Ray and Kay a plateful earlier today.
Of course John ended his day staying up late and watching hockey. It is getting down to the medal rounds now and Canada is still very much in the running. Go Canada Go!!
Tuesday, January 1/2013
Wow~~ a new year has begun. New beginnings, full of the anticipation of all things wonderful. I hope that this year brings everyone what it is they want and hold dear to their hearts.
The sun is shining this morning and I did manage to sleep until 8:30 this morning so things are good. I did not overindulge last night so feel pretty damn good today.
I have cabbage rolls to make today so have the rice on the stove cooking as I write this first blog of the new year. Life is good!!
I headed into the trailer and got the few remaining snacks all packed up and put away (they can be munched on throughout the day) and cleaned up the kitchen so now it is much tidier in there.
Once that was done, I got the bus kitchen cleaned up then started into making the cabbage rolls. They rolled up nicely and now await only to be cooked. I got the roast beef into the slow cooker and soon, my jobs for the day are done. I can now relax and enjoy this first day of 2013. Life is good.
The sun was still shining so I headed outside to enjoy it for a while. As I passed the 21 trim boards that I brought home yesterday, I decided to stain them so that they would be ready when we got our butts into gear and started working on the finishing touches of the trailer.
With that job done, I found myself ready to sit and enjoy the rest of the evening. John joined me outside as we watched the antics of the silly birds and soon, the javelina came for their snacks as well. I had saved all the cabbage trimmings for them and I must say, they enjoyed them as they were gone in no time. I had cleaned out the fridge and found a few radishes that needed to head to the garbage and threw them into the bag with the scrap cabbage and they too were gone in no time. I guess they like radishes too!!
John started a campfire and we sat around it for the rest of the evening. Kay wandered over and the three of us chatted around the fire enjoying the peacefulness of the evening. Ray eventually joined us for a while then headed back inside. I did send a plate of food home with him so that he would be able to enjoy the cabbage rolls.
The rest of us ate when we were hungry. Kay had never eaten cabbage rolls before and seemed to enjoy them. Well, who wouldn't!!
John stayed up to watch the World Jr. Hockey game again - It think it is scheduled for 2:00 in the morning. Me.....I am sleeping!! Good Night ~ Hope this first day of the New Year was good for everyone!!
The sun is shining this morning and I did manage to sleep until 8:30 this morning so things are good. I did not overindulge last night so feel pretty damn good today.
I have cabbage rolls to make today so have the rice on the stove cooking as I write this first blog of the new year. Life is good!!
I headed into the trailer and got the few remaining snacks all packed up and put away (they can be munched on throughout the day) and cleaned up the kitchen so now it is much tidier in there.
Once that was done, I got the bus kitchen cleaned up then started into making the cabbage rolls. They rolled up nicely and now await only to be cooked. I got the roast beef into the slow cooker and soon, my jobs for the day are done. I can now relax and enjoy this first day of 2013. Life is good.
The sun was still shining so I headed outside to enjoy it for a while. As I passed the 21 trim boards that I brought home yesterday, I decided to stain them so that they would be ready when we got our butts into gear and started working on the finishing touches of the trailer.
With that job done, I found myself ready to sit and enjoy the rest of the evening. John joined me outside as we watched the antics of the silly birds and soon, the javelina came for their snacks as well. I had saved all the cabbage trimmings for them and I must say, they enjoyed them as they were gone in no time. I had cleaned out the fridge and found a few radishes that needed to head to the garbage and threw them into the bag with the scrap cabbage and they too were gone in no time. I guess they like radishes too!!
John started a campfire and we sat around it for the rest of the evening. Kay wandered over and the three of us chatted around the fire enjoying the peacefulness of the evening. Ray eventually joined us for a while then headed back inside. I did send a plate of food home with him so that he would be able to enjoy the cabbage rolls.
The rest of us ate when we were hungry. Kay had never eaten cabbage rolls before and seemed to enjoy them. Well, who wouldn't!!
John stayed up to watch the World Jr. Hockey game again - It think it is scheduled for 2:00 in the morning. Me.....I am sleeping!! Good Night ~ Hope this first day of the New Year was good for everyone!!
Monday, December 31/2012
It is New Year's Eve day today and this is the last time I will be writing 2012 as the date. Wow, another year has once again flown by. It seems that as one grows older, the time just slips by quicker and quicker and that is for sure a reason to make each and every day count.
The sun is shining like crazy today and according to the weather forecast, it is supposed to start getting warmer over the next few days so I think I can see a quad ride coming soon. Man, it will be nice to greet the New Year with an awesome ride.
I headed into town today to get the wood that John needs to finish the trim around the windows. I think we have now got all the boards we need but of course this means MORE staining for Marie!!
I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few things for tonight's little New Year's party and with all the goodies tucked safely in the truck, I headed back to the park.
The wood was unloaded and then it was time for me to spread a little birdseed out for the feathered friends and sit in the sunshine and enjoy the last of today's heat.
Kay came over to sit with us and watch the birds. We really have no life here in the park when the highlight of our day is watching the birds and waiting for the javalina to show up!! Or, on the other hand, maybe we have the best life ever that we are blessed to be able to watch the birds and the javelina!!
Ray is not expected home until around 6:00 o'clock so I got busy and had all the food prepared for the evening's festivities before he arrived. Knowing Ray, he probably has not eaten today so he will have lots of good stuff to munch on when he arrives.
Marybeth came over for an hour or so before she headed out with some friends to ring in the New Year. While she was over, John and Kay got busy and opened the two boxes that came the other day with the fireplace in them and got the managed to spread tiny bits of styrofoam all over the floor!! They were rather messy little creatures!! John got he fireplace part going so now we had more heat and "ambiance". It looks awesome!!
Ray arrived back at the park and looked tired. He was hungry and took good advantage of the food that was out on the table. He had his choice of chicken wings (2 flavours) beer sausage, ham, cheese, pickles, shrimp with seafood sauce, crackers, veggies and dill dip, and sourdough bread chunks with spinach dip. The table was full and looked awesome and I introduced Ray and Kay to "grazing". I think Kay was surprised by the amount of food there was out on the table but after the evening was over there were only a few leftovers. The four of us "grazed" all evening long.
With all the family new year greeting out of the way, out came the cards and we played several games of kaiser. Kay and I even made a decent showing and at one point, actually won a game against the guys.
New Year arrived and the four of us went outside and greeted the New Year with Ray's "special" Saturn Missile fireworks and shots of Tequila Rose. It was awesome but we damn near froze while we were out there!! We have definitely become warm weather lovers!!
Now that we were into the New Year, John and I learned a new dice game. Ship, Captain and Crew and we played that for a bit and I was the ultimate winner. Woo Hoo!!
Ray had finally had enough and gave into his fatigue and went to bed. The three of us then got out the Yahtzee and both Kay and I were soundly trounced by John. NO MERCY ~~ even on the first day of the new year!!
With that, it was time for everyone to head to bed although, John had to dive into the "hot" wings before he called it a night and I heard him rummaging for the "tums" before he finally laid his head on his pillow.
Hence 2012 ended and 2013 now begins. I hope that John and I continue to be blessed with family, friends and fun. What more could one ask for?
The sun is shining like crazy today and according to the weather forecast, it is supposed to start getting warmer over the next few days so I think I can see a quad ride coming soon. Man, it will be nice to greet the New Year with an awesome ride.
I headed into town today to get the wood that John needs to finish the trim around the windows. I think we have now got all the boards we need but of course this means MORE staining for Marie!!
I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few things for tonight's little New Year's party and with all the goodies tucked safely in the truck, I headed back to the park.
The wood was unloaded and then it was time for me to spread a little birdseed out for the feathered friends and sit in the sunshine and enjoy the last of today's heat.
Kay came over to sit with us and watch the birds. We really have no life here in the park when the highlight of our day is watching the birds and waiting for the javalina to show up!! Or, on the other hand, maybe we have the best life ever that we are blessed to be able to watch the birds and the javelina!!
Ray is not expected home until around 6:00 o'clock so I got busy and had all the food prepared for the evening's festivities before he arrived. Knowing Ray, he probably has not eaten today so he will have lots of good stuff to munch on when he arrives.
Marybeth came over for an hour or so before she headed out with some friends to ring in the New Year. While she was over, John and Kay got busy and opened the two boxes that came the other day with the fireplace in them and got the managed to spread tiny bits of styrofoam all over the floor!! They were rather messy little creatures!! John got he fireplace part going so now we had more heat and "ambiance". It looks awesome!!
Ray arrived back at the park and looked tired. He was hungry and took good advantage of the food that was out on the table. He had his choice of chicken wings (2 flavours) beer sausage, ham, cheese, pickles, shrimp with seafood sauce, crackers, veggies and dill dip, and sourdough bread chunks with spinach dip. The table was full and looked awesome and I introduced Ray and Kay to "grazing". I think Kay was surprised by the amount of food there was out on the table but after the evening was over there were only a few leftovers. The four of us "grazed" all evening long.
With all the family new year greeting out of the way, out came the cards and we played several games of kaiser. Kay and I even made a decent showing and at one point, actually won a game against the guys.
New Year arrived and the four of us went outside and greeted the New Year with Ray's "special" Saturn Missile fireworks and shots of Tequila Rose. It was awesome but we damn near froze while we were out there!! We have definitely become warm weather lovers!!
Now that we were into the New Year, John and I learned a new dice game. Ship, Captain and Crew and we played that for a bit and I was the ultimate winner. Woo Hoo!!
Ray had finally had enough and gave into his fatigue and went to bed. The three of us then got out the Yahtzee and both Kay and I were soundly trounced by John. NO MERCY ~~ even on the first day of the new year!!
With that, it was time for everyone to head to bed although, John had to dive into the "hot" wings before he called it a night and I heard him rummaging for the "tums" before he finally laid his head on his pillow.
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