Wed - Feb 29/12

Happy Leap Day!

If your wife was born on Leap Day and she was 60 years old and you just got married would your honeymoon technically be statutory rape?

Catherine (Charlotte's sister) called and then emailed her flight information. She will be coming on March 7 for 15 days. Once I had the info I biked up to the Activities Desk to purchase an extra ticket for Catherine for each of the events occurring while she is here. It was also the end of the month and time to pay the monthly utility fees.

Once accomplished we took the car over to the Chase Bank across the road to activate our new Debit Cards. Then we were on our way to the Enterprise Car Rental in Apache Junction, AZ to make car rental arrangements for Catherine's arrival. The car we tow down is a 2 seater - three is a crowd! A rental is needed when visitor's come so we can pick them up at the airport and tour during their stay.

The municipalities down here frown on large business signs. If you didn't know there was an Enterprise office in the local car dealership you would never find it - even when in the dealership parking lot. They are not even allowed outside business signage. This is the case with most business establishments. They are mostly allowed only a flat name/trademark sign on a building wall. Even in large mall complex areas it is hard to tell where particular stores are located as the unified architecture theme does not give a clue.

Rental arrangements were made and we were off for lunch. The Power Road exit (188) on US-60 has every major name and type of restaurant or service within a mile. Our choice was LobsterFest at Red Lobster. We will have Red Lobster (shrimp) tonight for supper - their was too much to eat at one sitting. We sacrificed the Lobster first! The shrimp will be supper.

Once again we passed on going to a movie. They have some odd show times - maybe working around the rush hour. We e

Once around the park in the car to see if there was anything new. There was a Prevost Coach (The "Cadillac" of RV's - proudly made in Quebec, Canada) on Glen's lot. I stopped to see if it was Glen and he had purchased a new rig. It was a friend of his (from Hudson, QC - one of our favourite rides when back home) who brought us up to date. Glen had bought a house nearer the Superstition Mountains just north of the RV Park. Perhaps we will see him when he visits the park?

We went for a bike ride in the new "Superstition Views" area. It is now mostly all paved increasing the number of bikers of the pedal power type. Nice - no traffic! The sky is clear; however, not the usual really deep blue. Their is still dust in the air from the high winds a few days ago. At least it is not as intense as during the wind storm when the particulate count was so high one could actually taste the air. Now that the cold spell is over it will be mid-80's by the weekend. Terrific for NASCAR. This weekends race in Phoenix expects 5000 RVers to camp around the track for the race. I will go out on a limb and guarantee the race will not be postponed by rain like the recent Daytona 500.

More high winds coming in - still better than the tornadoes in the mid-west that had 16 pop up overnight. Early for tornadoes - might be part of the higher than average temps here this year.

Quilt tasks today for Charlotte included winding more thread on bobbins and pinning the quilt edge for stitching.

Looking forward to Catherine's visit already!

Tue - Feb 28/12

The cold front that brought the high winds and darkened the sky with the blowing sand and dust particles left overnight. What remained was the cold air. Today only had a high of 60F. It will take a day or two to get back to the mid-70's F. It was a good day to remain inside.


We had thought of going to the Coyotes hockey game vs the Vancouver Canucks. A sheet I picked up with our tickets yesterday at the activity desk offered a discount for Cal-Am night tonight. When I phoned I was told there were no discounts available because tonight's game would be a sell-out. So, we passed on that option!

Our next thought was a movie. Only a few of the Academy Nominees were playing. Since we like NCIS (both versions) on TV we decided to pass on the movie option as well. Maybe tomorrow?

Charlotte, other than an afternoon walk, spent most of her time working on her quilt. It's a lot of work and she can be justifiably proud of her effort.

The Wi-Fi was particularly poor for most of the day. It took quite a while (a few hours) to check emails, do business and write yesterday's blog. Loading a blog picture earlier took between 10 minutes and a half hour earlier today. At night when the demand is less a picture loads in less than 10 seconds. They really need more bandwidth. If I think of it I will suggest they ask all folks disconnect when not actively using the Internet or email. Perhaps many people don't realize their computer Wi-Fi - if not disconnected (2 clicks of the mouse) or shut-off (most computers have a switch for that) keeps checking with the Wi-Fi service even when they are doing something else on the computer. If everyone did this it would help ease the situation.

I spent most of the day working on a few of my computer program creations (Wi-Fi disconnected, of course)..

Warmer weather should bring more outside activity tomorrow.

Mon - Feb 27/12

Started the day (and the week) off by going to the weekly announcements in the Main Ballroom.

It was even more crowded than usual. Doughnuts and coffee are provide by the park. I had a huge chocolate doughnut and Charlotte had a toasted bagel.

We were in for a surprise this morning. Marg (everyone wears name tags - when they (like moi) don't forget ) said hello to Charlotte indicating that she recognized here from our daily (when we travel) blog. We recognized Marg as an active park regular at many events; however, I believe this is the first time we had talked. Marg is from the Paso Robles, CA area and resides in the park for several months in the winter. If you have never been to that area add the run along Big Sur from Carmel, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA to your bucket list. Don't forget to stop to visit Hearst Castle on the way by! If you don't like riding "on the edge" do the trip from south to north which will keep you on the inside lane of the highway. Best is to do it both ways if you have the time!

At Paso Robles SR-1 (commonly called the Pacific Coast Highway or PCH-1) runs mostly inland for the next 100 miles. The "Sweet Ride" here is on the Amtrack's "Pacific Surfliner" from San Diego, CA to Los Angeles, CA. This is one of the Great American Train rides. At times you can watch both ends of the train pass each other as it negotiates "switchbacks" while slowly climbing through the mountain passes. Other times, from the top deck of the panoramic two-level Lounge Car, you can press close to the window and still not see the ground beneath the train as the tracks are running so close to the Pacific Ocean. Another treat (at least when we came through) occurred when retirees (dressed to the "nines") boarded at San Luis Obispo and gave an hour and a half running narration of every landmark we viewed from the Lounge Car. What a Treat! They disembarked at Paso Robles for the return trip to San Luis Obispo. Their "treat" was a meal in the dining car provided by Amtrack.

After the meeting we went to the Activity Desk to purchase tickets for the month's activities (that have a fee). We line them up in the RV over the kitchen area. If you have nothing to do here - it's your own fault.

At the morning announcements we were given a "High Wind Warning"! Most RVers had already pulled in their awnings to avoid losing them in the gusts. That is, the RVers that were here. Our neighbour was still in New Orleans where they went for Mardi Gras. Soon there was a meeting of neighbours busily stacking his outside furniture and BBQ in a sheltered position near his RV. This is one of the bonus "Joys" of RVing. Everyone is friendly and ready to help.

The big problem confronting us now was that George's electric RV awning was fully extended! John, Herb and myself (Bill) remained to try and solve the awning conundrum. Herb's RV has an outside switch that controls his awning so we looked for that option. No such luck! George's RV is a Fleetwood (like mine) and his control is also inside an overhead cabinet. Being of similar manufacture as my motorhome raised the possibility of trying my awning remote control  - still no luck! I also tried my door keys with the same result.

Next we looked for an emergency key in the "easy" spots behind the fuel filler door and motor grill. Still not lucky. John phoned George in New Orleans to inform him of the situation. There was no emergency key available to us. George said he would pay for an RV service to open the coach. John had his wife phone but they were not readily available in the required time frame. The awning was now coming under more stress from the increase wind gusts.

The next procedure that I could think of was to "jump" the 12  volt electric awning motor directly. John tried to reach the top of the awning arm using a step stool, Despite his extra height he managed to "pop" the electrical cover (I thought it would be there) but could not quite see over the top (safely). Herb brought over his taller ladder and John managed to disconnect the motor. Recognizing the type of connector I went back to my RV to get jumper cables (battery ) and a section of trailer wiring harness while John pulled his truck over near the awning.

Between the three of us we managed to hold all the connections together - jumpers to battery to trailer harness to motor connector. No Luck! The awning was at full extension and nothing happened with our first connection. Being the motor (reversible electric) both raises and lowers the awning we reversed our connections - Voila! Success!. The only problem was that when fully retracted we could not access the junction box to reconnect the terminals. We will have to reverse the procedure when George returns to extend the awning and reconnect the terminals so it can be operated, as usual, from the RV control switch.

OLD GUYS RULE!

Charlotte returned from her "Pen & Ink" session shortly after we solved the awning dilemma.

She was busy today also managing do to a little more quilting. It is now "pinned" and the actual "quilting" has begun. We relaxed before having a "nibble" for supper. Then it was time for "Rebecca Dawn"!

"Rebecca Dawn", at 7 pm in the Main Ballroom, was one of the several "Cal-Am" sponsored shows that occur during the "High Season" (Jan-Feb-Mar) in the various parks. "Rebecca Dawn" is a regular in Branson, MO. Due to the climate (snow and ice make the "hills & hollers" in the Ozarks quite treacherous in winter) Branson's Theatres and shows effectively shut down in January, February and March. It is at this time many regulars take their show on the road to the RV park stages throughout the southern USA.

If you haven.t seen "Rebecca Dawn" at one of the "park shows" you owe it to yourself to place her on your agenda. No only is she an accomplished vocalist, her show has many themed costume changes and a healthy dose of comedy. Rebecca Dawn spends as much time circulating in the audience as she does on stage.

Her husband was not only the "sound tech"; but added to the comic relief by joining her onstage (as Sonny) or by circulating through the audience (often on a scooter) dressed in some outrageous garb.

I am sure every bald head (mine included) was rubbed or kissed at some time during the show. There was a high degree of audience as they enjoyed familiar songs from many eras. Rebeccas Dawn does a new show every year. I am sure most everyone here tonight will attend again if she returns to the park.

Another busy day even if it was too cool and windy for a swim.

Sun - Feb 26/12

We went for a bike ride in the "Superstition Views" section. Pedalling was much easier for Charlotte after I "tuned" up her bike last week. The rough ride section while coming down to Arizona in the RV had shaken a few things loose or out of alignment.

I made my "Baked Potato Hash" for dinner while waiting for the Daytona 500 to start. As I said previously, the drive to Arizona is worth it - Florida's weather is too unpredictable over the long period. A week of 45F is great during the mid-winter school break when it is - 40F back home - even if it does rain - seems great. To have that pattern over 3 months or more isn't as pleasant.

The race will be run tomorrow at noon (EST)! I'm glad they cancelled - now we won't miss anything by going for a swim.

An hour of "Walking on in Water" ( I do the "Noodle Bug" - using pool noodles to float while I tread water). It's a good "low impact" workout - I haven't fallen yet! Charlotte gets out about 20 minutes before I do to dry in the sun. We she feels "crinkly" she signals it is time to go.

Back from swimming we hung our towels on the lounge chairs to dry and when in for supper which  was a "Re-Hash" (grin) - leftovers from dinner.

We watched a "60 minutes" special "Taking Flight with the Birdmen" featuring extreme sportsmen wearing specially made "wingsuits" who come about as close to flying as you can get outside the confines of an airplane, at least for a minute or two. At the same time we were looking out the front RV window and watched a pair of ultralights flying over the desert. Imagine - we use to think hang gliders and ultralight pilots were daring - how mundane!

The evenings TV - of course - was "The Academy Awards". Perhaps we will be intrigued enough to go out to see one of the winning movies - there is so little that is good!

Tomorrow promises to be quite windy with a drop into the low 60's F for a few days before climbing back into the mid-70's F. We take the bad with the good as best we can.

Sat - Feb 25/12

CANADA POTLUCK TODAY!

Charlotte spent the morning preparing a foot and a half long piece of steak loin to perfection. It will be our contribution to the potluck that starts at 4:30 pm.

We watched a movie, "The Client", on TV as the roast cooked. It was an Academy Award winner (1995), starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. It is about a young boy who witnessed the suicide of a mafia lawyer. He hires an attorney to protect him when the district attorney tries to use him to take down a mob family. The mob, in turn, also threatens his life.

We then headed to the pool for an early afternoon swim at 1:30 pm. It would be "dereliction of duty" not to take advantage of the 80+F weather. We usually don't go until later in the afternoon. All the lounge chairs were occupied so we put our towels on regular chairs. Some folks lay in the sun for hours - we're good for about 15 minutes!  After an hour we returned to the RV to do the final preparations for the Canada Day Potluck.

Now that the roast had cooled it was easier to slice. Charlotte had cooked it to perfection and it was very tasty, to boot!

What a crowd at the Canada Potluck! - 200 - and some "Canadian Snowbirds" didn't come. Last year's crowd 160. We were close to the Hall Capacity allowed by law - they had better build the new hall at Superstition Views for next year!

The colours "Red and White" were front and center.

Needless to say we sat with other folks from Canada (Ontario and Saskatchewan). We had live entertainment as the hall filled. Then all sang O Canada! and "Grace" to the tune of Edelweiss. We had met the accordian player at another function a few years ago and knew he was also from Ontario (Haliburton area). It wasn't until we met his wife this year that we learned they had lived in the Cornwall, ON area as well - small world!

While waiting to begin each table had a Baby Boomer Trivia Quiz to fill out - I scored 18/20. I was wrong on "Beaver" Cleaver's best friend (Larry) - I chose Eddie who was his brother Wally's best friend. I also missed on the Superman question. Superman fights for truth, justice and ..."the American Way".  I contend my answer "World Peace" was correct and the original version was changed later by Action Comics. Superman was co-created by a Canadian Joe Shuster. When Superman first appeared, his alter ego, Clark Kent, worked for the "Daily Star", newspaper, named after the Toronto Daily Star, Shuster's old employer in Toronto, Ontario. Shuster also modeled the cityscape of Superman's home city, Metropolis, on that of his old home town.

When the comic strip received international distribution, Action Comics, permanently changed the name of the paper to "The Daily Planet" I contend that they also influenced the change to "....the American Way", as well and it was originally "World Peace " (as would have been the "Canadian Way").

Folks took turns standing when their Province was called. Ontario made up about 1/4 of the crowd. The youngest Canadian present was 3 months old (we don't do oldest down here) and the newest Canadian present had just flown home the previous weekend (Vancouver, BC) to be swore in as a fellow Canuck!

The MC had a number of humourous stories to entertain the crowd as the tables were called to fill their plates at the "Groaning Board". We were wondering how they were going to do this as there were no numbers on the tables as usually was the case. It turned out that the "Pint" sized flag holders (literally - a pint Milk Carton - pun intended - grin) were covered in "Red and White" with a unique Canadian Symbol. Our symbol was a "Toque". It didn't matter for our table - we went when they called "Two Sticks (Hockey)" which sounded like "Toques" (TWO (sti) CKS) over the din of the crowd chatter. No matter - there was no shortage of food this year!  A great meal with plenty of leftovers. Several raffle ticket draws later (no luck at our table) as well as a $100 donation to the local food bank and it was time for dessert.

About half of the crowd stayed for the dance after the meal.

Another full day - we put the TV on timer and went to bed. Neither of us made it to the end of the show!

Fri - Feb 24/12

Up and on the road just after the morning rush hour.

Today we are heading to Fountain Hills, AZ for "The Great Fair". The Fountain Hills Great Fair is held the last full weekend of February. This three day juried art fair features attracts 500 artists and artisans from across the United States and around the globe, and attracts 200,000+ visitors. This is one of the best - anywhere!

Fountain Hills is an easy 40 mile ride from the RV Park taking US-60 west to Loop 202 exiting to SR-87 at North Gilbert Road then turning onto East Shea Blvd to Fountain Hills just before Fort McDowell Casino situated on the Indian Reservation. Yes, the Fountain in Fountain Lake is an icon of the town.

Fountain Hills owes its origin to a lake that never came to be. As part of the Central Arizona Project, construction of Orme Dam, near Granite Reef Dam, would have created a lake at the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation. The lake would have flooded the homes of Fort McDowell residents. The Yavapai and environmentalists defeated the dam proposal, but the town of Fountain Hills had begun. 

Inventor turned developer, Robert P. McCulloch (of chain saw fame) , envisioned a community of 70,000 people similar to one of McCulloch Properties’ other master-planned communities - Lake Havasu City. McCullough is the one who brought "London Bridge" to that project. The development was marketed with a “fly-before-you-buy” sales program, beginning in 1972. Prospective buyers were flown in from Midwestern and Eastern cities to tour the desert ridges in white Jeeps and select their properties.

 

The 560-foot-high “World’s Highest Fountain” was the concept of C.V. Wood, Jr., a planner for McCulloch Properties, Inc., who had worked with Walt Disney on designing Disneyland. It was built to attract attention and buyers. It was turned on for the first time on Dec. 15, 1970, the “birthday” of Fountain Hills. For many years the community was small and remote from the rest of the Valley, so a spirit of neighborliness developed among the town’s pioneers. It still exists as a feeling of small-town togetherness and strong community involvement. Today, the population is around 24,000, with build-out expected at around 35,000 residents.

 

The weather was perfect today with afternoon temps in the low 80's F. We followed the signs to the Handicapped Parking area and only had to walk a half block to the main venue. A 2 block section of East Avenue of the Fountains (a 4 lane divided street) as well as North Saguaro Blvd. for the total length of Fountain Park is jam packed with vendor tents. We did one side of the street in one direction and then back down the same street doing the other side. Despite the large crowd everyone seemed to be following this pattern so you were not "swimming against the current". To do all the exhibits requires nearly 4 miles of walking.

As usual we found a few items we didn't know we needed along the way.

We prefer to purchase hand crafted items from the original maker rather than mass produced (i.e. Made in China) items. They have a more personal meaning.

Of course, there were a wide variety of very creative and unique items to view and enjoy along the way. After nearly 3 hours of steady walking we were exhausted. We decided in a "sit-down" restaurant meal for lunch - even though it was now mid-afternoon. I had just the place in mind.

We headed to a Tempe, AZ landmark - Monti's La Casa Vieja. Located at 100 Mill Avenue in Tempe, Monti's is steeped in history that pre-dates statehood by 40 years. Arizona just celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Statehood this past Valentine's Day. The popular restaurant makes its home in the authentic adobe hacienda that was constructed in 1871 by Tempe founder Charles Trumbull Hayden. It was also the birthplace of Carl Hayden who the Arizona Republic named "the most important person in Arizona History.

 Dining rooms are filled with memorabilia of the frontier days. A walk through the building (they provide a self-guided tour map) yields fascinating views of many stages of its architectural development, including the original latilla mud ceiling in the oldest section. Other areas showcase beautifully tiled period floors  This one-of-a-kind atmosphere provides the kind of unique dining experience that no chain or hotel restaurant could ever hope to match.

Today, Monti's La Casa Vieja is the largest full-service restaurant in Arizona, with 14 dining rooms and five private banquet rooms. The parking lot is the size of a city block. Our seating was an intimate corner booth in the delightful "Fountain Room".We each enjoyed an 11 oz.Prime Rib with Chef's Salad (Roquefort dressing) and "loaded" (Bacon and Cheese) Baked Potato - all done to perfection. The service was also top-notch and included a historical overview  of "La Casa Vieja" (The Old House) being we were first time visitors.

Returning to the RV park for the most part was also quite easy except for a minor slowdown to clear an accident. All 5 lanes were down to a crawl.

We were in the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle - 2+) lane when the emergency vehicles began zooming by in the safety lane. A few Fire Trucks, Police Motorcycles and Police Cars later and the traffic, shifting over a few lanes, began to move again.

Somehow a van ended up "parked" on it's roof. Once clear the traffic was light until we hit the US-60 where rush hour was just beginning. Most cars on this section head off at the Ironwood Exit to go to the new housing developments several miles south east of Queen Creek. The short bit remaining had the normal flow of traffic.

We relaxed until it was time for the dance at 7 pm. We sat with a combination of folks we had met before and others we had not. One of  the couples were visiting their parents who they noted "party all the time". Retirement is rocking chairs any more!

The band -  "Junction 87" - played here a few years ago. They will be playing here again next week. They recently played in Japan. Kobe, Japan is the birthplace of Billy Ichida - Lead Guitar, Fiddle and Saxophone - who has almost 40 years experience in Classical, R&R, Blues, Jazz and, of course, C & W (Country &Western). Jim Norman - Bass Guitar and Vocals - began playing bass guitar at age 14 in a Rock and Roll garage band until he joined the Air Force at 18. Nearly 20 years later, at retirement from the Air Force, he picked up a bass guitar at a yard sale and began practising C & W. Bob Lewis - Lead Vocal, Rhythm Guitar - began playing guitar at age 10. He comes from a long line of Arizona musicians, with most of his family in bands throughout the state. He has had the honour of playing backup for Merle Haggard; Johnny Cash; Sammi Smith; Waylon Jennings and many other fine musicians as well as having recorded singles that have charted on Billboard. Their experience certainly showed. We will be getting tickets for their return engagement.

Tomorrow will be busy as well when the Annual "Canada" Potluck will take place in the Main Ballroom.

Thu - Feb 23/12

Just a relaxing day.

Only went swimming - in cloudy water. At least the pool was open again. We left the pool after on about an hour as they were adding clarifier to the water.

We are saving our energy - the next two days will be quite busy.

The usual TV evening in the RV.

Wed - Feb 22/12

Today was another "No Activity - No Picture Day".

Charlotte went for a walk in the morning and found that the pool was closed for the day. I think the chlorinator must have malfunctioned. The pool was a bit green. There was a pool service company there tending to the problem.

We had planned on going swimming.

Charlotte went for another walk after lunch to check on the pool but it was still closed. Some folks were on the lounge chairs around the pool and others where using the hot tub but the main pool was still closed. Hopefully it will be good to go by tomorrow.

We had talked about going for a ride to the Olive Mill or Tortilla Flats, AZ or maybe a Movie. None of that happened either. We just decided to be lazy.

I worked on streamlining the computer program I am writing for planning our RV Travels. Charlotte did a little more quilting.

The phone was busy in the early evening with calls from Charlotte's sister and one of our daughters. Nice to hear from them.

Late in the evening I got a bit of good news. I received an email from our doctor who had written the Sheriff on my behalf. He received a letter from the judge and I have been excused from Jury Duty. After all, we are here because he insisted we "Go South for our Health!". Hopefully we will have no other incidents that will bring up the spectre of having to travel home prematurely. Two is enough!

We are looking forward to being a little more active tomorrow.

Tue - Feb 21/12

Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) - Yeah!

We started by joining our neighbours (and Max the dog) on the edge of the road as we waited for the park Mardi Gras Parade. We chatted for about a half hour.

Change of plans (seating). We heard the parade coming from behind where we were sitting. The parade changed the advertised route and turned on 5th Street instead so we picked up our chairs and moved to the corner (near the tree) to view the procession.

We got there in time to see the Jester leading the group.

Cars, trucks, ATV's  and golf carts were decorated in a variety of ways. The Parade even included a foreign visitor. A Purple Chinese Dragon joined in the fun.

There was music from car audios as well as live.

There was an antique car as well.

Not to be outdone - the "Red Hat" Ladies turned out - they are always brightly dressed. We even caught some beads. No - we didn't have to "earn them" by "Flashing" as is the "Big Easy" (New Orleans) tradition.
After the parade passed we got in the car. Being at the front of the park we were able to beat them back to the Ball Room where we waited for their arrival.

We had bought tickets for the "Rajun Cajun" lunch which consisted of sausage, grilled chicken, jambalya, green beans, salad, and fresh fruit. We had an enjoyable time talking with the folks that shared our table. It was nice to touch base with "John" who had a heart attack last year. He is doing fine and now sports a few new tattoos. One is a med alert on his arm. He was lucky last year that his wife travelled with him to the hospital and was able to warn them. They were going to sedate him for an emergency operation. He is allergic to being sedated and would have had a 50% chance of ending up in a vegetative state.The tattoo on his chest now states this fact.

During the meal one of the guests received a "Seat Cushion" (Underwear). It had a zipper and a pocket in front that contained a bandaid in case they zipped to quickly. It had two rear pockets that had emergency T.P. and a cork on a string for emergency use (Diarrhea). A whistle was attached to a string to call for help in case either of the emergencies occurred. A most unusual gift - to say the least.

The hall was well decorated as are all events. They have a huge room full of "event" materials attached to the ballroom for this purpose.

After the meal we easily exited the park as compared to weekends when the Renaissance Festival is in full swing. We went to Apache Junction, AZ to mail a package to our grandson back home for St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully, it will arrive on time. Things are notoriously slow when mailed to and from this area of the USA.

Then it was grocery shopping at Basha's across the road from our park. |I purchased a soft drink at the machine outside the store. I let them know when I went in that the machine just kept dropping drink cans into the pick-up tray.

Our "Store Card" saved us almost "$50  or almost 50% on our grocery purchases.

We zipped back to the park. Charlotte read her "Woman's World" in the lounge chair outside. I also enjoyed the outside in a lounge chair on the opposite side of the RV. It was time to dump the "Black Water" as the sewage tank was almost full.

Charlotte had chicken sandwiches for supper while I enjoy a repeated of Chips & Dip while we watched TV. Another CBS evening of NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles and Unforgettable rounded out the day.

Mon - Feb 20/12

A busy morning today.

Charlotte started sewing her quilt. It will take quite a few sewing sessions. Unfortunately, a long arm quilting machine is about $10,000.00 - not unless we win the lottery. It is a lot more difficult and time consuming using  her small sewing/quilting machine. Each block has to be positioned and sew individually. Still quicker than hand sewing.

The afternoon was busy as well. Charlotte started another Pen & Ink project today. I did the garbage and recycling then started the laundry. The laundry is in the same building complex as the craft studios so Charlotte joined me after Pen & Ink to help fold the laundry as it came out of the dryers.

We decided to pass on leaving the park to do grocery shopping as this is President's Day in the USA and the Renaissance Festival was open meaning lots of traffic and difficulty leaving the park. We can see US-60 from the RV as we face North and traffic was moving at a crawl.

Chips & Dip for supper while we watched TV. That's it for today!

Sun - Feb 19/12

A quiet day today.

I made a large bacon and egg brunch so we passed on lunch.

I spent the morning checking out a phone call from my bank in Canada. I received an automated call from their security division. I checked out the number before returning the call to verify that the call was not fraudulent. Apparently somehow one of my credit cards has been compromised. An entry for $1 and another for $10 was attempted on two different internet sites but the purchases were blocked. I have not used that card for a few months so I asked how they could have done this. The said there are numerous methods including using a computer to attempt purchases using randomly generated numbers. They try a small amount in the hopes of being successful. If a few small amounts work they then try large amounts.

Charlotte laid out her quilt on the RV floor to align it for stitching the top to the batting and the backing. I helped a bit with pinning the parts together. "Playing" on the floor somehow isn't as much fun or as easy as when we were kids. This was tiring work. As a result we passed on the thought of shopping until Monday.

NBC was featuring "Hockey Day in America" with several games throughout the day. I almost thought I was in Canada. Normally "Hockey" is a foreign word rarely featured on the local stations.

I guess we just needed the rest.

Sat - Feb 18/12

A little excitement this morning just outside the park entrance on the westbound side of US-60. An accident had the already slow traffic (due to the Medieval Festival just down the road) down to a crawl. Folks were out watching as an Emergency Helicopter thumped overhead looking for a spot to land.

We later took our bikes for a ride in the new (Superstition Views) area.

Folks were using the Bocce Ball and Tennis Courts. There are still no residents in this area yet. 

The large "H" shaped pool is nearing completion.

We then took a self-guided tour of the display buildings. We went up to one of  the rooftop "Margarita Decks" to watch the Emergency Helicopter take off.

Charlotte was having a hard time pedalling so we traded bikes. I discovered her bike was stuck in the highest gear. After dinner I spent the rest most of the afternoon tuning up her bike.

I had to re-align the handlebars that may have shifted slightly on the trip down. I tightened and aligned her mirror as well as fixing a seat spring that lost a washer and nut. When all appeared ship-shape I took out my large compressor and brought the tires on both bikes up to the correct pressure.

Charlotte took it for a spin around the block and liked the improvement in the ride.

We had planned on going swimming but changed our mind due to the brisk breeze even though it was sunny and 79F. We also changed our mind about going shopping for a few odds and ends after the Medieval Festival crowd had left at closing. By the time everyone had cleared out of the festival it was close to dar,

The Arizona Renaissance Festival has been an annual tradition for over two decades (24th. year). It is a medieval amusement park attraction with 12 theatre stages, a 30-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, and a jousting tournament all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure that happens just a few miles from our RV Park. It runs from 10 am to 6 pm. every Saturday and Sunday from February 11 through April 1st. (including the upcoming Presidents’ Day this Monday). This makes getting in and out of our park difficult due to the increased traffic flow. It is tricky at best of times.

The Festival has more than 2,000 brightly costumed actors, dancers, and musicians who roam the medieval replica village. There are over 200 elaborately adorned shops offering an array of traditional goods. The 12 stages offer over 150 shows each day. There is a great variety of food for feasting, and a bevy of beverages including Medieval Margaritas, Da Vinci Coladas, Dukes of Daiquiri, wine, turkey legs, honey mead, beers and ales, along with soft drinks and lemonade for the kids.

No wonder weekend traffic is crazy here! Maybe will leave early tomorrow before the rush?

Fri - Feb 17/12

Today was an RV Day.

Charlotte sat outside for a bit and went for a walk while listening to her CD Player.

We had all our meals in the RV. It is rare that we have all three meals here on any given day. Charlotte made great meals with the fresh asparagus with lemon butter being a real treat. The asparagus was a real deal yesterday for only $1.50  at the Country Market. The bundle would have filled about 4 regular asparagus cans. Charlotte also enjoyed another one of the huge softball sized oranges we bought there at the same booth.

Charlotte rested today. She didn't even do any sewing.

Our doctor sent a copy of the letter to the Sheriff that he wrote on my behalf requesting I be excused from Jury Duty for health reasons. That is actually why we have been coming south. He requested we do so a few years back and we said we could not afford 4 months south. Charlotte then was hospitalized for an extended period in the winter and I figured we couldn't afford not to go. That is when we purchased a motorhome and started coming south - a decision we have never regretted. As well as being a risk to our health going home would also cost several thousand dollars in lost reservations and fuel - an expense we hope to avoid. I am anxiously awaiting the reply.

I always thought the "Dry Heat" in Arizona was a joke - it's not. The extra time and expense of coming here compared to Florida or Texas is well worth it. The weather here is so much better!

I didn't even take a picture today for inclusion in the blog!

Thu - Feb 16/12

Another busy day.

First stop this morning was Guest Services to confirmed yesterdays requests.

We do have confirmed  reservations for next year - Jan 1/2013 - Apr 1/2013 - hopefully we will also get our lot (#217). Our request to remain on our present lot (#190) and not to have to move at the end of the month to another lot was also granted.

Our first outside the park stop was the Post Office in Apache Junction, AZ to mail prescription receipts to our Health Insurer back in Canada. That achieved, we headed to our next destination. Charlotte thought we were going to Hobby Lobby; however, my intentions were to surprise her with breakfast at the IHOP (International House of Pancakes) in the same parking lot. After a great breakfast she did get go to Hobby Lobby to purchase quilters thread she required to finish a project.

We then continued on to the "Country Market" at Valle del Oro (a sister Cal-Am RV park).  As well as the usual inside (Main Hall) exhibitors there were even more (than usual) outside. We picked up fresh veggies (asparagus) and bag of huge (larger than softball sized) oranges. We also each purchased an additional pair of our favourite type of clip-on sunglasses. They are spring loaded and hold onto the side of the glass frames rather than "clipping" onto the glass portion like most other styles.

Inside the hall there were many jewellery booths. At the very last booth Charlotte found what she was looking for - a tiny pair of shoes (charms) that she will send back to our grandson (via his mom) in Canada. He will be looking for evidence of "leprechauns" visiting when St. Patrick's Day approaches. Their will also We also included little green "Top Hats" and "Gold Coins" in the box for him to find as well.

After leaving the Country Market we pulled in to the corner AM/PM store to gas up. Again, I believe we found a station that fit my: "a scheduled delivery is coming soon and we need more room in the tanks" theory of gas prices. This station was 10 cents less (at $3.48) than any other station I had seen so far today. Gas prices are continuing upward at about a dime a week since we arrived. Predictions of a $5.00 gallon by summer look entirely possible. That means about $6.00 for the equivalent volume of gas back in Canada - shudder!!!"

Another stop just across the road at Lowe's so Charlotte could purchase extra wide masking tape required to position her quilt for final assembly. While waiting I received a call from our doctor in Canada. He indicated that he will send a letter to the Sheriff on my behalf requesting exemption from Jury Duty. I hope it is successful. There seems to be a conspiracy to make us return home. First, Charlotte's medical incident and then the Summons for Court Duty?

Nice to be able to take the top off the Del Sol (Honda) and enjoy the sunshine again. We stayed off the "Big Road" (US-60) so we could drive slowly and prolong the pleasure. Wow! Quite a difference compared to I-40 that was closed due to nearly a foot of snow and black ice in the "High Country".  It was the freezing rain rather than the snow that closed a 50 mile section near Seligman stranding thousands throughout the night (15 hours). It did not re-opened until late morning. It is hard to believe the difference in the weather considering that I-40 is a mere 120 miles north of the Phoenix area.

Our final stop was Chase (Bank) across the road from the RV Park. I had to replenish our supply of U.S. 20 dollar bills. At the same time I thought I would check to see if it was possible to get a bank card. At times our Canadian Credit cards will not work (like gas pumps) because entering the postal code  associated with the credit card is required. The 6 digit  Canadian combination of with entering only the digits (in order) of our Canadian Code  followed by two zeros. Most of the time it does not work. At other times we cannot order from U.S. Internet sites that have Canadian sites as they require an American credit card even to ship to us while in Arizona. Canadian credit cards are only allowed on the Canadian site which will only ship to Canada.

After dotting the i's and crossing the t's we opened a chequeing (oops - checking - no Queen's English here) account. We should receive our combo debit/credit cards in the next week or so. This card will act like a credit card when the "Credit Card" option is selected except that instead of using credit it will withdraw money is directly from our checking account - no PIN entry required. Mmmm - I might now be able to get that pay-as-you -go DISH satellite system yet?

They usual RV evening. We did not get tickets for tonight's Kenny Hess Show in the Main Ballroom as we had seen his performance last year. It was the usual "Supper and TV" night.

Wed - Feb 15/12

A crazy busy upside-down day today!

Charlotte practised various quilting stitches using her new sewing machine. She relaxed outside for a bit and later went for a walk while listening to music on her CD Player.

I spent almost all day on the computer trying to solve a number of problems. The routine part was making regular payments using net banking.

I had to contact our Health Insurance provider by phone. Their 800 number is only accessible in Canada - no other number given so I could dial it directly using the cell phone. Luckily, I bought a Ci-Ci card that provides long distance calling in North America. I called the 800 number after logging into the long distance card service and was able to get through. They denied paying for prescriptions we had picked up before our departure. The problem was that my submissions matched identical claims for the same day at the same pharmacy. I explained that since they only allowed a 3 month supply of medication at a time I had to purchase and pay for an additional month long supply of everything and had paid for it in cash. That was why the receipts appeared to be identical. The agent agreed to forward it for reconsideration noting this fact.

Our main concern lately was the fear that we would be required to return home by our out-of-country health insurer because of Charlotte's recent medical issues. Now that her "final" medical report indicated that she is stable we feel  that that issue has passed. It has been over two weeks and no contact from the insurer - knock on wood!

Now a twist on the same concern. Would I have to return home? This mornings email included a Summons for me (Bill) for Jury Duty. The problem was that the date set for jury selection is a month before we would even begin thinking about heading for home. I had to formulate a request for exemption.

Most of the day was spent scanning receipts for paid reservations and documents showing Charlotte's hospitalization. I also sent an email to our doctor requesting support in the form of a letter stating that we were currently "South" for health reasons. (He actually did insist we be south in the winter for our health.)

The only bright spot today was in regards to next year. Today was the last date for renters to reserve their sites for next year. I went to the office at closing to make a deposit ($250) on our reservation for next year.

My request was for site #217. I tried to get this site on our arrival when I heard it was becoming available. Unfortunately, at that time, it had already been reserved for it's current occupant - a "Class C" Big Rig.

I liked the site for several reasons:

- it faces North (preferred sun direction) with a glimpse of the Superstitions (Mountains).
- it is on a quiet street (even though it is a through street).
- it is next to the walking path (within a nice walk distance of the Activity Center and the Pool).
- the path also means more privacy with no neighbours on the path side. It also means green (grass).
- it has large shade trees nearby.
- it is next to the Bath House which houses the Wi-Fi Tower.
- it is close enough to the entrance for easy in and out yet far enough from the main road to be quiet.
- the street directly accesses the "New" area (Superstition Views) with it's additional activity features.

Current renters have first dibs on reserving their site. By closing time the site (#217|) that I had tried to get when we arrived had not been reserved for next year. I reserved it immediately!

I can be "bumped"! In my case, unless someone chooses to put a "park model" on that site or wants to rent the site by the year I will (read should) get my request. Of course, the reservation indicates that there are no site guarantees. It only guarantees that their will be a site available for the requested dates. The odds for getting our request; however, are now on our side.

Tue - Feb 14/12

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the RV Roof. Even "Big Storms" here are render little rain. A little more than 1/10th of an inch registered in Gold Canyon, AZ. The airport, Sky Harbor, in Phoenix still has had no measurable rain this year. My sympathies to all the folks in Florida and the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) in Texas for their large amount of rainfall this year. The drive to Arizona is well worth the extra time and expense!

The early morning rain soon cleared up and things were back to dry with a few one or two minute showers throughout the day. The road looks like a heavy rain but because the desert landscape is rock hard with little ability to absorb the rain quickly runs off to the roads and any low spots.

A good day to relax. A trip to the recycling also had us returning with another shipment of "Feet" for Charlotte's new sewing machine. This shipment added another yard (3 "feet" - grin) to the supply.

The evening was reserved for "Elvis". Danny Vernon was the "Illusion of Elvis" during the hour and forty minute high energy show. Recently endorsed and voted top 10 in the world by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Danny was also voted and judged by Elvis' own inner circle of friends as the best young Elvis. Judges inlcuded were Charlie Hodge (Elvis'close friend), Sonny West (life long bodyguard), Estelle Brown (Sweet Inspirations), and the late Mr.Al 'Elvis has left the building' Dvorin.

As with most Elvis Impersonators he dresses and mimics the mannerisms and moves of Elvis. The added bonus of looking similar and sounding so much like Elvis adds to the "Illusion of Elvis. The environment created by having the show in a small venue makes it a really personal experience. The rapport of Danny and Marcia with the audience added to the enjoyment. Elvis made several forays into the audience throught the show bestowing Teddy Bears (after singing of "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear") as well as several scarves of different colours that were accompanied by the obligatory kiss on the cheek.

After the first few songs his voice transcended the gap from illusion to reality and everyone just enjoyed the excellence of his powerful performance especially when he sang Elvis Presley's "An American Trilogy" which is an amalgam of "Dixie"(1), Battle Hymn of the Republic"(2) and "All My Trials' Lord"(3) at the end of the show.

"An American Trilogy"
   (1)

Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton
Old things they are not forgotten
Look away, look away, look away Dixieland
Oh I wish I was in Dixie, away, away
In Dixieland I take my stand to live and die in Dixie
Cause Dixieland, that's where I was born
Early Lord one frosty morning
Look away, look away, look away Dixieland
(2)
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
His truth is marching on
(3)
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
You know your daddy's bound to die
But all my trials, Lord will soon be over

The song included a "Marching" of the American Flag by Marcia at the beginning and ended with a displaying of the "American Eagle" emblazoned on the back of "Elvis's Cape".

The evening ended with the audience being served Root Beer Floats in souvenir  "Happy Valentine's Day 2012 " glasses that showed two "Love Birds" (white doves) intertwined with hearts.

Happy Valentine's Day!