Well, I guess it's time again for an update. We've been here at Bryce since the 31st of July and have enjoyed it all. The first 4 weeks it rained every day! dang, was it wet! But since we had so much rain the fire ban was lifted and fires abound, but only in the fire rings! The weather has been kind of cool altho, in the afternoon's before the rain, it has gotten quite warm. We still are wearing jackets, and now that the rains have backed off, at least until today, it's been really pleasant. Many of our campers have come in from Zion and have said it was so hot they couldn't even sleep at nite. Here, it gets down into the 40's and low 50's at nite. Perfect for a nice campfire with s'mores! if anyone is interested in coming to spend some time, I have a great place for you to stay. It's called the Bryce Canyon Resort. Free transportation*, free heat and air conditioning depending on the season. free showers at certain times of the day, views from anywhere in the resort! I have an in with the resort and can get you some time for free. Just let me know when you want to reserve the space and I'll make it happen.

The only thing this resort does NOT have is a skylight so the nite sky is open to the outdoors only. And the nite skies here are FANTASTIC! It's breathtaking to see sooooo many stars!!


















We'll be here another few weeks and then head to St. George for the Huntsman World Games. I haven't played pickleball since June but I have been studying videos for days now. Maybe that will make up for it. lol! If i could only do what I know I should do instead of what I do do!

We are ready for some warm weather, however, I'm not so sure I'm ready for HOT!
We are also more than ready to get back to the park and start for real to again enjoy our winter.
Hope everyone is enjoying the last of their summer and ready for a great winter in Surprise or wherever you happen to be!

the only thing this resort does NOT have are skylights!!!

We're HERE!!!

Well, we finally made it to Bryce. We got here on Monday, but didn't start working until today, Thursday. Which actually worked out pretty good since we had a water problem and I ended up having to take off the whole panel on the water system bin. We took apart the check valve and messed with it. Thought we were going to have to get a new part, but after much swearing (ohhhh, you know I don't swear!!) we finally got it to unstick. We left it for a few hours, and it did work. So, put that whole thing back together. Of course, they don't make anything easy to get to. And I only had 2 screws left over!!!  Must be a success!!! We aren't getting much water pressure, but without the regulator, the pressure is way too high. So, either blow the pipes, or just run around in the shower!! It's such a big shower to run around in. We didn't have any incidents on the way here, so that was a plus. So far, so good!! Our satelite even works!!! Last year, we couldn't get a signal, but we are in a different spot, and there is a wee little hole that is just perfect for a signal to get thru!  Ahhhhh, but Nan is happy!! We stopped on our way out of Denver at some friends in Avon and had a great visit. Wish we could get more time to visit with them, but you know, retirement is quite the busy time! They just opened a new shop where they are selling equipment and ingredients for making wine and beer. They are quite excited about it, and we wish them the very best of luck.
I've been watching the pickleball tournament results. Congratulations to all who have been participating during the summer. Good luck in upcoming tournaments. I have started to practice now that I have so much time (NOT!) Altho, with 3 days on and 3 days off, I should have some time to watch my videos and practice enuff for my upcoming tournament at Huntsman games.
Am doing fine, and no problems with the apendectomy. Nan keeps hollering at me for lifting, but I don't think I'm lifting all that much. After all, 20 lbs is a lot, isn't it!! Trav weighs in at 21 lbs and he's pretty heavy!! We missed seeing some of our friends in Denver before we left, hopefully we will be able to drop by next summer and say "hey" to them then.
Ok, I'm not sure what I said in the last post as to our ongoing delimna about Thelma. Did I tell you that our refrigerator was recalled after 8 years! Anyway, we took it in and had that part replaced. When we were checking on the fridge for the serial number etc. we found the batteries were deader than a doornail! sooooo, guess what we did next! Yup! We had 4 new batteries put in. We are pretty sure that Thelma should now be Thelma II since she is virtually brand new in most of her parts!
We are looking forward to our stay at Bryce and hope the rain stops soon. We are expecting rain for the next 7 days! today is gorgeous tho, but it is supposed to move in by this afternoon. The temperature is very pleasant compared to the heat in Denver. It gets to the upper 40's at nite and 70's to low 80's during the day. At least until it starts raining. The only thing with the rain is that it also brings terrific thunder and very close lightning. It can get quite dangerous during those storms. If I were camping in a tent, I'd be pretty scared. Maybe the Internationals don't realize how bad it can be. We have a lot of foreigners here, more than americans! Quite fun, trying to interpret what they are saying and for us to get across what we want to tell them. Lots of experience with charades!

Well, all, time to get back to work. Take care and we'll be in touch. oh, BTW, GOOOD LUCK BOOMER!!!!

The Waiting Summer

Let me tell you what happened Tuesday on my way to Wednesday!!! I wasn't feeling real well Tuesday afternoon. By 5p I was in too much pain to refuse going to the emergency ward. Well, yes,  I had a problem. I had appendicitis!! Yes, at 63 I am having my very first real surgery and it is an appendectomy. I couldn't believe it, but by that time I didn't care. By the time I got into the emergency room, I was begging for something for the pain. You all know what a woos I am, so it was probably just a little thang, but to me I HURT! Anyway, they gave me a shot of delaudid! mmmmmmm, I could feel it taking over my body. Starting from the IV in my arm, up my shoulder, thru my chest, and I'm saying "come on, come on, get down there!" Well, it did, and Iwas gone!! I don't remember much even after the surgery. Apparently, I don't do well with anesthetic, so I was out of it the entire next day! But, I was released and all is well now. I'm feeling much much better and also out of pain! Everywhere!! Down side is that I had planned a bar-b-q for some friends on Sunday. Well, Nan said, I wouldn't be ready by then so I should cancel. I argued with her for about 10 sec and relented. So I cancelled it and am i glad! i was not ready!

Continuing the saga. After Nan got back from Nebraska, Carol and Diane took us to a Wildlife Sanctuary in Hudson, Co. It was designed for abused lions and tigers and bears. Some wolves were there also. The people were on a raised walkway so they were above the animals and could view them as they roamed free within their 3-6 acre enclosures. They are fed regularly however, everything else is as it is in the wild. They form prides, social structure, etc. They looked quite comfortable as we walked the 2 mile ramp. They have individual bio's of each animal and what abuse they went thru before they came to the sanctuary. It was hot, but well worth the effort and time to see these beasts in their own environment!
We left Loveland and our friends Carol and Diane's. It's the greatest campground in the area. They are fantastic people and their home is also pretty fantastic. We headed down toward Denver where we were going to park the rig and stay with extended family. We decided to take the rig back to the mechanic on Monday. They had to replace the sender unit but didn't have the part in til now. It only took about 30 minutes and all was well with Thelma. Or so we thought! We parked the rig on a small ranch in Dacono, Co and went to spend a month with Connie, my sister-in-law. As always, we forgot a few things, so we went back to the rig a few days later and found the refrigerator was off and there was no battery! I checked the propane, it was half full. I checked the batteries, the cells were all full. Yet there was absolutely no power, we couldn't even get the genny going, and we had almost a full tank of gas! WHAT NOW??? We went out there because we got a recall notice in the mail for the refrigerator and went to check out the serial number and model #. It was on the list, "important! turn off refrigerator, unplug it, call immediately for repair." Uh oh, I'd noticed it was running a bit funny lately, always running, using more amps than normal. I was a bit apprehensive about leaving it on. As for the batteries, I have no idea what that is about. we got permission to plug into a 20amp outlet and let the batteries charge. Tomorrow, we are going out to see what's up with them.
Another thing, I was supposed to have dental work done on Wednesday, today! Well, because of the appendectomy, they cancelled it. Since we are leaving the area on Aug. 1, I don't know if I'll be able to get in before we leave. It is a 3 hour appointment and I doubt they'll have anything before we leave. soooo, we are WAITING again, but I'll probably just have to wait til next summer to take care of all that.
Well, gang, not sure what's going to happen again, but I'm sure there'll be something come up on our WAITING list before we leave for Bryce!!
Til then.......

The End is Near!!!

YIPPEEEE! Hooray!! ZAP! BANG! All Right!!!!
So what's all the excitement about??? Thelma is Cured!!
I get to pick her up at the hospital tomorrow!! There is a good and a bad that goes along with that. It will be GOOD to get into our own home. I will be bad to be in that home in 98 degree heat!! oh, well, it's still good to have her back. We will be so glad to get back into normal mode. We will be FREE!! We will still be staying here in Colorado as I have some dental work I need to get done. I'm hoping I can get it over with by the 16th or 17th of July because there is a pickleball tournament in Ogden, Utah that I'd love to play in. It'll be a wait and see proposition tho.
Not only will Thelma be out of the hospital and cured, but Nan will be back next Tuesday! HALLELUJA!!!!! She's been in Nebraska visiting her sister and mom for 2 weeks. As most of you might think, I have been perfectly fine during her absence. I have washed 2 loads of my own clothes, I have fixed dinner a couple  of times (sandwiches the other times), and even fed and took care of Trav! See, I'm not quite as helpless as you all thought I was! Course, I'd sure rather have Nan around.
Since my last post, I have been staying with a friend in Lakewood and it has been quite comfortable. Lee has been extremely tolerant and inviting while I've been here and has even come up with a few small projects to take up some time. I love projects!!

Almost forgot! Went to a puppy party the other day. Hmmmmm well, all I can say is this is definitely NOT population control!! A friend of Lee's is a breeder for chocolate labs. She wanted a litter, but got a bevy of little brown puppies!! Can you guess how many there are?? yes, 10!! wow!! what a bundle!

I also wanted to express my talents as far as being able to take care of myself (even if it isn't for very long). I, ME, this is myself cooking, grilling, pork cutlets, asparagus and portabello mushrooms, all at the same time, and all on one grille!! It was FANTASTIC! and yes, i DO say so myself!!

Well, till next time, you all imagine hugs from both of us. Hope all is well wherever you are. Will be back soon!

So, here's the word so far. I talked to the guy today. He said he was still waiting for an estimate for the gas tank rebuild. He also said if it was exorbitant, or if we couldn't get it out on time for us to get to Bryce, he would try to do a temporary fix so we could get back to Surprise. I figure if it will get us to Surprise, it will get us to Bryce first. It's actually on the way!!! So, now that i have an option, I am much less anxious. Hopefully, we will hear about the tank soon.
We went up to the mountains last weekend and visited some friends from SMR (our old park). Lila and Ann have a new puppy (to them), he's 2 years old and is full of fire and spit! We had a great time and enjoyed our visit. We stayed in their guest house (little 5th wheel) and trav and max were great together. They had a BBQ for us the first nite and it was terrific! mmmmm-baby back ribs!! Their property is awesome. Overlooks South Park and the mountains. They  have a beautiful view. And the air is very clear! Since it is over 9,000 feet!! Wow, try to walk up there with the dogs! But it was really nice and we did have a good time visiting with them. They have the neatest little shed. It's log and just the cutest thing! Here are some pics of their place.

A great place to hide out and just relax. What a soothing area to visit!

Will be back soon. Take care and stay safe.

All OK in Upper Peninsula of Michigan!

Just a shorty! Wanted to let you all know that my sister's place is still standing and has negligible damage. 600' away, the neighbor's home was totally destroyed. Thank you all for all you good wishes and prayers.

Well, guess an update is in order. After my last blog, i got a scathing email from my sister and she is now submitting papers to have me committed! Soooo, for fear of losing my mobility, we have decided to try once again to find someone to build a 100 gal. gas tank for our 8 year old rig!! LOL. we decided to stay in Colorado trying to deal with our gas tank dilemma. We found another trucking company who is going to try to find someone to build a tank, we are still waiting for an estimate and timeline. We also called our mechanic in Surprise to find out the dangers of driving it as it is. The answer was that if we drove it very ''SOFTLY" we might be ok. Unfortunately, on U.S. roads that is quite a challenge, and probably not at all possible. Our plans for the summer have now changed. Nan is flying back to Nebraska, and I am staying in Colorado to babysit the rig. We are still planning on being able to get to Bryce Canyon by the 8th of August or sooner. Don't worry Kevin, we are making it quite clear we are to be there and we have everyone involved working at top speed to get us on the road by then. The mechanic we are working with now has found someone who does build gas tanks, we are just waiting for a quote and time estimate. Hopefully, we will hear by Tuesday. More updates will come then.
While we are here, I have played in 2 indoor pickleball tournaments. We have seen friends we haven't seen for 20 years! It's been great running into them (and no, i didn't hurt them). I was, however, warned NOT to hug too tightly. Dang, it's a bitch getting older! We are taking the time to visit old friends and seeing some of the new things around Colorado since we've been gone.
We went to a graduation party for a niece (my adopted family) the other day. I knew those kids since they were babies and now they are grandparents! I don't know what they are doing, but I sure haven't gotten as old as they have. What a gutt punch! How can I be that old?
Yesterday, I received word that my sister has probably had one of her houses burned (Pike Lake fire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula). They are waiting to hear for sure if it was one of the structural fatalities around the lake. They also have another house on Lake Superior which is in the direction the fire is moving. They are on the list of evacuations, but have not been told to leave as yet. We are praying for it to rain and help control the fire which has taken 22,000 acres so far. Seems the whole country is in a high fire danger area since the lack of snow and rain this past winter. The unusual heat has also contributed to the extremely dry areas.
We'll let you all know how things are going, and want to let you know we are thinking of you all. Hope everyone is doing well and no disasters are happening where you are.
Hugs, Big Hugs, and to those who just can't take it (BJ!), little hugs!!!!  :)

Loveland, Colorado in May

Well, guess it's time to update! We have been here in Loveland, Co since the 3rd of May. We left Salt Lake City all fixed up and ready to travel! OOOPS!  There's a leak! Oh, No! It's NOT from the levelers, it's from the GAS TANK!! Ok, so, I call a truck repair shop in Denver, "Sure, we can fix that. Bring it in and we'll check it out!" Hooray! We take it in, and before i even get myself organized, they tell me they CAN'T fix it. Color me a bit miffed. They say, "Cummins in Commerce City can do it." I call Cummins and go over there with the rig. I explain there is a pinhole in the gas tank on the bottom where it sits on the chassis bar. They take it in for 4 days! When i come back, they tell me that there is a leak in the bottom of the tank and they don't know if it can be repaired or will have to be replaced. They are now talking to Monaco to get a new one. Hold your horses! Monaco doesn't have anything for a rig that old!! 8 years?? So, now they are going to find out if one can be built. Answer is "they don't have them in production anymore." So the next step is to have one built. But, Monaco hasn't been able to find plans to build one!! This is getting very very exciting now! NOT! I've also been given a number of about $5,000 to $6,000. After getting myself all worked up and livid, i call our local repair place. Massey Diesel is in Surprise, AZ. They say "If it's a tank that can be pulled out of the doors on the side, it will be about $500!! Soooooo, we have decided to leak across the country and wait til we get  back to Happy Trails to have it fixed. Thankfully, it is a diesel, so it isn't a fire hazard. And, it is a very small leak at this point, so we won't be losing fuel along the way except for some drops along the way. We have to put down a cardboard under where it is leaking, but it isn't like we are losing gallons a day. Don't ya just love mechanics?
While we were here, I've played in a tournament in Ft. Collins and will be playing another in Lakewood this Saturday. We've been thoroughly enjoying our stay with Carol and Diane and their dogs. They have a wonderful deck and a great hot tub for pickleball fever. We enjoy our happy hour and coffee on the deck with a wonderful view of a small forrest out back with foxes, elk and their 2 horses. Trav LOVES the huge yard he gets to play in, and their 2 dogs, Chinook (golden retriever) and Bonnie (????). Chinook is involved in agility and we've gone to a couple of trials.

it was pretty fun to see the difference between what the human wants and what the dogs want! At least there are plenty of chuckles. but the dogs are fun to watch and see how they tear around the courses and jump for joy when they pass the finish line. We've also enjoyed visiting some of our friends that we haven't seen in a few years. We had dinner with friends we haven't seen in 10 years and it was like we had never been away. What a delight to spend time with them. Nan is doing well, she has fallen in love with Kindle and has read a whole library i think. She is also in charge of the yard work and has spent time tending weeds and flowers. She also has spent some time cleaning the rig and reorganizing inside. We are intending to leave here late next week and head to Nebraska where nan's mom and sister are. We'll visit with them for a spell then head to Michigan. I'll update you all as we go, but hope everyone is having a great summer. Have heard from some of you and it sounds like things are going along pretty good. Hugs to all our friends!!

Salt Lake City to Loveland, Colorado

We finally made it to Colorado. Actually, I think we were blown here! Driving thru Wyoming was quite exhilarating, 55 mph winds made us a little jumpy but we were glad it was a tail wind! We had a bit of frustration in Salt Lake City. We had a water leak in the grey water tank and a diesel leak in the gas tank. Also had the gennie and rig serviced and our rear bin door repaired. The grey water tank has a crack on the top of the tank and only leaks when it gets too full. Because of the cost, we decided to live with it. In order to put in a new one, that the insurance might or might not cover, they had to drop the tank and install the new one to a tune of about $2000. The gas tank was another story tho. They couldn't fix it because it was sitting on the frame of the motor home. They would have had to send it out and we decided to find our own facility. The only place that is equipped to do it was a truck repair place. Because it sat on part of the chassis, and it was leaking from the bottom where it sat on the chassis, it had to be removed, emptied, steamed, dried and then welded. Sooooooo, needless to say, we needed to find a place where we had somewhere to stay during this ordeal. We have no clue as to the cost, but it was something we couldn't just live with, especially with the price of diesel. We are in Loveland, Colorado now, staying at friends who have a mini-ranch! It's actually a bit of paradise here. They are on 3.5 acres with enuff room that there are no close neighbors and it's very quiet with some visits from elk, mtn lions now and then and sometimes a bear or two. As we drove in, we noticed that the pasture on the corner had a new tenant! He is 4 days old and the cutest thing around!!

He was born with those bangs!! 

Never knew how soft a baby burro could be!!


We arrived about 5 minutes before Carol and Diane were leaving for pickleball, so naturally, i had to join them.

We have many we will be visiting while here in Colorado, since we haven't spent much time here in the last few years. We plan on spending at least a month and one or 2 pickleball tournaments. Looking forward to seeing old friends and family.

I mentioned earlier that Nan had a new hobby. Here are a few of her projects! Who says dumpster diving isn't good fun!



Hope everyone is having a great summer so far, and hope everyone is safe and healthy and keep on laughin!!!!

Enjoying the Grand Canyon!

Well, we made it to St. George. Had a wonderful visit at the Grand Canyon. No, we did NOT go to the bottom!!! I took many pictures of the bottom, does that count?? After all is said and done, I have 400 pictures to go thru!! One of the things I was absolutely enthralled with were the California Condors. They were just awesome. Very large, very ugly, but such beautiful flight!! After leaving Grand Canyon, we headed toward St. George. We decided to take 89A and we were quite pleased that we did. We had not taken 89A since 2004 and had forgotten what a boondockers paradise it was. We found a great place in the trees all alone with tons of room for the trav to run, and run he did. He loves the cooler weather. It was in the low 70's and he loved it. We enjoyed it so much, we decided to stay another nite. Nan had such a hard time sleeping because it was soooooooo quiet!! I loved it. No fan noise, no street noise, no coyotes howling, it was heaven. Here are a few shots for you to enjoy along with us.

Beginning Our 10th Year on the Road!

It's our 10th anniversary on the road and we are heading out tomorrow, Friday, April 20, 2012. We are excited and sad. We have enjoyed our winter at our new park and have made some great friends. Our neighbors are fantastic, our friends are awesome, and our lives have been perfect this winter. Nan has gotten into different projects and has enjoyed getting to do different things. She began with ceramics and has some of her projects packed to work on during the summer. She has also discovered the Happy Trails Wal-Mart (the dumpsters!) She has saved a gorgeous oak glider and an old fashioned rocking chair. She has refinished and restored both of them to gorgeous pieces. Kath has been killing herself playing pickleball, realizing that next year, she needs to learn to ration herself before she completely burns out. I will try to get posts out as often as possible. We plan on stopping at the Grand Canyon on our way north. After 3 nites there, we will head to St. George for a pickleball tourney for 2 days. Afterwards, heading to Salt Lake City to get a bin door repaired on Thelma. She doesn't like looking injured, so we have to get her fixed up pretty! After that, we'll head to Colorado for a month, Nebraska for a month and on to Michigan. We're looking forward to a great summer. Hope all have a great summer too and be safe!