Today was Forry's turn to make his annual visit to the doctor. I think he really liked Thomas, the third-year medical student who is doing his Family Practice rotation at Group Health. Dr. Brennan had Forry get a chest x-ray, thankfully ruling out my concerns about Valley Fever (because he had such a nasty cough for so long last winter).
Due to a very busy office and the extra time with the medical student, we spent most of the afternoon at Group Health, only getting home in time for the Mariner's game. We had been looking forward to this game as it was the major league debut of Taijuan Walker. It was good to see the Mariners give him lots of run support and give him a win for his debut.
The last of our immediate neighbors up here on the hill at Ponderosa Falls moved out today, so we are all alone up here. There are four empty sites immediately around us. We saw a large family moving into one of the cabins below us this afternoon, but that's the only evidence we've seen so far of Labor Day campers.
When we drove by Riverfront Park, we could see them setting up for this weekend's PigOut at the Park. As ubiquitous as the hornets and wasps have been this summer, I'm not sure it's going to be a very pleasant experience with all of those food booths. When we stopped at the Waste to Energy plant yesterday to drop off our recyclables, they were swarming around the aluminum can depository -- trying for the last drops of sweetness I presume.
Showing posts with label Mariners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mariners. Show all posts
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
It's Only August!
It's only August, but they're playing football! I know they are preseason games, but it's still football! Forry is watching the Seattle Seahawks vs the San Diego Chargers game tonight. At the moment it's 24-3 and the announcers are NOT happy about it. You can sure tell he's listening to a California TV station!
To make it worse, the Mariners have the day off today, so I don't even get the solace of seeing portions of their game as he flips back and forth...
I cannot watch football without thinking about ironing. My Dad refereed football and basketball as well as umpired baseball games after he no longer played. Ironing his uniforms was my job. I look with envy at the uniforms the umpires are currently wearing. It looks like they have nice black and white striped short-sleeved knit shirts with black trousers that are probably no-iron as well.
In Dad's day, he wore a starched black and white long-sleeved shirt and heavy white denim knickers that fastened below his knees. The shirts were tough enough to iron, but the trousers were really a bear! Mom starched them fairly heavily and they scorched easily. She then "sprinkled" them to dampen them down and put them in a plastic bag for me to iron. The fabric was almost canvas-like and in places where there were multiple layers -- like where they fastened under his knees or at the waistband -- it was hard to iron them dry without scorching the starch.
In the days before Permanent Press, ironing clothing was one of those never-ending tasks. It seemed like you'd just get one week's ironing done when there was another batch. I actually liked ironing most of the time. We had one neighbor who hated to iron and would put her sprinkled clothes into the freezer (so they wouldn't mildew!). When I would go there to baby-sit, I'd often pull a bag out of the freezer and iron for her. It seemed to make her very happy!
To make it worse, the Mariners have the day off today, so I don't even get the solace of seeing portions of their game as he flips back and forth...
I cannot watch football without thinking about ironing. My Dad refereed football and basketball as well as umpired baseball games after he no longer played. Ironing his uniforms was my job. I look with envy at the uniforms the umpires are currently wearing. It looks like they have nice black and white striped short-sleeved knit shirts with black trousers that are probably no-iron as well.
In Dad's day, he wore a starched black and white long-sleeved shirt and heavy white denim knickers that fastened below his knees. The shirts were tough enough to iron, but the trousers were really a bear! Mom starched them fairly heavily and they scorched easily. She then "sprinkled" them to dampen them down and put them in a plastic bag for me to iron. The fabric was almost canvas-like and in places where there were multiple layers -- like where they fastened under his knees or at the waistband -- it was hard to iron them dry without scorching the starch.
In the days before Permanent Press, ironing clothing was one of those never-ending tasks. It seemed like you'd just get one week's ironing done when there was another batch. I actually liked ironing most of the time. We had one neighbor who hated to iron and would put her sprinkled clothes into the freezer (so they wouldn't mildew!). When I would go there to baby-sit, I'd often pull a bag out of the freezer and iron for her. It seemed to make her very happy!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Seafood Buffet!
We both woke up this morning, looked at each other, and very quickly made a mutual decision that we were NOT going to travel today. We had a wonderful visit with Sister Sherry yesterday, but that extra four hours of driving wore us out.
We didn't do a whole lot today; we watched some TV; did some Sudoku; read a book; played Words With Friends; took a nap. We watched the Mariners beat the Yankees and take the series in New York.
We did get ambitious enough to call for the Wild Horse van and ride over to the Casino for their Seafood Buffet. It was actually very good -- they had Dungeness, Snow and King Crab as well as clams, mussels and shrimp.
We didn't do a whole lot today; we watched some TV; did some Sudoku; read a book; played Words With Friends; took a nap. We watched the Mariners beat the Yankees and take the series in New York.
We did get ambitious enough to call for the Wild Horse van and ride over to the Casino for their Seafood Buffet. It was actually very good -- they had Dungeness, Snow and King Crab as well as clams, mussels and shrimp.
A Short Visit With Sister Sherry...
We got going fairly early this morning and got to Sister Sherry's farm on the Touchet River by about eleven o'clock. It turned out to be a lovely day for sitting out on the front steps and drinking our coffee and watching the birds -- and of course, the mastiffs.
There are always flowers blooming at Sherry's, even this Spring when she's had a lot of frost. This lovely iris greeted us as we walked in --
We were too late for most of the peonies in Momma's garden, but this bush was providing both color for us and nectar for the bees --
The last of the alliums were blooming by the front door --
There was a flock of American goldfinches eating from the feeders --
I tried to count them, got as high as fourteen, but they were moving around so much, I really don't know how many there were!
This is Keiko San, Sherry's youngest mastiff. He's still got another 80-90 pounds to go during the next tear or so. He's been to his first dog shows this Spring and so far has won Best in Breed at every one...
After lunch, it was nap-time for the dogs. Here are three of them sprawled on their beds in the living room. (There's one more yet behind me!)
The mastiffs truly are gentle giants. The older three were content to lie in the sun while we sat outside in the sun and talked. Of course, Keiko had to keep busy playing soccer with his bowling balls. The dog show judges were impressed by his musculature -- they should see him chasing the balls around the farmyard!
We spent the afternoon listening to the Mariners game (they beat the Yankees 12-2!!) and visiting before heading back over the hills to Oregon and Auntie Violet. It was a short visit, but fun to at least see my sister before we headed on to the repair shop in Chehalis.
There are always flowers blooming at Sherry's, even this Spring when she's had a lot of frost. This lovely iris greeted us as we walked in --
We were too late for most of the peonies in Momma's garden, but this bush was providing both color for us and nectar for the bees --
The last of the alliums were blooming by the front door --
There was a flock of American goldfinches eating from the feeders --
I tried to count them, got as high as fourteen, but they were moving around so much, I really don't know how many there were!
This is Keiko San, Sherry's youngest mastiff. He's still got another 80-90 pounds to go during the next tear or so. He's been to his first dog shows this Spring and so far has won Best in Breed at every one...
After lunch, it was nap-time for the dogs. Here are three of them sprawled on their beds in the living room. (There's one more yet behind me!)
The mastiffs truly are gentle giants. The older three were content to lie in the sun while we sat outside in the sun and talked. Of course, Keiko had to keep busy playing soccer with his bowling balls. The dog show judges were impressed by his musculature -- they should see him chasing the balls around the farmyard!
We spent the afternoon listening to the Mariners game (they beat the Yankees 12-2!!) and visiting before heading back over the hills to Oregon and Auntie Violet. It was a short visit, but fun to at least see my sister before we headed on to the repair shop in Chehalis.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Another Great Day!
It was another lovely day. We met Tina, Delcherie and Kaili at their church, Light of Life Mennonite, this morning. It had been a couple of years since we had been there, but the Pastor recognized us and made us welcome. This time, in contrast to the first time we were here, a portion of the service was in Navajo, both scripture and song.
Four of the congregants started with Jesus Loves Me in Navajo, then sang another hymn. Trying to follow along in their phonetic song book was most difficult. There is an incredible amount of linguistic annotations to each letter and syllable. It's a soft language with lots of complex tones that is beautiful to listen to.
We arrived home just in time to see the last inning of the Mariners game. After being solidly beaten the last two games, Toronto got their revenge today. It probably was just as well we weren't here to watch.
A long nap was in the offing in the afternoon for both of us. Afterwards Forry went ahead and got the black and gray tanks emptied in preparation for our journey tomorrow. I've made reservations for the OK RV Park in Moab, Utah, so we'll sleep in another state tomorrow night.
Four of the congregants started with Jesus Loves Me in Navajo, then sang another hymn. Trying to follow along in their phonetic song book was most difficult. There is an incredible amount of linguistic annotations to each letter and syllable. It's a soft language with lots of complex tones that is beautiful to listen to.
We arrived home just in time to see the last inning of the Mariners game. After being solidly beaten the last two games, Toronto got their revenge today. It probably was just as well we weren't here to watch.
A long nap was in the offing in the afternoon for both of us. Afterwards Forry went ahead and got the black and gray tanks emptied in preparation for our journey tomorrow. I've made reservations for the OK RV Park in Moab, Utah, so we'll sleep in another state tomorrow night.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
We're Getting There...
We just kept plugging away at it today and we got a great deal of the packing done. Forry pulled the bags for the lounge chairs and his bicycle out of the basement bays. I folded the chairs up and got them put into the bags. Mine goes in easily, but Forry's is just enough bigger (taller) that it just barely fits -- you have to hold your mouth just right.
While I was working on the chairs, Forry was checking the water levels in the battery bank --
Dern! There's my hand mirror! (Of course, when I can't find it, no one will claim having used it...)
By the time we finished up these tasks, it was getting awfully warm outside, so we retreated back inside the coach. I went to work on the computer desk, getting a whole lot of neglected filing done. I got the paperwork filled out for the mail-in rebate on the new Verizon JetPack (which, by the way, seems to be working very well).
I even got some of the kitchen stuff taken care of, including rearranging a drawer so that my new larger toaster would fit. We managed to watch the Mariner's game (a very nice win!) and the last part of the bull riding.
When the sun set and it cooled off a bit, we went back outside and loaded the car. My trike folds up and goes in first, then the lounge chairs and the two folding chairs and the little table. Our iron road-runner fits in a corner along with the globe light. I'll wait until morning to load the "gossips" and their stand along with the front door step-stool, when I can see where I sticking them in.
We folded Forry's bike up and fit it into its storage bag. We'll put the carrier on the rear of Toad II in the morning and put the bike on and tie it down. The recycling bin was taken across the street for tomorrow's pickup. We've garbage to take out in the morning, tanks to drain and a tire to air. Looks like we are actually getting there.
While I was working on the chairs, Forry was checking the water levels in the battery bank --
Dern! There's my hand mirror! (Of course, when I can't find it, no one will claim having used it...)
By the time we finished up these tasks, it was getting awfully warm outside, so we retreated back inside the coach. I went to work on the computer desk, getting a whole lot of neglected filing done. I got the paperwork filled out for the mail-in rebate on the new Verizon JetPack (which, by the way, seems to be working very well).
I even got some of the kitchen stuff taken care of, including rearranging a drawer so that my new larger toaster would fit. We managed to watch the Mariner's game (a very nice win!) and the last part of the bull riding.
When the sun set and it cooled off a bit, we went back outside and loaded the car. My trike folds up and goes in first, then the lounge chairs and the two folding chairs and the little table. Our iron road-runner fits in a corner along with the globe light. I'll wait until morning to load the "gossips" and their stand along with the front door step-stool, when I can see where I sticking them in.
We folded Forry's bike up and fit it into its storage bag. We'll put the carrier on the rear of Toad II in the morning and put the bike on and tie it down. The recycling bin was taken across the street for tomorrow's pickup. We've garbage to take out in the morning, tanks to drain and a tire to air. Looks like we are actually getting there.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
No Wind Today....
After yesterday's ugly winds, it was nice to be without them today. We got a pretty good rain last night -- enough that there was a puddle on the patio. But that didn't do anything to get rid of all the lovely dust inside the RV. It was a lot cooler today after the storm had moved through. It didn't get much above the mid-seventies. Nice!
I had a note from a friend in Yuma about how much damage the wind had done at the RV park where they were staying. He had lost the roof off of his Arizona room and there were over fifteen Park Model who had roof damage.
Forry is doing a lot of thinking about how he is going to install the new toilet he bought at Camping World. He made another trip to Lowes this afternoon and thinks he now has everything he's going to need to get the job done. Tomorrow should tell the story.
I'm not sure what was going on in Seattle tonight, but that Mariners game was a disaster. Even though the Mariners came back with several home runs in the ninth inning, it was still a nasty loss.
I had a note from a friend in Yuma about how much damage the wind had done at the RV park where they were staying. He had lost the roof off of his Arizona room and there were over fifteen Park Model who had roof damage.
Forry is doing a lot of thinking about how he is going to install the new toilet he bought at Camping World. He made another trip to Lowes this afternoon and thinks he now has everything he's going to need to get the job done. Tomorrow should tell the story.
I'm not sure what was going on in Seattle tonight, but that Mariners game was a disaster. Even though the Mariners came back with several home runs in the ninth inning, it was still a nasty loss.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
It's Baseball Season!
Two games in and so far the Mariners are doing well. Then they started off tonight's game in Oakland with TWO home runs in the first inning! The first one from the lead-off batter Gutierrez...
I had picked up some Mariner's Spring Training shirts for some of my great-nephews and great-niece. This afternoon I got this neat picture from Niece Becky of her son Case and his new shirt. I get such a kick out of this age when you get those wonderful cheesy grins when you try to take a picture.
I have spent most of the day off and on, getting stuff organized for my trip to Kansas City in the morning. After a thorough search, we finally decided that we had left our two suitcases in the storage shed at the ranch... So I am packing everything in my Laural Burch bag, which is fine except it does not have wheels. I'll only be gone for two nights, so it shouldn't be too heavy.
The cheapest flight from Phoenix to KC is on Southwest Airlines, almost by half. I really dislike flying SW, but since my way is being paid... ;-(
We wondering what the traffic will be like in the morning. My flight leaves at 7:55 and we've been trying to figure what time we have to leave here. It's a good thirty plus miles to the airport, so you know it's going to be an early morning.
Friday, March 22, 2013
NO More Night Games!
We traded our tickets from the cancelled (lightning and rain) game last week for ones tonight when the Mariners played the Chicago Cubs. Most of the home games this week were at night, so there wasn't a lot of choice. Our seats were in the box seats above home plate. But you really don't get very good pictures from there as there is that protective screen in front of you...
The game was at 7:05. We left Auntie Violet at 5 PM. I had suggested that we should leave at 4 PM, but Forry thought two hours was plenty of time (it's usually an hour's drive to the ball park in Peoria), We got there about 7:15, three players into the first inning!
Afternoon traffic is horrendous -- and of course, there was a 3-4 vehicle collision in the middle of it all. Most of the time we did well to make 20 miles per hour.
The game was at 7:05. We left Auntie Violet at 5 PM. I had suggested that we should leave at 4 PM, but Forry thought two hours was plenty of time (it's usually an hour's drive to the ball park in Peoria), We got there about 7:15, three players into the first inning!
Afternoon traffic is horrendous -- and of course, there was a 3-4 vehicle collision in the middle of it all. Most of the time we did well to make 20 miles per hour.
Then the Cubs beat the Mariners 6-4, though Justin Smoak did have a home run. We got home at 11:30...
At least Gonzaga won their game today, although that one was pretty scary too!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Cincinnati Reds Fall to Mariners...
What a contrast to the game we went to last week! Instead of dark clouds, rain, thunder and lightning (resulting in a cancelled game), we had 91 degree weather and sunshine! Today the Mariners were playing the Cincinnati Reds at the Peoria Sports Complex. We had the same seats we had last week, up in the 302 section of Club Seats.
It was an interesting game. The Reds were pretty tough on Joe Saunders, the Mariners starting pitcher, getting 7 runs on him in the first 3 2/3 innings. Then Michael Morse got hot. He had back to back home runs in the 4th and 5th innings. Here he is coming home in the 5th inning after driving in Morales and Wells --
During the break after the 5th inning, many of the veteran players of the 2013 squad were pulled from the game and several of the youngsters came in. One we have been watching for is Mike Zunino. He was this year's Number One Draft Pick. He's a catcher and was the MVP in the College World Series games.Though all the scuttlebutt says he'll be playing in the Minors this year, he was invited to attend Spring Training. This picture was taken just as he had hit the home-run that won the game for the Mariners. Final score 8-7!
By the time we walked back to our car and got out of the ball park, we were just in time for the 5 PM "going home" traffic. It's a good thing we had eaten brats at the game, as it took us almost two hours to get back to Auntie Violet. The driver had made a stop for soft ice cream cones, so I didn't even have to worry about dessert when we got home.
It was an interesting game. The Reds were pretty tough on Joe Saunders, the Mariners starting pitcher, getting 7 runs on him in the first 3 2/3 innings. Then Michael Morse got hot. He had back to back home runs in the 4th and 5th innings. Here he is coming home in the 5th inning after driving in Morales and Wells --
During the break after the 5th inning, many of the veteran players of the 2013 squad were pulled from the game and several of the youngsters came in. One we have been watching for is Mike Zunino. He was this year's Number One Draft Pick. He's a catcher and was the MVP in the College World Series games.Though all the scuttlebutt says he'll be playing in the Minors this year, he was invited to attend Spring Training. This picture was taken just as he had hit the home-run that won the game for the Mariners. Final score 8-7!
By the time we walked back to our car and got out of the ball park, we were just in time for the 5 PM "going home" traffic. It's a good thing we had eaten brats at the game, as it took us almost two hours to get back to Auntie Violet. The driver had made a stop for soft ice cream cones, so I didn't even have to worry about dessert when we got home.
Friday, February 22, 2013
TGIF! -- Really?
Once again, the week has wound itself around to Friday. Though for retired folks, it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference. In fact, many times we don't even know for sure what day of the week it is. The only day we really keep track of is Sunday.
I spent a good share of the day doing laundry. My little Splendide washer/dryer did a week's worth of clothes in three loads. Once again, Auntie Violet looks like a laundry. I only run the dryer for about twenty minutes, then hang the clothes up to finish drying. That way I don't usually have to iron anything.
Towards late afternoon we made a trip to Lowes to look for a slightly bigger pot to transplant the little miniature rose bush Forry gave me for my birthday into. We found a nice pottery pot and bought the smallest bag of potting soil we could find. It's still way more than we need...
We had a nice sunshiny day today, but it is still a bit on the chilly side. The Mariners played the Padres this afternoon for the first day of Cactus League play. Unfortunately, they didn't this first game -- I'm not sure that's a good omen or a bad one. Some of the sports writers seem to think it's like dress rehearsal for a play -- that a bad rehearsal means a great Opening Night. Let's hope they are right!
I spent a good share of the day doing laundry. My little Splendide washer/dryer did a week's worth of clothes in three loads. Once again, Auntie Violet looks like a laundry. I only run the dryer for about twenty minutes, then hang the clothes up to finish drying. That way I don't usually have to iron anything.
Towards late afternoon we made a trip to Lowes to look for a slightly bigger pot to transplant the little miniature rose bush Forry gave me for my birthday into. We found a nice pottery pot and bought the smallest bag of potting soil we could find. It's still way more than we need...
We had a nice sunshiny day today, but it is still a bit on the chilly side. The Mariners played the Padres this afternoon for the first day of Cactus League play. Unfortunately, they didn't this first game -- I'm not sure that's a good omen or a bad one. Some of the sports writers seem to think it's like dress rehearsal for a play -- that a bad rehearsal means a great Opening Night. Let's hope they are right!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
A Chilly Chili Thursday
We could hear melting snow dripping off of Auntie Violet's roof most of the night last night. This morning there was no trace of last night's snow. But it was chilly, very chilly. There were clouds of various shapes and colors floating around all day. Some of them were dark and looked like rain, but we didn't get anymore of that today either.
I read in this morning's Arizona Republic that last night's snow was the first measurable snow in Phoenix/Mesa since 1990! Evidently skiffs of snow are not that unusual, but it's been a lot of years since there has been enough to actually measure.
The Mariners actually were able to practice outside today. Their Facebook page had pictures of them doing their exercises on the field under some ominous looking clouds. Tomorrow is Opening Day for the Cactus League Spring Training games. Hopefully, it will warm up enough next week for us to go and enjoy some games.
Our friend Juni stopped by with a container of chili for our dinner tonight. She's doing a very good job of spoiling us! Tom said they thought it was pretty bland and not at all spicy, but it did have a bit of a bite to it. It was very good with soda crackers.
I read in this morning's Arizona Republic that last night's snow was the first measurable snow in Phoenix/Mesa since 1990! Evidently skiffs of snow are not that unusual, but it's been a lot of years since there has been enough to actually measure.
The Mariners actually were able to practice outside today. Their Facebook page had pictures of them doing their exercises on the field under some ominous looking clouds. Tomorrow is Opening Day for the Cactus League Spring Training games. Hopefully, it will warm up enough next week for us to go and enjoy some games.
Our friend Juni stopped by with a container of chili for our dinner tonight. She's doing a very good job of spoiling us! Tom said they thought it was pretty bland and not at all spicy, but it did have a bit of a bite to it. It was very good with soda crackers.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Crazy Weather -- SNOW!!!
They predicted rain for this morning, and for once, the weather forecaster was right on. It started to rain just as we were eating breakfast and it just poured! The water was running down the street just like a miniature river. It's sort of funny in a way. This is the desert, but it actually gets more rainfall (>10 inches per year) then we do at our ranch in eastern Washington where we average 7-9 inches per year.
We spent most of the day in the RV where it was warm and dry. I worked on the books and played a few games of Words With Friends, while Forry worked on his Sudoku puzzles. We had gotten in contact with our friends Colleen and Dennis who are midway through their stint of vending at the Arabian Horse Show and planned to meet them about 7 PM at Waldo's BBQ.
When I started to go out the door of the RV, something looked very strange when I looked out at the lawn chairs --
The last set of clouds that had come through dumped snow!
It actually left about a half inch of the slushy stuff on the windshield...
This is NOT right! It's supposed to be warm here with sunshine!
Even the Mariners had to practice inside today. ;-(
We spent most of the day in the RV where it was warm and dry. I worked on the books and played a few games of Words With Friends, while Forry worked on his Sudoku puzzles. We had gotten in contact with our friends Colleen and Dennis who are midway through their stint of vending at the Arabian Horse Show and planned to meet them about 7 PM at Waldo's BBQ.
When I started to go out the door of the RV, something looked very strange when I looked out at the lawn chairs --
The last set of clouds that had come through dumped snow!
It actually left about a half inch of the slushy stuff on the windshield...
This is NOT right! It's supposed to be warm here with sunshine!
Even the Mariners had to practice inside today. ;-(
Friday, February 15, 2013
Registrations
I've spent part of today on the computer getting registered for the Mennonite Church USA convention which will be in Phoenix the first week in July. Once you go through the registration process, you get to go the the housing portion of the web-site and get your hotel reservations.
It actually is a pretty efficient process, but I was not able to get the reservation I needed. I emailed the folks at the Conference office and got a suggestion of how to change the request. After playing around with dates and room requests, I was able to get the room reservation we needed. I really appreciate having the kind of folks in the office who are so helpful!
We made a quick Costco run this morning and for the first time ever that I can remember, we actually got out of a Costco with a bill that was only two figures! Of course, the fact that they were out of Starbucks K-cups probably helped!
It's finally gotten warm in Mesa again. I think it was in the high seventies today with beautiful sunshine. Today was the third day of Spring Training in Peoria for the Mariners. Maybe they brought the nice weather with them?
It actually is a pretty efficient process, but I was not able to get the reservation I needed. I emailed the folks at the Conference office and got a suggestion of how to change the request. After playing around with dates and room requests, I was able to get the room reservation we needed. I really appreciate having the kind of folks in the office who are so helpful!
We made a quick Costco run this morning and for the first time ever that I can remember, we actually got out of a Costco with a bill that was only two figures! Of course, the fact that they were out of Starbucks K-cups probably helped!
It's finally gotten warm in Mesa again. I think it was in the high seventies today with beautiful sunshine. Today was the third day of Spring Training in Peoria for the Mariners. Maybe they brought the nice weather with them?
Friday, September 14, 2012
Baseball and Football and Bull Riding, Oh My!
It's one of those evenings on TV! The Mariners are playing in Texas with the game starting at 6 PM our time on ROOT Sports. The WSU Cougars are playing in Nevada against UNLV with the game starting at 6 PM on ESPN. And the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) are in Springfield, Missouri this weekend with the CBS Sports Network broadcasting the first night's riding at 7 PM.
As much as I dislike Forry's channel-surfing, this is one of those nights I have to admit I'm glad for it. We aren't supposed to covet, but it would be nice to have the kind of TV my Brother Pat has that allows you to have a second small channel showing in the corner of the screen.
It's been another quiet day. Forry did drive over to the nearby Freightliner dealer to make an appointment for an oil change for Auntie Violet on the day we're scheduled to leave Ponderosa Falls. We had tried to get it done the last time we were here, but they were booked solid.
After the couple of chilly nights we had earlier in the week, it has definitely warmed up again. However, we are seeing many RVers starting to make their way south. There's been a lot more turnover here at the park with several rigs only spending the night.
As much as I dislike Forry's channel-surfing, this is one of those nights I have to admit I'm glad for it. We aren't supposed to covet, but it would be nice to have the kind of TV my Brother Pat has that allows you to have a second small channel showing in the corner of the screen.
It's been another quiet day. Forry did drive over to the nearby Freightliner dealer to make an appointment for an oil change for Auntie Violet on the day we're scheduled to leave Ponderosa Falls. We had tried to get it done the last time we were here, but they were booked solid.
After the couple of chilly nights we had earlier in the week, it has definitely warmed up again. However, we are seeing many RVers starting to make their way south. There's been a lot more turnover here at the park with several rigs only spending the night.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
If It's Wednesday...
If it's Wednesday, it's time for another physician appointment. The older we get, the longer it seems to take to get everything checked out.
The Mariners are in Canada this week playing the Toronto Blue Jays. They won yesterday by one point, and today they did it again. They've been fun to watch the last few weeks as many of the young players we first saw in Arizona Spring Training more than a year ago are beginning to show their stuff.
I do like watching their east coast games a great deal more when we are in the west. We get to watch them at four in the afternoon rather than staying up to watch a game on the west coast while we were on the east coast that didn't start until ten at night eastern time. (Nothing like a convoluted run-on sentence...) In the afternoons, there's nothing else on that Forry wants to watch, so there's no constant channel-switching!
We've been watching some of the pilots for this fall's new shows. Nothing can make you feel quite as old as watching a show about something that wasn't even a topic discussed in mixed company twenty years ago, let alone in public!
The Mariners are in Canada this week playing the Toronto Blue Jays. They won yesterday by one point, and today they did it again. They've been fun to watch the last few weeks as many of the young players we first saw in Arizona Spring Training more than a year ago are beginning to show their stuff.
I do like watching their east coast games a great deal more when we are in the west. We get to watch them at four in the afternoon rather than staying up to watch a game on the west coast while we were on the east coast that didn't start until ten at night eastern time. (Nothing like a convoluted run-on sentence...) In the afternoons, there's nothing else on that Forry wants to watch, so there's no constant channel-switching!
We've been watching some of the pilots for this fall's new shows. Nothing can make you feel quite as old as watching a show about something that wasn't even a topic discussed in mixed company twenty years ago, let alone in public!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Elkhart, Indiana -- 101 Degrees!
Oh, what a miserably hot day! We thought it was going to be cool and rainy -- a good traveling day as it was overcast this morning with an occasional drop of rain.
But, by the time we had everything packed up and put away and had the tanks dumped, the sky had cleared and it was beginning to get hot.We drove most of the way on Interstate 80/90 which is again a toll road in Ohio. ($14.75 to the Ohio Turnpike Commission) The corn and soybean fields were still quite green in Ohio, but the further west we drove, the more stressed they looked. Some of them really look dried out already...
I hope the price we paid for diesel today isn't an indication of what's going to be happening more as we go west. We paid $3.959 a gallon today in Indiana; a full fifty cents more than we paid in New York just a week ago! And that's with the eight cents per gallon Pilot discount...
We drove back into Elkhart Campground (we were here last October) about 3:30 this afternoon. I debated whether to pay the extra $3 for a 50 amp site, but since we've been staying at 30 amp places the last couple of weeks, I decided to go ahead and splurge for the 50 amp. We're on the south side of the campground in a pull-through site. By the time I got the electric and water hooked up and Forry got the jack pads down, we were dripping wet. The thermometer read 101 degrees!
Thank goodness for 50 amps. We turned on BOTH air conditioners and just collapsed for a half hour or so. It's 10 PM and it's still 88 degrees outside.
We turned on the TV to watch the Mariners game a few minutes ago only to hear that Ichiro has been traded to the Yankees today! He's wearing a Yankee uniform for the game tonight!!! ;-(
But, by the time we had everything packed up and put away and had the tanks dumped, the sky had cleared and it was beginning to get hot.We drove most of the way on Interstate 80/90 which is again a toll road in Ohio. ($14.75 to the Ohio Turnpike Commission) The corn and soybean fields were still quite green in Ohio, but the further west we drove, the more stressed they looked. Some of them really look dried out already...
I hope the price we paid for diesel today isn't an indication of what's going to be happening more as we go west. We paid $3.959 a gallon today in Indiana; a full fifty cents more than we paid in New York just a week ago! And that's with the eight cents per gallon Pilot discount...
We drove back into Elkhart Campground (we were here last October) about 3:30 this afternoon. I debated whether to pay the extra $3 for a 50 amp site, but since we've been staying at 30 amp places the last couple of weeks, I decided to go ahead and splurge for the 50 amp. We're on the south side of the campground in a pull-through site. By the time I got the electric and water hooked up and Forry got the jack pads down, we were dripping wet. The thermometer read 101 degrees!
Thank goodness for 50 amps. We turned on BOTH air conditioners and just collapsed for a half hour or so. It's 10 PM and it's still 88 degrees outside.
We turned on the TV to watch the Mariners game a few minutes ago only to hear that Ichiro has been traded to the Yankees today! He's wearing a Yankee uniform for the game tonight!!! ;-(
Friday, July 13, 2012
A Recovery Day
I was thinking today about the first trip we took across the US in our RV almost six years ago. We were supposed to report to our Mennonite Disaster Service work site in Louisiana the first of October. Because our church hosts the Washington State MCC sale, the Mennonite Country Auction, the first weekend in October, we made arrangements with MDS to leave right after the sale.
We drove pretty much straight through from Washington State, stopping at rest areas for four to five hours of sleep and an occasional hour's nap, then continuing on. I think we made it to the Diamond, Louisiana work site in just three days. I cannot even imagine trying to do that now!
Nowadays, a three hour drive is about all we like to do. That means we leave late enough in the morning to avoid the morning rush hour traffic and make it to our new site before the evening rush hour. It means we get set-up when it's still daylight and have a bit of time to relax before supper.
Then we usually use the next day as a recovery day, staying at home in Auntie Violet and just taking life easy. (Which for Forry means a couple of naps in his recliner and plenty of time with his Sudoku...) I may or may not catch up on the laundry, but I usually spend most of the day reading or knitting. If we're planning to go sight-seeing in an area, we usually plan that for the next day.
Neither Forry nor I are morning people, so this kind of schedule suits our retired life-style. Because we have been on the East Coast with the three hour time difference, we often end up watching Mariner's home Seattle Safeco Field baseball games starting at 10 PM at night. Depending how long the games last -- and whether they go to extra innings -- we may not get to bed before midnight or later.
Today was one of those recovery days.
We drove pretty much straight through from Washington State, stopping at rest areas for four to five hours of sleep and an occasional hour's nap, then continuing on. I think we made it to the Diamond, Louisiana work site in just three days. I cannot even imagine trying to do that now!
Nowadays, a three hour drive is about all we like to do. That means we leave late enough in the morning to avoid the morning rush hour traffic and make it to our new site before the evening rush hour. It means we get set-up when it's still daylight and have a bit of time to relax before supper.
Then we usually use the next day as a recovery day, staying at home in Auntie Violet and just taking life easy. (Which for Forry means a couple of naps in his recliner and plenty of time with his Sudoku...) I may or may not catch up on the laundry, but I usually spend most of the day reading or knitting. If we're planning to go sight-seeing in an area, we usually plan that for the next day.
Neither Forry nor I are morning people, so this kind of schedule suits our retired life-style. Because we have been on the East Coast with the three hour time difference, we often end up watching Mariner's home Seattle Safeco Field baseball games starting at 10 PM at night. Depending how long the games last -- and whether they go to extra innings -- we may not get to bed before midnight or later.
Today was one of those recovery days.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Travelin' Time
Today we reached the goal we started for last October! We were heading north to enjoy the Fall in Maine, when that early nor'easter storm struck with six-plus inches of snow throughout New England. We made a quick decision to head for Florida instead and save our journey to Maine for Spring.
We got sort of a sick chuckle today out of traveling on Interstate 90 which starts way back in our home state of Washington. But, here on the East Cost, it's a Toll Road!
We actually drove through four states today. We started out from the Sturbridge RV Campground in Massachusetts this morning, then drove through portions of New York and Rhode Island on our way to Maine.
I had commented to someone a couple of weeks ago that I was feeling a bit hemmed in by all of the trees and the lack of scenery other than trees as we drove. The person commented back, "Just wait until you get to Maine!" So true!
We are at the Augusta/Gardiner KOA Kempground near Richmond, Maine. When I made the reservation on-line, I asked if they might have a site where our satellite could see the southern sky so that we could watch the Mariners games? And by golly, in the midst of a VERY treed kampground, they managed it!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
A Rainy Saturday
We thought seriously about making our pilgrimage to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown today, but decided we were better off waiting until Monday. Given that was a rainy Saturday, the odds were fairly good that anyone in the area cooped up with energetic kids would probably think it was a good alternative for them as well. So we decided to wait.
We were out of both milk for Forry's cereal (he just doesn't like to use my Greek yogurt, even though I keep offering to share with him...) and orange juice, so we decided we'd find a grocery store. And besides, I was too shook up yesterday helping to get us out of there, to get a picture of that darn overpass!
Today I very carefully looked for signs on both sides of Depot Road (and also where we turned on to it) to see if there was any warning anywhere of what was coming up --
This was the ONLY sign! And you can see where it is placed!
As we were driving find the milk, we went down another road that had a 10.0 foot overpass! And it had no warning signs either! I'm really surprised that these counties in New York haven't been sued.
This is the entrance to Frosty Acres RV and Camping Resort. Like everything else we've seen in this humid country, anything iron seems to immediately rust --
The entrance to Frosty Acres is up a pretty steep hill on a one-lane narrow road. I drove up ahead of Auntie Violet yesterday, then blocked the top to make sure no one started down while she was coming up -- we didn't need any more excitement!
We are parked in the open area of the park. There is this open grassy area and then lots of sites that are under the trees. Like the last couple of campgrounds we have been at, the grass is supersaturated and VERY soggy from all of the rain lately. We have good satellite access, so we were able to watch the Mariners last night with their record-tying No Hitter Shut Out game using six different pitchers, beating the Dodgers 1-0.
The little grocery we stopped at had a bakery case filled with local goodies. I brought home a couple of these Red Velvet Yogurt Cupcakes. Paired with a cup of tea, they made a wonderful rainy afternoon treat.
We were out of both milk for Forry's cereal (he just doesn't like to use my Greek yogurt, even though I keep offering to share with him...) and orange juice, so we decided we'd find a grocery store. And besides, I was too shook up yesterday helping to get us out of there, to get a picture of that darn overpass!
Today I very carefully looked for signs on both sides of Depot Road (and also where we turned on to it) to see if there was any warning anywhere of what was coming up --
This was the ONLY sign! And you can see where it is placed!
As we were driving find the milk, we went down another road that had a 10.0 foot overpass! And it had no warning signs either! I'm really surprised that these counties in New York haven't been sued.
This is the entrance to Frosty Acres RV and Camping Resort. Like everything else we've seen in this humid country, anything iron seems to immediately rust --
The entrance to Frosty Acres is up a pretty steep hill on a one-lane narrow road. I drove up ahead of Auntie Violet yesterday, then blocked the top to make sure no one started down while she was coming up -- we didn't need any more excitement!
We are parked in the open area of the park. There is this open grassy area and then lots of sites that are under the trees. Like the last couple of campgrounds we have been at, the grass is supersaturated and VERY soggy from all of the rain lately. We have good satellite access, so we were able to watch the Mariners last night with their record-tying No Hitter Shut Out game using six different pitchers, beating the Dodgers 1-0.
The little grocery we stopped at had a bakery case filled with local goodies. I brought home a couple of these Red Velvet Yogurt Cupcakes. Paired with a cup of tea, they made a wonderful rainy afternoon treat.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)