I think we were all extremely tired this morning. None of us were awake before eleven! I had gone to bed early - for me - last night, so I guess I slept around the clock. It was an absolutely gorgeous sunny, hot day. We had pulled the awning in yesterday due to the wind, so the living room was quite warm this morning when we finally got up.
I took my cup of coffee and went outside with the newspaper while Forry and Granddaughter Havela got their own breakfasts. Forry even brought me out a breakfast sandwich (I didn't think I was that cranky, but I didn't turn it down...). Havela came out and sat with me for a while and worked on her homework. We were watching the hummingbirds coming into eat, then spotted a roadrunner on the other side of the fence. It had a big bug in its mouth. I wonder if it was taking it down to the roadrunner we've been watching in her cactus nest down the line?
Later this afternoon, Havela and I went over to the pool and swam and sun-bathed for a while. There was a pretty steady parade of people in and out of the pool. Most of them would lie on the lounges for a short while, then head out. The sun was just too intense for many of them.
Tonight was t-bone steaks for my granddaughter. She just loves them. I had to chat with the butcher at Safeway in order to get a couple -- they just don't put out bone-in steaks much anymore. Some baked potatoes and peas made for a feast.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
PBR in Phoenix!
The Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series was in Phoenix at the US Airways Center downtown. I had gotten tickets for Forry and I last month, so when we found out Granddaughter Havela was going to be here, I went online and got another ticket. The closest I could get for the new ticket was two rows away in Row 8, so we let Forry sit there and Havela and I sat in Row 10.
We had really good tickets, not that far away from the chutes. Except for the guy in front of us with the big black hat that he never took off, we had a good view of the action.
It was a fun-filled afternoon of bull-riding. It was especially so when we got to see the 2013 PBR Champion JB Mauney win! I had printed off a copy of the Day Sheet from the PBR website this morning, so Havela was giving me a bad time about keeping statistics again. But, just like at the ball games, after a while the fellow next to us kept borrowing my sheet so that he could see what the scoring was!
It was sort of fun to come home and watch the Bull Riding in Phoenix on TV. You get an entirely different perspective than you do at the arena. It's interesting to compare how they edit the finals so that the riders come right one after the other. In actuality, the time span is longer and the clown entertains the crowd in between.
We had really good tickets, not that far away from the chutes. Except for the guy in front of us with the big black hat that he never took off, we had a good view of the action.
It was a fun-filled afternoon of bull-riding. It was especially so when we got to see the 2013 PBR Champion JB Mauney win! I had printed off a copy of the Day Sheet from the PBR website this morning, so Havela was giving me a bad time about keeping statistics again. But, just like at the ball games, after a while the fellow next to us kept borrowing my sheet so that he could see what the scoring was!
It was sort of fun to come home and watch the Bull Riding in Phoenix on TV. You get an entirely different perspective than you do at the arena. It's interesting to compare how they edit the finals so that the riders come right one after the other. In actuality, the time span is longer and the clown entertains the crowd in between.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Scottsdale Stadium -- and the Airport!
Scottsdale Stadium is the home of the San Francisco Giants. Located right in the midst of downtown Scottsdale (close to Old Town), the stadium has a very intimate feel. I could not get any tickets other than in the bleachers a month ahead of time. There was actually a sell-out crowd today of more than 12,000. We went early to make sure we could park close, but there is no stadium parking for the public. Instead you are directed to a free public parking garage about two blocks away.
The only seats we were able to get at this stadium were in the bleachers (they have a very loyal season ticket holder base), but at least they were up on top where we at least lean on the back fence... This is what it looked like when we arrived, but the empty seats didn't last long...
The stadium was packed, but I think a good part of the crowd -- at least where we were sitting -- was there to party, not to watch the game. There was a group of fourteen guys a couple rows ahead of us, all in matching green shirts. Turns out they were part of a Bachelor Party and had flown into Phoenix for the weekend from New York!
These next two pictures are of the grassy areas (the cheap seats, comparatively anyway) that were packed solid with people sitting on the grass.
The San Francisco Giants were not real happy -- the game turned out to be a blow-out win by the Mariners 16-3. And most of the Mariners were our second squad!
We had to leave the game at the end of the 8th inning in order to get over to the airport by 4:30. It turned out that Granddaughter Havela's plane arrived a bit early (they had a tail-wind from Minneapolis.) and she was on her way downstairs when we got there. She was hungry, so we headed over to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Tia Rosa's for dinner.
The only seats we were able to get at this stadium were in the bleachers (they have a very loyal season ticket holder base), but at least they were up on top where we at least lean on the back fence... This is what it looked like when we arrived, but the empty seats didn't last long...
The stadium was packed, but I think a good part of the crowd -- at least where we were sitting -- was there to party, not to watch the game. There was a group of fourteen guys a couple rows ahead of us, all in matching green shirts. Turns out they were part of a Bachelor Party and had flown into Phoenix for the weekend from New York!
These next two pictures are of the grassy areas (the cheap seats, comparatively anyway) that were packed solid with people sitting on the grass.
The San Francisco Giants were not real happy -- the game turned out to be a blow-out win by the Mariners 16-3. And most of the Mariners were our second squad!
We had to leave the game at the end of the 8th inning in order to get over to the airport by 4:30. It turned out that Granddaughter Havela's plane arrived a bit early (they had a tail-wind from Minneapolis.) and she was on her way downstairs when we got there. She was hungry, so we headed over to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Tia Rosa's for dinner.
We were appalled to find out when we got there that they had had a fire last Sunday and were closed "for investigation." We ended up going to their second restaurant over in Gilbert. We had almost an hour wait, but the food was great.
Friday, March 7, 2014
A Very Busy Day
I didn't realize it until I sat down this evening to write that I hadn't left the motor home all day! I wasn't moving too fast this morning as I hadn't slept real well. The long walk yesterday made for leg cramps during the night. But once I got going, I managed to get a lot done. I started in the bathroom. It's been a while since I cleaned off the counter. I don't know where all the stuff comes from that stacks up there. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that neither one of us is very good at putting things back when we get done using them?
From the bathroom I moved on to the kitchen. There is a counter next to stove that has our Keurig coffee maker and our Foreman grill. Neither one of them had been moved for a while. That's one of the problems with staying in one place rather than moving every other day or so. Things tend to stay put. I spent some time not only cleaning the counter, but since I had moved off the coffee maker and the grill in order to do it, it made sense to clean them as well.
Next it was the stove top. The gas burners weren't too bad as they tend to get wiped down on a pretty regular basis when I do the dishes. The other counter on the left of the sink has the dishwasher and a small space where the toaster and some of the canisters are. That section of the kitchen went fast. It was definitely time for feet up and a can of lemonade!
I did whine on Facebook about the broken promises of the fifties. I can remember all of the talk of the future at the Seattle World's Fair. How we would have robots by the Year 2000 that would do all of the cleaning for us. A couple of people reminded me that there are floor cleaning robots out there that guide themselves around. I'm not sure how well one of them would work in the confined space of the RV? But somebody still has to pick up and sort through and throw or put away. It really doesn't take too long to thoroughly clean Auntie Violet, but it's definitely not my favorite way to spend a day.
From the bathroom I moved on to the kitchen. There is a counter next to stove that has our Keurig coffee maker and our Foreman grill. Neither one of them had been moved for a while. That's one of the problems with staying in one place rather than moving every other day or so. Things tend to stay put. I spent some time not only cleaning the counter, but since I had moved off the coffee maker and the grill in order to do it, it made sense to clean them as well.
Next it was the stove top. The gas burners weren't too bad as they tend to get wiped down on a pretty regular basis when I do the dishes. The other counter on the left of the sink has the dishwasher and a small space where the toaster and some of the canisters are. That section of the kitchen went fast. It was definitely time for feet up and a can of lemonade!
I did whine on Facebook about the broken promises of the fifties. I can remember all of the talk of the future at the Seattle World's Fair. How we would have robots by the Year 2000 that would do all of the cleaning for us. A couple of people reminded me that there are floor cleaning robots out there that guide themselves around. I'm not sure how well one of them would work in the confined space of the RV? But somebody still has to pick up and sort through and throw or put away. It really doesn't take too long to thoroughly clean Auntie Violet, but it's definitely not my favorite way to spend a day.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Camelback Ranch Glendale Ballpark
It was another long drive today. The ballpark at Camelback Ranch in Glendale is as far west as the Goodyear Park we went to last Sunday, only further to the north. It is a beautiful park, but it has a shitty parking setup.
It may have been that the parking attendant who should have been at the entry had stepped away for some reason and put up a barricade at his entry, but we found out later we wouldn't have had to park as far away as we were sent. There is a parking area on the far side of the park, behind center field. We parked there and then had to walk all the way around the park from the Center Field Entrance. It's not a direct route either. The path takes you past the practice fields, the batting cages and the practice pitching mounds. It's sort of interesting, but it's a long walk!
Our seats were way across the field, just 8 rows behind the dugout on the first base side. Sweet!
The Mariners were playing the White Sox today with their second squad. They did a really nice job, ending up winning 6-4. It was a perfect day for baseball. 77 degrees at game time with a light overcast. I think this ballpark is the prettiest one we've been at so far.
I'm not sure what some people think. Or maybe they don't think at all! There was a woman sitting in front of us with her adult son and his girlfriend. The girlfriend's nose was running constantly and she kept tossing her soiled tissues on the ground. THEN, she commented to the woman that she had thought she had a cold, but went to an Urgent Care Center this morning and was given Tamiflu for her flu! She said she had taken a pill before the game, so she was sure she wasn't contagious...! If we get sick, I am going to be so MAD! We quickly moved to some empty seats across the aisle, but by the time she made her little confession, the game was half over.
We stopped by the shopping strip mall on our way home and ordered pizza at a place called New York First Night. We had thought we'd get salads to go with a small pizza, but the salads were huge! Neither one of us could finish them and we didn't eat all of the pizza either. Don't think we'll go there again.
It may have been that the parking attendant who should have been at the entry had stepped away for some reason and put up a barricade at his entry, but we found out later we wouldn't have had to park as far away as we were sent. There is a parking area on the far side of the park, behind center field. We parked there and then had to walk all the way around the park from the Center Field Entrance. It's not a direct route either. The path takes you past the practice fields, the batting cages and the practice pitching mounds. It's sort of interesting, but it's a long walk!
Our seats were way across the field, just 8 rows behind the dugout on the first base side. Sweet!
The Mariners were playing the White Sox today with their second squad. They did a really nice job, ending up winning 6-4. It was a perfect day for baseball. 77 degrees at game time with a light overcast. I think this ballpark is the prettiest one we've been at so far.
I'm not sure what some people think. Or maybe they don't think at all! There was a woman sitting in front of us with her adult son and his girlfriend. The girlfriend's nose was running constantly and she kept tossing her soiled tissues on the ground. THEN, she commented to the woman that she had thought she had a cold, but went to an Urgent Care Center this morning and was given Tamiflu for her flu! She said she had taken a pill before the game, so she was sure she wasn't contagious...! If we get sick, I am going to be so MAD! We quickly moved to some empty seats across the aisle, but by the time she made her little confession, the game was half over.
We stopped by the shopping strip mall on our way home and ordered pizza at a place called New York First Night. We had thought we'd get salads to go with a small pizza, but the salads were huge! Neither one of us could finish them and we didn't eat all of the pizza either. Don't think we'll go there again.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Stocking Up
Not sure what was going on this morning. I got up, walked out to the front room, laid down on the couch and slept for another two hours! Forry said he tip-toed around trying to keep from waking me up for an awfully long time...
But, once I was once again awake, I did get a few things done. The hummingbirds had drained all of the feeders, so they had to be scrubbed out and refilled. I started the laundry and hung three loads outside to dry. It's so nice when the first load is dry by the time the third one is done.
We headed into Fountain Hills in the late afternoon to stock up on groceries. I should have texted Granddaughter Havela before we left to find out what she was hungry for. I did buy her some Dr. Pepper, but I'm not sure whether she's the one who likes it or her mother is. I did stock up on Hershey bars for her.
We drove back to Eagle View, watching the sun set as we went.
But, darn! No one had showed up to put my groceries away for me...
But, once I was once again awake, I did get a few things done. The hummingbirds had drained all of the feeders, so they had to be scrubbed out and refilled. I started the laundry and hung three loads outside to dry. It's so nice when the first load is dry by the time the third one is done.
We headed into Fountain Hills in the late afternoon to stock up on groceries. I should have texted Granddaughter Havela before we left to find out what she was hungry for. I did buy her some Dr. Pepper, but I'm not sure whether she's the one who likes it or her mother is. I did stock up on Hershey bars for her.
We drove back to Eagle View, watching the sun set as we went.
But, darn! No one had showed up to put my groceries away for me...
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Cleaning Up
The sun was out today. The clouds were gone. We spent some time putting our "outdoor living space" back together. We had lowered the canopy to its lowest level and folded up the chairs, loungers and tables and laid them under the canopy. It actually weathered the storm and the rain pretty well. But there was a great deal of small debris on both of the rugs. We picked them both up and shook them out, then laid them back down. I still need to go out and wipe the dirt off the tables (there was a lot of dust in that first rain.)
I was not wanting to walk today, but Forry rode the trike over to the office to check for mail, so I figured I'd better get my exercise in as well. I walked the outside perimeter of the RV park going outside the fence along the road. When I got to the end, I decided I might as well walk on around to the back side by the river as well. I was not real impressed by the garbage on the north edge of the park. I don't know whether the rigs on that side of the park are especially tacky or whether the wind had blown trash outside.
The east side of the park is on the Verde River side of the park and is bounded by a split rail fence (unlike the metal rebar fence on the road side). It's a nice walk around that side, though it's very rough ground. It's quite evident that the Open Space horses and cows frequent that area. You really can't see the actual river. The water level is low and the river bed sprawls widely. The banks have been undercut over the years and there are caution warning signs all over. I saw quite a few birds. We will have a space on that side of the park next year. I think it's going to be nice.
I reached the far end of the fence and figured I could walk around the south side and then back to the RV via the road. But, evidently no one walks that way. The brush was way too thick and had so much cacti interspersed that it would have not been a great idea -- especially in shorts! So I walked back down the fence until I found a spot about halfway back that I could crawl through, then cut through the park to Auntie Violet.
I was not wanting to walk today, but Forry rode the trike over to the office to check for mail, so I figured I'd better get my exercise in as well. I walked the outside perimeter of the RV park going outside the fence along the road. When I got to the end, I decided I might as well walk on around to the back side by the river as well. I was not real impressed by the garbage on the north edge of the park. I don't know whether the rigs on that side of the park are especially tacky or whether the wind had blown trash outside.
The east side of the park is on the Verde River side of the park and is bounded by a split rail fence (unlike the metal rebar fence on the road side). It's a nice walk around that side, though it's very rough ground. It's quite evident that the Open Space horses and cows frequent that area. You really can't see the actual river. The water level is low and the river bed sprawls widely. The banks have been undercut over the years and there are caution warning signs all over. I saw quite a few birds. We will have a space on that side of the park next year. I think it's going to be nice.
I reached the far end of the fence and figured I could walk around the south side and then back to the RV via the road. But, evidently no one walks that way. The brush was way too thick and had so much cacti interspersed that it would have not been a great idea -- especially in shorts! So I walked back down the fence until I found a spot about halfway back that I could crawl through, then cut through the park to Auntie Violet.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Monday Again
It is amazing how quickly a week goes by. I think I've told it before how my Mother-in-law always talked about how every year the days, weeks and months went by faster and faster. I always chuckled when she said that. Now I know what she meant. She always wondered about that "old lady" she kept seeing in the mirror as well. I know now what she meant about that too.
Today was a rest-up down day. We were both tired after our busy day yesterday, but Forry seems to have gotten his second wind. He was up and out early taking the garbage out and draining the black and gray tanks. He even vacuumed this afternoon!,
On the other hand, I have a singular lack of ambition. The most I did today was take the response letter about the Menno Church addition proposal over to the office to be mailed. (After what seems like YEARS of talking, there are finally hard plans to add on an addition with a real kitchen and accessible restrooms.) I walked back through the desert area behind the office area and saw that the Roadrunner -- I presume the female -- was still firmly sitting in her nest in the saguaro. After all the rain and wind we've had the last few days, I was glad to see she was okay.
It seems strange to look around the RV park and see it almost full again. It emptied out like crazy on the 28th and the 1st. I think for a lot of snowbirds, the first of March was their time to head back north. I don't know though, it's still awfully cold up there! But, for some reason, there are lots of people moving in. I don't know whether they had been somewhere further south and are now gradually heading north or ?
Today was a rest-up down day. We were both tired after our busy day yesterday, but Forry seems to have gotten his second wind. He was up and out early taking the garbage out and draining the black and gray tanks. He even vacuumed this afternoon!,
On the other hand, I have a singular lack of ambition. The most I did today was take the response letter about the Menno Church addition proposal over to the office to be mailed. (After what seems like YEARS of talking, there are finally hard plans to add on an addition with a real kitchen and accessible restrooms.) I walked back through the desert area behind the office area and saw that the Roadrunner -- I presume the female -- was still firmly sitting in her nest in the saguaro. After all the rain and wind we've had the last few days, I was glad to see she was okay.
It seems strange to look around the RV park and see it almost full again. It emptied out like crazy on the 28th and the 1st. I think for a lot of snowbirds, the first of March was their time to head back north. I don't know though, it's still awfully cold up there! But, for some reason, there are lots of people moving in. I don't know whether they had been somewhere further south and are now gradually heading north or ?
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Goodyear Ballpark
It's a long way from Fort McDowell to Goodyear, Arizona. We figured it would take us two hours to go the 42 miles from our RV Park to the Mariners game at Goodyear Ballpark. As we got closer to the turn to Goodyear, we started to see all kinds of airplane tails sticking up in the distance. It is a VERY strange sight to see.
This is one of the airplane "boneyards" that we have all heard or read about. The Goodyear Airport is home to thousands of outdated aircraft that have been parked in the (usually) dry desert air to await either recall or use as parts or?
Within sight of the aircraft is the Goodyear Ballpark. Built only six years ago by the City of Goodyear, it is a gem in the desert. It is home to both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians.
I usually like to get tickets on the First Base side of the field, but there were no tickets available on that side (sold evidently to season tickets holders), so we ended up behind the third base dugout amongst a whole crew of Mariner fans.
It was still a bit damp from all the rain yesterday, especially for those folks sitting out on the grass beams. We were each given a nice fleece Spring Training blanket as we entered as the Park's Opening Day giveaways --
The rain had been pretty hard on the Ballpark's designs. A crew was still working on touching up the paint on the grass when we arrived (It hadn't taken nearly as long as we had thought.)
The first crew of the Mariners did well. Dustin Ackley hit a home run and they left with the score 3-0.
Unfortunately, the second crew couldn't hold on and the final score was 6-3 Indians. It was good to see Randy Wolf pitch 2 scoreless innings, his first after the successful TommyJohn surgery on his elbow.
We made it home in time to watch the last half of the Iron Man Bull Riding competition. It was a very good day!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
And Down Came the Rain!
Well, it didn't come last night when the forecasters said it would, but about 5 AM there was thunder and lightning and RAIN! It rained pretty steadily for about an hour. It's the first rain in this part of Arizona since December 20th! 70 days without rain! This is what it looked like outside of Auntie Violet when we got up --
It had been so windy and gusty last night that we went out in the dark and lowered the canopy to its lowest setting and folded up the chaise lounges and tables. We found the one chair that didn't get folded up over by the fence this morning.
It smells so fresh and clean outside. The rain has really settled the dust. Dark clouds kept moving through all day and by afternoon it had started to rain again. We've had several sessions of thunder and lightning off and on all day as the thunderclouds moved through.
There are a lot more puddles now then when we got up this morning. We have been getting warnings all day about areal (saturated ground) flooding in the area.
The Mariners got seven innings of their game in in Peoria today before the thunderstorms hit, but won their third Spring Training game. We have tickets for their game over in Goodyear tomorrow against the Cleveland Indians. I hope it'll be a nicer day than today!
It had been so windy and gusty last night that we went out in the dark and lowered the canopy to its lowest setting and folded up the chaise lounges and tables. We found the one chair that didn't get folded up over by the fence this morning.
It smells so fresh and clean outside. The rain has really settled the dust. Dark clouds kept moving through all day and by afternoon it had started to rain again. We've had several sessions of thunder and lightning off and on all day as the thunderclouds moved through.
There are a lot more puddles now then when we got up this morning. We have been getting warnings all day about areal (saturated ground) flooding in the area.
The Mariners got seven innings of their game in in Peoria today before the thunderstorms hit, but won their third Spring Training game. We have tickets for their game over in Goodyear tomorrow against the Cleveland Indians. I hope it'll be a nicer day than today!
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