Saturday March 3 Day 44

We tried to get up early to get on route home and eventually had everything ready to go.  We pulled out of the Elks RV lot @ 9:20 @ 50349 miles.  We were making good time, traffic was medium and then we got to Tacoma.  There is a lot of new road construction going on, even the GPS was confused as we finally found a sign to say we were on I 5 north while the GPS kept saying “recalculating”.  As we drove past the Tacoma Dome we knew we were on the right road and the GPS finally agreed.  But it was slow and 4 or 5 lanes of solid traffic.  They had overhead speed signs hanging over each lane & at one point there were 6, “30 MPH” signs.  When we finally got north of Tacoma it smoothed out again although traffic was still heavy, it moved OK.   My only problem was the curb lane kept going to an “exit only” lane & I’d have to try to move over.  Fortunately there is a lot of warning about these exit only lanes so I could always eventually move over with out running anyone off the road.  Although I did notice sometimes, that after having my signal on for a short while, I started to move over and the car in my side mirror suddenly braked or changed lanes. It pays to be big. We finally stopped at a rest area, the one just north of Tulalip Casino, (around exit 210 I think),  to have lunch.  Pulled in @ 12:35 @ 50516 miles and out again @ 1:45.  We pulled of in Ferndale at the last Flying J/Pilot station for our last gas fill. We pulled off the hwy at 2:40 PM @ 50571, back on Hwy @ 3:00.  The electronic sign close to the border said wait time for Blaine 45 minutes, Pacific Hwy 15 minutes.  Arrived at border line @ 3:15 and through & out @ 3:35.  We are finally at our RV storage yard at 40607 miles @ 4:20.  It took an hour and a bit to pack up everything & pull out heading for home.

SYNOPSIS OF TRIP

Miles covered by RV – 2,737

Trip length in Days -    44

Gas used by RV – 406.684 USG 

Cost of gas - USD $1098.48

Total cost on trip of EVERYTHING - $3871.07 USD

Average cost per day of EVERYTHING – $87. 98 USD

Friday March 2 Day 43

Up to light rain. We are trying to make an early start so we can go to the local breakfast place that has a coupon in the Hi-Way Haven Camp ground info/map sheet.  We pulled out of the campground at 9:05 @ 50136 mi.  If we have a good breakfast we can maybe drive straight through and get to a stop a bit closer to home than Kelso.  Kelso is about 40 miles from the Oregon border so about 230 miles from the BC border.  Anyway we were at breakfast at the Apple Pedaler, (a 24 hr. restaurant in the town of Sutherin and about a ½ mile from the campground), 9:15 to 10:20 and pulled out to the I 5 in the RV at 50137 mi. Then into a Flying J for gas at 12:45 @ 50279 mi and out @ 1:10.  As it worked out we lost a lot of time in a traffic backup going into Portland. No idea why but it was 3 lanes wide, solid but moving very, very slowly and this is at 1:30 or so in the afternoon. Anyway by the time we got to Kelso, 2:40 @ 50349 mi, I figured we didn’t have time to make our second choice, the Elks Lodge in south Seattle suburbs, (Puyallup), as any delay would put me trying to navigate suburban streets to a place I had never been to before in the twilight or even dark. The drive from Kelso to Puyallup is 2 hours just on a straight run with out any delays.  Even with the GPS I opted to not try it.  We stayed in the lodge lounge and had supper here.  It was halibut & chips with very tasty coleslaw & a very good tarter sauce.  Then we stayed to play the Elks races. They have 6 names on a board & a dice shaker. Each race they flip the dice & call out 3 names and the corresponding pieces move a space (or more) across the board.  There are 14 spots with number 15 being the winner. There are odds that are called out before the start, after the betting.  I tried 2 or 3 races & came out $2.00 up, Sheila played one more race & came out $6.00 down.  So tomorrow when we head home, we may take the RV to Dewdney Trunk road to facilitate unloading, we will see.

Distance travelled – 213 miles, on road time – 3 hrs 55 min’s

Thursday March 1 Day 42

I checked the TV as soon as I got up this morning, (approx. 8 am) and we didn’t get any more news on the big expected storm.  Last night’s TV news had said they were expecting 4 to 6 FEET of snow in the mountains.  So, based on the assumption there might be Hwy patrol turning back cars without chains, I planned a route back home via Coast Hwy 101.  The trouble with this route is--it requires us to backtrack over 200 miles from the pass & then about 75 miles to Coast hwy 101, then about 225 miles to get equal to where we were at the OR/CA border.  So we departed Red Bluff Elks @ 9:20 @ 49850 with trepidation.  We started our 140 mile trip to the Siskiyou Pass.  Well, before getting there we started to get a sleety snow/rain mix and a build up of snow/ice slush on the road and windshield. That plus fog made visibility not good.  And for good measure we were on the 4 lane divided road with many, many semi’s, all spraying the rain & sleet everywhere! We drove through that for an hour or more at the elevation of 3,000 feet. We actually were going up & down as I passed 3 signs at different times that all said elevation 3,000 feet.  Fortunately, Sheila was engrossed in Yvonne’s book & never looked out the front window.  If she had I’m sure she would have got up, ran to the back of the RV screaming “We’re all going to die!” Not a fun drive!  Eventually the rain/snow stopped.  Then, as we got closer to the mountain pass we came out of the storm to see clear sky, totally snow-free fields all at 3000 feet elevation.  There were several warning lights set up about who could continue depending on what you had, chains, winter tires, 4 wheel drive etc., but none of the lights were blinking so we pushed on and up.  As we approached the CA/OR border I glanced at the dash to see what temp we were at.  At 12:15 we crossed into OR at temp 38 F and at 50,000 miles exactly--just a fluke I looked at the speedometer at that moment, then, at 12:20 we reached the summit of 4310 feet.  All the way up, (once we were out of the snow storm back down the hwy), there was no snow on the road and none on the side, then, going down the other side there was snow covering all the sides of the road.  It was like the storm hit the northern side of the mountain and never went over to the southern side and a separate storm hit us 40 or so miles south, before the summit.  The trip down the mountain was fine--no snow on the road surface & bare, almost dry pavement.  We pulled off the hwy just north of Medford for cheaper OR gas at 12:50 at 50031 miles and were back on the hwy at 1:10.  Then to a rest area for a lunch stop, in @ 1:25, out @ 2:10. Then we ran into another snow/rain storm so we creped along mostly at 40 or so MPH, passing semi’s crawling up small hills and then passing them later.  That storm lasted a less then a hour.  Finally into our night stop in Sutherlin, OR at the full service Hi-Way Haven RV Park at 4:00 PM at 50136 miles.  We set up and Sheila cooked a nice supper while I crashed out for an hour. Then it’s time to explore the TV channels, work on the blog and internet stuff.  This is quite a nice campground.  It has a huge outdoor screen where they show Drive-in movies from time to time, presumable in the summer, and a really nice dining room in the clubhouse which would be great for Roamers’ outings.  Too bad it’s so far from Coquitlam.

           Distance traveled – 286 miles, on road time – 5 hrs 35 min’s

Wednesday 28 February Day 41

Out Elks Modesto @ 49643 miles @ 9:55 (temp 53).  Off road for gas at the Flying J at Hwy 5 & Hwy 12 @ 10:45 @ 49686 miles. Filled gas, 51.741 USG @ $ 2.899/gal., also filled propane tank as we are using a lot due to cold weather.  Out gas stop at 11:15 heading for Willows & to Nancy’s Airport Café for lunch.  Arrived 1:15 @ 49804 miles and away after a nice lunch at 2:40.  We would have been away 10 minutes or so earlier except Sheila opened the fridge door & a small bowl with soup in it fell out onto Sheila and the floor. After clean up we got away and arrived Red Bluff Elks at 49850 miles at 3:30, temp reading 54 F. We went into the lodge, paid our nights stay - $15.00 for 30 amp power & water but as usual we aren’t hooking up the water. Back at the RV we put the Arial up & checked out TV. We got one annoying bit of news. A big storm expected from tonight to Saturday. They have Wi-Fi in the lodge but I can’t get it in the RV so over to the lodge to try. I got more details & emailed Adeline & Michael about it.  Hopefully I will be posting soon from the Oregon side. We do have our US phone so we can keep in touch when we can't get to WiFi.

 Also I checked the hwy cams for the mountains and as of tonight they show snow on the side of the road but the road shows clear & black. 

Distance traveled – 207 miles, on road time – 3 hrs 40 min’s

Tuesday 27 February Day 40

We got up sort of early, a bit after 8, well Sheila was a longer “bit” but we got away  at 9:15 @ 49305 miles. We went straight up hwy 395 to hwy 58 which goes west to connect with Hwy 99.  Right at the intersection we could see in the distance something that looked almost like a lake but there were structures here & there so it’s not water.  Too far away to tell but I was guessing it might have been a field of solar panels, who knows?  It is new as it wasn’t there last year.  Going along hwy 58 we had to go over a hill or two and the clouds were right down to ground level plus it drizzled a little.  The temp dropped as we went up and into the cloud and eventually dropped to 33 F.  As we came off the hill & down into the valley about 50 miles east of Bakersfield it warmed up to the high 40's and eventually hit 52 F.  We turned north on Hwy 99 at 11:30 @ 49513 miles.  We pulled off the hwy at a Subway for lunch @ 12:50 @ 49520 miles and back on the hwy @ 1:20.  The original plan for the day was to hopefully make the Elks in Modesto but with a  backup of Viking RV on hwy 99, well, we passed the exit for that one at 1:30 so onwards to the Elks in Modesto, pulled in at 3:35 @ 49643 miles. It was nice & warm outside when we got here and we are currently in the lounge enjoying a drink, (Sheila had hers bought for her, mine too but I just had a coke).  After we relax in here for a bit it’s back to the RV set it up, they have 30 amp power & water at each site but we’re fine on water and as with last night I don’t want to chance a frozen hose. Not because in might burst the hose, but because how do you coil up a hose full of ice for storage? Then we will make supper.  See what we can get on TV with our antennae and if nothing watch the DVD Sheila bought at GVP’s White Elephant Sale—“The First Season of Barney Miller.”

Distance traveled - 338 miles, on road time - 5 hrs 45 min's

Monday 26 February Day 39

We got up, stored, put away, and generally got stuff in order to travel.  Judy delivered 2 boxes with a total of 10 of her wonderful stuffed eggs, they are earmarked for lunch.  We pulled out of our spot with the RV to take it up where we could get the car hooked up, out site 963 at 11:35 @ 49227 miles and away GVP @ 11:50. Off to the gas stop.  Arrived at the Pilot stn on Hwy 395 at 1:15 @ 49293 miles, topped up gas and away at 1:30 PM. We arrived at Adelanto RV Park at 1:55 @ 49305 miles, a total of 78 miles for today.  We had lunch and relaxed.  The wind is gusting quite high here, (25 mph), and rocking the RV a bit.  Getting here we came over a pass  at 4100+ feet so it could get quite cold tonight, I’m glad we opted to do a campground.  I also didn’t connect the water hose so I didn’t have to deal with a possible frozen water hose in the morning.  Sheila washed the tile part of the floors in the afternoon and judging by the water, they needed it! My reaction was that if you couldn’t tell they were dirty by looking at them, why bother to wash them at all. The town of Adelanto where we are is a good size growing town near the end of the 395 hwy. It is about a dozen miles from the 215 hwy into LA so it may be one of the bedroom communities for LA.  The RV park is quite nice with full facilities, (power – 30 & 50 amp), as well as cable TV, WiFi, water & sewer and nice pull through sites.

Distance travelled – 78 miles, on road time – 1 hr 55 min’s

Sunday 25 February Day 38

We got up to clear skies & sun.   It was 50 F at 08:45, 58 F at 10:00, and 70 F at 1 PM when we got back to the RV from WVB.  It was a good day for the last game; I got some good shots.  When we got up to 12 each side in one pool we split into 2 pools and I announced that Sheila & I were leaving tomorrow.  Lots of people came around to wish us well; shake hands with lots of “see you next year”.  They are a good bunch of friendly people here.  Back at the RV I did some prep stuff for moving tomorrow and had lunch then went over to Larry & Judy’s for a few hands of Bridge.  We are going up to the Sunday evening Bridge game in case they are short & need extra bodies.  We have lots of time for moving preparation so can afford to play, check out is noon I think.. We were needed at Bridge and came in second out of 6 couples and won $4.00.  After Bridge we went over to Winco for some last minute supplies & stuff Sheila wants to bring home.  Our plan for tomorrow is to get to the big Pilot Gas Station & truck stop at the junction of hwy’s 395 & 215.  It’s about an hour & a half away and we plan to see if we can stay there overnight. So with a short first day we don’t need to rush leaving GVP.  After I checked the weather forecast and it will be close to freezing at night in the gas stop area we will probably go to an RV park ½ hour up the road that has full service and pull-through’s.  It’s not a real problem unhooking the car just a nuisance when we aren’t using the car.    Our second night is hopefully the Modesto ELKS which has Wi-Fi.

Saturday 24 February Day 37

Up to clear sky’s & sun but cool, it was 49 F at 9:00, 54 F at 10:00, and 60 F at 12:45.  The WVB game today was a special game with people in costumes, (mostly hats, funny glasses & wigs of coloured hair), plus they arranged us in the pool doing odd games, egg on spoon race in the water, volley ball with a softball sized rubber ball. They set everyone up in each pool and matched the player’s equal numbers male & female, then they had hot chocolate & cookies, sweet cakes, & rolls after.  It was a fun day.  Back to the RV for lunch.  Sheila went out after lunch shopping for canned goods and fruit beverages she wants to take home. I napped and worked on putting a few things away.  We had supper in the RV then Sheila wanted to add her 2 cents worth to some of the blogs so she worked on that.  Then she/we will watch Olympics. 

Friday 23 February Day 36

Still cold but sunny with some cloud and a very light breeze. At 9 AM it was 49 F, then at 10 AM it got to 54 F and when we came back from WVB it was 60 F at 12:45.  Standing in the sun it is very nice & warm in shorts & SS shirt so with the low humidity it is very nice here whereas at the same temp back home I would be cold due to the dampness, (and lack of bright sun). I suddenly realized that with our early departure and driving north we are going to maybe run into cold or freezing weather.  I checked the weather for a few cities that we go through in Oregon & Washington and the overnight lows next week are either just above freezing or only a degree or 2 below freezing.  We will try to find electrical hook-ups for the overnight stops if possible; however, a lot of RV parks close for the winter season! I got my bill for electricity for the month, - $51.00.  It’s a bit higher than previous years but considering the rate goes up each year & this year we used a lot more power running the electric heater, that’s not too bad.  Sheila wanted to go to the Hong Kong Restaurant across the road for lunch and then had supplies she wanted in the 99 Cent store in the same mall.  Lunch at the Hong Kong is quite a good deal.  A large plate of chicken & broccoli is only $7.95 and it comes with soup, an egg roll, and fried or steamed rice.  The Egg Flower soup was delicious!  Sheila brought about 1/3 of her Orange Peel chicken home.  She dropped me at the RV as she wanted to look at a specialty orthotics store in Hemet that is quite close to GVP.  I will work on tire inflation checks.  Got all 6 tires topped up but it is a major rigmarole due to my pump probably wearing out so I have to stop to let it cool down, very time consuming.  Tonight is Mocktails night and it gets a bit cold so we may not last to the end, (it runs 6 to 8 pm).    We got a spot right under one of the tall heaters and were toasty.  It ran out of gas about 7:30 and we did have shopping to do at Winco so we left. At Winco, I got another 2 doz. Cactus Coolers and found Propel, a bottled drink I had found one year that I really liked & then the store that carried it didn’t anymore.  Winco also carried the Martinelli sparkling apple cider for well under $2.00 a btl., I didn’t get any though.  We have got stuff we are bringing home so now the problem is where we keep it that’s out of the way; the car trunk is getting full.  Back home to watch the Olympics.  Canada is currently in third place by gold medal count but is second place by total of all our medals.   

Thursday 22 February Day 35

Up to cold again, 50F @ 9 AM and only 55 F by 10 AM. There was supposed to be a big Charity WVB game for the Police Dog charity starting at 9 AM with a burger bash after on the patio from 11 to 1 PM.  Because of the cold weather the game got moved to 10 AM, ran to 12 noon and then we had our $10.00 burgers which were served in the ballroom as it was quite cool on the patio, specially after having been in the pool.  I went up to try & video Sheila, on her I Phone and may or may not have gotten any.  I had trouble getting the phone to take video, I pushed on the video button but it did not seem to work.  Also yesterday when I had downloaded video I had taken of the game to see how it worked.  I actually managed to figure out how to download from Sheila’s phone and then I found out that unless you hold the phone only one way the videos come out upside down and when you are holding the phone taking the shot there is nothing on the phone to indicate it is upside down.  I was not meant to operate in the modern generation; can I go back to dial phones and video camera’s?  I should revert to being a troglodyte. 

Back to today.  After the Burger lunch we looked at the movies on today & decided on “The Shape of Water”.  I really had no idea what it was about and was pleasantly surprised.  It was set in the cold war era and involved a creature that was found in South America and lived in water. He was humanoid a bit and he was held in a secret government research facility after being captured and brought back by a government agent.  The lead actress, (Sally Hawkins), and main character was a mute girl. She had hearing but couldn’t speak.  She sympathized & connected with the water creature.  There was some violence, Russian spies, and attempts to exploit the creature.  In the end the bad guys got zapped & the good guys survived--I enjoyed it.  Sheila, not as much.  After the movie, we went to Angie’s Diner for supper, then back to GVP for the Mexican Train games night.  We play a total of 10 games, (2 sets of 3 & one set of 4 games), after each set; the 2 people with the 2 lowest scores take a quarter & change tables. So if you win a quarter back once in 3 sets you break even.  Sheila won her quarter back but I lost mine.  We returned to the RV to watch some Olympics before bed. 

Wednesday 21 February Day 34

Cold night again but now we have propane for the furnace.  I went up to play WVB but I was terrible, couldn’t hit anything & missed easy shots.  Back at the RV I got out the air pump and started checking tires & bringing them up to full pressure if needed.  They were down a cpl pounds, so not a big deal.  However I think my air pump has lived its life as it really slows & almost stops adding pressure to pump more than 90 lbs into a tire, (recommended pressure is 92). Plus it heats up quickly and I don’t think it works properly when hot; I may have to replace it. We had supper & then went out to see a musical event here called “Music of Heroes” the tickets were $15.00 each. It was all music from the 1900’s onward that has been associated with heroes, real or fictitious, plus the military.  The performers were two men and a woman who sang and played an assortment of saxes and the clarinet and a french horn and a trombone.  It was a good show & we enjoyed it, especially the Glenn Miller segment, Sousa’s marches and the songs for each branch of the US Armed Forces.  We returned to the RV to try to get the Women’s US/Canada ice hockey game, but it was on an NBC specialty channel we can’t get.  They finally did show all the OT and the shootout which the US women’s team won. However, we did get a silver to add to our total medals and we are still ahead of the US in medal count.  From what we saw the US women’s team played really well in the OT times, I think they out played the Canadian team. 

Tuesday 20 February Day 33

According to the LA CBS news last night we are in for a real cold spell for a few days.  Actual freezing temps in outlying area and at altitude.  The Hemet area was supposed to have gotten very close to freezing temps last night and for the next 2 nights.  What with all the cold evenings and staying up to watch Olympics etc we have been running the propane furnace a lot.  I had booked a refill truck for today and last night the propane tank ran dry sometime.  So no WVB until the propane truck has been & gone.   We had our little electric heater going from about 8:30 AM on so we can get a reasonable temp in the RV up front where the heater is plugged in.  At 8:45 this morning on our outside thermometer it was 40 F and at 9:15 it got up to 45 F and made 50F by 10:15.  Fortunately there is no cloud so the sun is warming things and I’ve got all the curtains pulled to get the full sun on windows.  We face the rising sun so the big front windows get the full sun so it is up to 70 F inside by about 9:00 or so.  Sheila went up to WVB while I waited for the propane truck.  Sheila came back from WVB and said they had 2 pools going with 36 people playing in 2 pools.  She said it wasn’t too bad and if you got cold you just ducked down into the warm pool.  She arrived back at the RV and prepared to go up to help Judy with the beginners Bridge group.  The propane truck arrived just as she left so I got the tank filled and then went up myself. We played till about 3:30 then back to the RV until Larry, Judy & we head out to the Steer & Stein for dinner.  I can still manage the 16 oz cut although I do cut a small piece off for Sheila, (she orders the zucchini side dish which is huge and I get some). I ordered the steak “smothered in mushrooms” for an extra $1.99 this time. It now costs $18.79 with 2 sides but it is still a deal.  I even had room for the dessert of blackberry cobbler with ice cream.   After supper we came back to the RV for some Olympics stuff. 

Monday 19 February Day 32

Got up to a lot of sun but a lot of wind, it was 52 F at 9:30 and only 58 F at 11:30.  I skipped WVB today.   Sheila left a note to say last night she napped for an hour then watched the short program for ice dancing from 3 to 4:30 AM.  Yes, she has gone completely nuts; we will commit her when we return.  Yesterday Sheila’s phone was down to 10%, (we hadn’t charged it in a while and with not using it we aren’t watching it). So last night I charged it to 100%, this morning I looked at it just to check & it was down to 85%.  Just overnight with no use!  Is there something running on it we aren’t aware of or what?   I will have the experts, i.e. the younger generation; look at it when we return. Sheila finally up about noon.  I went out to get new light bulb for outside porch light but still won’t light.  At 4:30 we have the Fun club event White Elephant silent auction, (with dinner of course), we took a hot dish of assorted cans of chilli, it turned out good.  The items are displayed with a bidding paper where you just write down your bid and if someone raises it you can just write in another bid.  I bid on an electric toaster, $2.00 bid & got it, also bid on a set of measuring cups, 3 sizes 1 cup & down, that Sheila wanted, and I bid on an electric clip on fan, I had to go up but got it.  It will be really handy for hot weather as you can position it to blow right on you.  Sheila bid on 2 DVD’s, one of them the initial season of Barney Miller and she got a set of small seat cushions, for home use I think. We got everything for a total of $19.50.  Then back to the RV for Sheila to watch the ice dancing and me to work on the blog, oh yes, and do some of the supper dishes.  

Sunday 18 February Day 31

The weather forecast for Mon to Thurs is not good, a lot cooler is predicted and some wind, enough that I will pull in the awning tonight.  Today however it started out at 60 F at 09:30 and was 70 F by 12:30 with a clear sky & sunny with a small breeze.  We both went up for WVB, a hot tub session then lunch & relaxing before Bridge tonight at 6 PM.  Had a bite to eat then off to Bridge for 6 PM.  We had 5 tables playing, it was a good session. We didn’t win anything but did OK.  We phoned Mikaela to wish her a happy birthday and had a nice conversation with her. I put the phone on speaker so we could both hear her.  We told her we’d see her in a cpl of weeks when we get home. Back at the RV we are watching some Olympics coverage. We have both noticed that we seem to need a nap or lie down in the afternoon quite often.  We are quite active here of course but I don’t remember needing an afternoon nap in past years.  I went to bed around midnight but Sheila wanted to watch something coming on later in ice dancing.

Saturday 17 February Day 30

Cold at night again, down to the mid 50’s but it warms fast.  It was 58 F at 09:00 & 64 F by 10:00, that’s a 6 degrees rise in 1 hour, wish it did that at home.  No WVB this morning because they are setting up the pool area for today’s Guest Appreciation Patio Party with music & a restaurant serving food, (El Patron I think, one of the top Mex. restaurants in town).  Gates open at 11:30 bring your own chair.  Some of the WVB enthusiast will play starting at 11:30 or as soon as they can get in, (there is usually a line up for events like this).  Before the party, Sheila went across the road, (by car of course, as we are trying to keep her off her feet as much as possible), to a hairdressing school to get a hair cut, $5:00.  We’ll go up to the pool/patio area when she returns.  She has her bathing suit on & plans on playing WVB; I will just sit in the sun and enjoy the entertainment.  We got set up close to the front & beside the pool Sheila went to play in.  She played for almost 2 hours. The group playing, “Country Nation Live” was 7 members incl a girl singer.  They were a country group but they played mostly stuff I knew and they were very good.  Lots of people were up dancing beside the pool, the biggest numbers were on line dances.  They went from noon to about 2:30. Back at the RV we puttered around & then went out for supper.  We went to the J & M again & I had the prime rib, a big delicious piece incl horseradish & gravy with fries, asparagus, plus a salad & dessert, all for $12.99.  I know that is more in CDN $ but it is still a deal.  Sheila had the Filet Mignon for $8.99.  It was quite small, but it was wrapped in bacon and very tasty.  Her mashed potatoes, country gravy and asparagus were very good also.  Back home we turned on Olympics, saw a results tally and Canada is in 3rd place at the moment based on total medals awarded and the US is only 6^th or 7^th!  When the local TV station puts up the standings they do the first 2 then the US, I think they are embarrassed that Canada with 30 million is in 3rd place ahead of them with over 300 million population We watched Olympics till bed time. Today I confirmed our departure date – Monday Feb 26.    

Friday 16 February Day 29

Cool this morning 54 F at 09:00, 60 F at 10:00 but when we returned to the RV from our WVB it was 70 F by 1PM.  It is sunny, no wind, and very little sporadic cloud cover.  We had lunch, then Sheila went out shopping after a short lie down & I had a rest too. Tonight is the Mocktails event so we will be down there about 5:40 or so to get a table.  No tables left by 5:40, so we set up with our chairs by a propane fireplace & one of the tall propane heaters. It was near the front so great for listening to the music and getting goodies.  As it can get quite cool in  the evening I had worn a knit cardigan but I didn’t need it close to the propane heaters.  They had a large crowd and Bob & Jim & J R who were volunteering to help run it said it was the biggest crowd ever, they had to refill the goodies after ½ an hour, but they never ran out.  Everything is free--all the nachos & toppings, and the various mixers--you just supply your own alcohol.  They had a good singer who performed from 6 to 8 non stop.  Lots of people were up dancing.  Afterwards, we came back to the RV for Sheila to watch figure skating before bed. 

Thursday 15 February Day 28

Up for coffee & breakfast, (instant oatmeal with craisins & raisins), then off to WVB.  The weather is warming up more each day and it is nice, clear & sunny now.  This afternoon I am going to search out anything we might have to donate to the GVP White Elephant sale for next week.  Of course this event involves everyone bringing a plate of food to share.  The GVP World revolves around food.  This evening we are going to Larry & Judy’s for a BBQ using his BBQ and we are taking burger patties, buns, marinated veggies & some fruit salad.  Sheila made an afternoon run to Winco for the burger buns etc. & I need more raisins & craisins for my morning oat meal; I use the individual flavoured packets, make it with hot water & add milk sometimes.  After the BBQ we played some Bridge. We played 6 hands then changed partners then 4 hands with each partner.  I kept score and at the end Larry was top, Judy next then Sheila & of course me at the end.  I just don’t seem to get decent hands that I can bid or reply to my partner with, except for one hand playing with Sheila where I ended up bidding 6 Hearts & I made it.   I heard that the first Canada/USA Hockey game was played last night & Canada won.  It is in the preliminary stage right now & we have to beat several teams to get to the finals but that was a good start.  We couldn’t see it as it is on a channel we don’t get, an NBC specialty channel that you probably pay extra to get and is not on the GVP cable-vision feed. 

Wednesday 14 February Day 27

Valentines Day

Slowly getting back to hot weather, this morning it’s 57 F @ 9:00, 64 F @ 10:00 & 70 F @ noon with a slight sporadic breeze.  After reading our Valentines notes to each other, (she forgot a card too), we had a good WVB game, and Sheila seems to be getting better & better.  We don’t always end up in the same pool but when we do I’m impressed by her game.  After Hot Tub & shower, back to RV for a small lunch then they are supposed to be playing this afternoon so Sheila is going up to play and I will try to video some of it.  They didn’t have many show up, only 3 to a side, so Sheila got lots of practice and I took some videos of her.  When Sheila gets back to the RV we will go out to lunch or early supper depending on the time.  They have steak & lobster at the local Sizzler so we are going there.  We finally got to Sizzler about 4, there was a small line up but only a cpl minutes delay.  Sheila had the Steak & Lobster, ($24.00 and for $2.00 more they upgraded the steak by 2 ounces from 8 to 10 oz.  I looked at the salad bar & went with that, they had a huge array of salads & toppings plus fried chicken, spaghetti & meatballs, chili con carne & 4 soups plus desserts of bread pudding and peach cobbler, with strawberry topping and whipped cream.  I managed one salad bar run, (very full heaped plate), a clam chowder, several chicken pieces, and a little spaghetti & meatballs plus bread pudding & toppings for dessert.  I was full with just one go round.  After supper we came back to the RV for the eve, Sheila to watch Olympic skating and me to work on the blog & emails etc.  

Tuesday 13 February Day 26

Cold last night.  At 8 AM it was 50 F, at 10 AM 58 F however by noon it was 70 F.  We went out to the Tuesday breakfast club and we had about a dozen GVPers there.  After we returned home we went up for WVB. We had a good crowd, enough to split into 2 pools, and we had a good game.  Sheila especially, as she got lots of hits and did really well. She left the game early to change as we had to go to the beginner Bridge lessons class to help by 1 PM.  I stayed to noon, did a shortish hot tub, showered & returned home, changed and headed up to the lessons area.  We ended up with 4 full tables with us playing so we were needed.  After the game we came back home and then off to the Elks for “Taco Tuesdays” for lunch/supper.  We stayed till almost 6 pm as they had some of the good regulars singing. Then back home again & out to Winco shopping, home about 7:30 or so to relax by the TV.  I looked up the Olympic medals count on the internet & we are doing quite well. At the time we had more medals overall than the USA, but were lower ranked because they list countries in order of the gold medals won, we had 2 gold & the USA had 3.  We watched some Olympics coverage & an episode of “Bull”, it was a repeat but a good one from quite a while ago and we had forgotten a lot of it.  Sometimes it’s good to be old with a wonky memory.  At other times it doesn’t work out well like when I forget to get Sheila a Valentines Day card, oops.  Later we were “channel surfing” and stumbled on the movie “Pretty Woman” with Richard Greer and Julia Roberts.  It had started a while ago but Sheila wanted to watch it so I went off to bed after watching a bit as it was almost midnight by now.  I should mention that “channel surfing” is not something we do but lack of a program guide channel or printed version the only way to look up what’s on TV is on the net which is of course tedious and then we don’t get all the channels listed on the net.  Our cable in the park has 50 channels, some are in Spanish, and the internet listing for Hemet has over 100 channels plus we don’t get all of the first 50, our top channel is 72 so there are a lot we don’t get.  However we don’t have a lot of time to watch TV anyway.  Yes, It’s a rough life we lead in our RV hooked up to 30 amp power, pressure city water, the RV Park sewer lines, cablevision and internet included in our camping fee. We even have weekly garbage pick up; just put a bag out front on your rig and the park collects it. 

Monday 12 February Day 25

Still cool this morning, by 10:00 it was still sitting just on 60 F with a light gusty wind.  It was alternating between sun & cloud. I decided not to go to WVB but Sheila did go up for her usual abbreviated game, (she usually gets there somewhere between 10:30 & 11:00). She said they just had one pool and it wasn’t too bad for temperature & wind, the warm pool water helped.  I finished Yvonne’s book.  Towards the end I didn’t want to put it down.  Redemption really is a great book; you get involved with the fate of the characters and you want to keep reading to see what happens.

We had lunch of leftover Winco chicken and are getting ready to go to the Canada Day event.  We went for the 4:00 door opening, got in about 4:20 to our numbered table & seats; we could have just waited till everyone was in then just walked in.  It went to about 6 PM.  It’s always so pretty—almost everyone is dressed in red and white, there’s red & white balloons, Canada flag centrepieces etc. Tracie was master of ceremonies and she called out all the provinces and people from there stood up.  Alberta had a reasonable amount but when she called out BC I think well over half the ballroom stood up.  Debbie Tovey provided the entertainment.  She lead us in singing Canadian songs like Four Strong Winds, This Land Is Your Land, & Nova Scotia Farewell.  Everyone was very enthusiastic.  We also had various people come to the front to tell a joke and earn themselves a bag of Cheesies.  We didn’t win any of the 50/25/25, (about $200 each),  or other prize draws, (big prize was a one month stay, that’s worth just about $800 USD) but  we still really enjoyed ourselves. We came back to the RV in time for me to get to the 7:00 PM crib games. They play 5 games in groups of 4, (partners). Back at the RV I posted a Blog and then we went to watch TV.  About 10:30 there was a lot of noise on the roof – rain.  It was heavy for about 15 minutes then stopped.  We had folded up all our chairs outside & had them under the slid outs because the wind gusts were tipping them over. 

Sunday 11 February Day 24

It was 56 F at 9:30 AM but at least it was sunny.  I went up for WVB as did Sheila and with the warm water and no wind it was all fine. Back at the RV by 12:30 it was 75 F. A bit of wind but it was nice & warm all afternoon. Sheila went out to Winco & the 99 cent store for some supplies and I was feeling tired so I lay down to rest for a couple of hours.  By late afternoon the wind had come up a bit so just as a precaution I wound in the awning.  It sure makes this job easy with an electric awning, just push a button & in 30 seconds, or less, it’s all in!  Tonight is Bridge at 6 PM so early supper. Sheila was late back due to a lot of shoppers out there.  We had supper & got up to the bridge room about 3 minutes after 6 PM start but they had even tables & had already started so we left.  At the RV we found that the temperature was down to 60 F about 6 PM.  Sheila was not at all disappointed on missing Bridge as she got to watch Olympic skating--women’s long program and the dance for the team event.  She saw the Canadian team win the gold in the ice skating team event.  The wind today toppled our deck chairs & blew my swimsuit off the awning.  I finally found it under the RV.  

Saturday 10 February Day 23

Warning, this is extra long because Sheila makes notes and then adds them to blog events, sometimes I can post them before she gets to them. I missed on this one

You will all be happy to know that I can’t gloat about weather today.  Forecast was for maybe showers, a bit of wind & cooler temps.   We got no wind or rain but it was a lot cooler.  It was 52 F at 9:30 this morning and now at 10:45 it is only 55 F. No WVB this morning, not only due to temp but we are going to a “Meal & Movie” event to do with military dogs and have to leave GVP about 11:30 to get there in time.  Larry Shafer came with us.  The meal was ready when we arrived.  It was spaghetti with 2 sauce choices, meat or a vegetarian sauce, plus salad, & garlic bread.  The movie was on a VHS tape called “Dogs of War” about the dogs who served in the Viet Nam War, their training & handlers.  It was really interesting and explained things we never knew about.  For instance, dog handlers & their dogs are very important to combat troops because they lead the troops through jungles as they seek to engage the enemy and the dogs are able to detect enemy snipers, smell bombs and trip lines long before the soldiers would and hence save many lives.  Obviously, this is one of the most dangerous jobs in the battalion and casualties amongst dogs and dog handlers were high.  In the Vietnam War, there were 500 dog casualties and 263 handler casualties.   The dogs, usually German Shepherds can do this because their vision is many, many times superior to human vision as is their hearing, and whereas humans average 4000 smell receptors in their noses, German Shepherds have 40,000!  For example, at a BBQ a man or woman will just smell a hamburger, but a dog smells Beef, bun, mustard, lettuce, tomato, BBQ sauce.  Dogs can even smell a trip wire hidden in tall grass and show their handler where it is.  This became one of the most dangerous jobs in the patrols because, when the Viet Cong realized how effective the dogs were at alerting the American soldiers to danger, they began specifically targeting them and offering extra rewards to anyone of their soldiers bringing them the tattooed ear of a war dog and the tags of it’s handler--so casualties amongst dogs and dog handlers were high.  In the Viet Nam war, there were 500 dog casualties and 263 handler casualties.  The movie showed a bit of the training the dog handler & dogs must have before they go into combat.  It said it’s very important the personalities of the dog and dog handler match and they are encouraged to spend lots of time together before they go into combat so that they really bond.  That’s why some dogs have risked their lives and often died attempting to drag their wounded handler to safety while under enemy fire.  Also, the movie told of some dogs lying on top of their handler to protect him or her from enemy bullets.  After the movie, we learned even more interesting facts from John Kamp, a speaker who was an ex dog handler.  He said that without the dogs they would have added 10,000 to 20,000 more names to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC, (58,000 KIA).  He also talked about how the Air Force used German Shepherds as sentry dogs not only because of their high intelligence and enhanced senses, but because when they were trained to be aggressive to anyone but their handler, they were a very effective deterrent against saboteurs etc. because when they bite they can apply up to 750 lbs of pressure, i.e. easily breaking bones or causing death!

It was a long program, noon to after 5 PM, so when we got out, it was too late to have the BBQ at Larry’s we’d planned so we went to J & M restaurant, (one of our favourites), for supper.  Both Sheila & I both had the ribs which came with a fries, veggies & a salad & dessert plus coffee & tea for $24.16 incl. tax for both of us.  Then, it was home to the TV for the evening.

Friday 9 February Day 22

The day starts as usual, approaching 70 F by 9:30 and off to WVB. We got up to 12 a side for a while, (that’s 48 players), but haven’t gone over 12 a side yet.  If we do we will sit out our server after they finish until the next server finishes, then they will rotate back in.

Why the preceding is in bold I have no idea and I can't seem to change it. Sheila stayed to get our Canada Day Tickets for next Monday.  She got tickets and after lunch I sat outside to read more of Yvonne’s book.  About mid afternoon I felt tired so I lay down, don’t know if I actually napped.  I got up around 5 to get ready to go up for the Mocktails event this evening.  Larry is going up with us and we will try to get there early enough to get a table instead of using our deck chairs, they are comfortable enough but Sheila likes to have a table put stuff on. Got a table with 2 extra chairs & invited another couple to join us when they asked.  We had a pleasant evening of conversation & music. Before the musician started Sheila went up and asked what kind of music he played and she said great when he said 50’s to70’s.  Then on his first number he played “Margaretville” and at the parts where the song has a line about whose fault it is he put in Sheila’s name. We were up dancing so she heard it.  Then back home to watch a “Bull” episode and watched the CBS news to get weather. They had a bit about Trudeau’s LA motorcade escort police motor bikes being in a small crash with a car with minor injuries to one of the police bikers.  It had recently happened so there was no explanation as to why – pure accident or some malicious attempt at something

Thursday 8 February Day 21

Good weather continues.  After WVB & Hot tub we are back to RV for lunch and then off to Emilio’s for the Thursday Happy Hour get together from 3 to around 4:30ish.  With Judy away, (she left early on Tues. & returns late next Tues.), we picked up Larry & he went with us to Emilio’s.  After we left we stopped at Mega Liquor for Sheila to get a cpl btls of something. She got a 750 ml btl of rum for USD $7.00 and a btl of Bacardi Mango flavoured rum for USD $10.00. Then home to rest before checking out the free dance tonight, (donations to the Hemet PD police dog purchase charity fund).  Dance was to CD’s and was reasonable music, I allowed Sheila to dance a few.  It started at 6:30. We were there about an hour then left to make the 8:15 movie “12 Strong” as today is cheap movie day. Prices have gone up a fair bit, what used to be around $4 a few years ago is now $7.20 for seniors, which puts it on par with home when you take exchange into account.  “12 Strong” is the story of a group of American soldiers who were sent to Afghanistan in 2001 to form an alliance with an Afghani warlord to force the Taliban out of their stronghold in Afghanistan. They were an advance group to make contact with Afghanistan tribal war lords that were opposed to the Taliban & Al-Quada and prepare the way for the larger force to arrive later.   Anyway it was a great movie and at the end they showed a picture of the actual Green Beret team that did it, without losing a single man, (one man was severely wounded but he survived).  Home by 10:30 or so – bed time.

Wednesday 7 Feb Day 20

Our morning temps were 60 F at 9 AM & 68 F at 10 AM.  No wind, nice & clear & sunny.  After our WVB game back at the RV for a small lunch because today is spud night.  For $2.00 GVP provides baked potatoes, butter, sour cream and they are big potatoes, I usually only can manage one with all the trimmings.  Everyone brings a share plate of something to go with the potato like chilli, meatballs or salad or dessert, or whatever. 

I have been keeping an eye on tank levels and everything is steady so it looks like all is well, no leaks anywhere.

We arrived at the ballroom for spud night along with 391 other people, (that’s the number that signed up to attend), at the 4:30 door opening.  We found a table with empty seats and settled in.  It was a group spread over two tables i.e. more than 8 people together but less than 16, so seats available. And, we had double the amount of food available including 2 desserts. We had a good time and after supper around 6:30ish they started the Karaoke.  Given that GVP has over 1000 sites--that translates to lots of people and a lot of good singers.  Some we remembered from previous years.  We finally left about 7:45 and came back to the RV to relax, catch up on our journal etc. I was tired by 10:30, too much good fun, exercise, fresh air & sun.   Speaking of which, normally in February we have one or two rainy days, a cpl cooler days & some cloudy days.  So far it has been sunny & hot with never a cloud in sight, definitely unusual for February here. We couldn’t be happier because we have to leave at the end of February.  Just hope our good luck holds.

Tuesday 6 Feb Day 19

Weather was a bit cooler this morning but it warms up fast down here, for example it was 62 F at 9:15 but by 9:50 it had warmed up to 68 F.  And that is in the shade.  Sheila had some sniffles this morning so she didn’t go up for WVB, I did.  I returned to the RV to have lunch as we had to be up to the club house by 1 PM to take over from Judy Shaffer on her beginners Bridge class while she is away for a week & a bit.  We are just there to help and answer any questions and give guidance. There are about 5 tables of players.  We play if necessary to make even tables. It runs from 1 PM to about 3:30.  Judy Shafer has someone to bring the cards & pencils etc. 

Today we are going to the Elks Taco Tuesdays with Ray & Wendy but have to get them back to GVP by 5:15 to 5:30 for their Texas Hold-um tournament that runs continuously every Tues.  It’s an elimination thing till it gets down to a winner, (or maybe 2, I don’t know).  We met Ray & Wendy down here and they live in a town home close to Paul & Yvonne in Port Moody.  Ray is retired RCMP.   I am full from the Elks food, 2 tacos, one beef, one chicken, choice of about 5 toppings plus a plate of a nice cooked flavoured rice, (not just plain white rice), and separate beans, for $5.00 and a separate piece of very nice mandarin orange cake iced for $1.00  Back at the RV by 5:30, Sheila dropped me off & went out to find a nail place to get her nails filed down, she finds them too long & they interfere with her hitting the volley ball, (beach balls actually, as regular Volley Balls would be too heavy & cause problems in the pool).   We relaxed in the RV for the evening.

Monday 5 February Day 18

The good weather continues with another clear sunny day and no wind temp 70 F at 10:00.  After WVB & the hot tub I came back for lunch, Sheila got home about 45 minutes later. I headed out on some errands while Sheila got her lunch and started the A/C.  I’m back from errands & Ken will be happy to know I got 2 cases of Cactus Cooler at Winco for $3.33 each. We had an earlyish supper as we have the “horse races” to go to tonight.  They have films of real horse races and the names have been changed & there is a real race type commentary.  You get a bunch of money to start with and you bet on the races.  There are 8 races and prizes for the highest 3 winners out of everyone attending.  You start with $130,000.00 dollars.  It’s a fun evening.  It was held in the ballroom and it was full with tables of 8.  The 3 big winners of the evening were all over 40 million in winnings, top was just under 50 million, and a lot of people won over 1 million.  You turn the money in at the end so you bet big, (like all), on the last race.  I had $225,000.00 at the end but lost it all on the last race; Sheila had an even 1 million after she won on the last race.  You could also “buy” a horse. They auctioned them off.  Each horse had a name of one of the horses in the race. If your horse won a race you got $10,000.00 added to anything you had bet on any house in the race.  It was a lot of fun, then back to the RV after to watch some TV. We missed some shows on route down and with all the evening activities that either I or both of us go to, we often don’t get back till close or even after 10 PM.  So we miss more.  The ones without too much of a continuing story plot line are best and I have noticed that some shows start with a few minutes of “previously on, (show name)” which does fill in some blanks.  We have them all on the PVR at home so on rainy March & April days we can easily catch up. 

Sunday 4 February Day 17

Up to a nice warm day, 70 F at 10:00 AM.   We did our WVB and I signed us up for the “Fun Night” event, a white elephant sale here where people donate stuff, we have tables of 8 & everyone brings something to eat and we wander about putting bids on things set out, it’s in about 2 weeks so I’ll report on it later.  Back to the RV for lunch then Sheila went to do laundry around 3PM & I went to the ballroom where a large screen TV was set up for the super bowl.  It was between the New England Patriots & the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Patriots were favoured to win but the Eagles led almost the whole game by less than a touchdown points and the score changed often.  Finally the Patriots took the led and in the last minutes of the game just when it looked like the Patriots would take the led & win the Eagles caused a quarterback fumble, recovered it, and a cpl plays later scored to take the led and won the game defeating a last second hail mary pass from Tom Brady the patriots quarterback.  It was a good game to watch, although I still like 3 down CFL better.  We picked up our laundry and came back to the RV to relax & watch TV, if there is anything on.

Saturday 3 February Day 16

Up & off to the pool.  They had music playing & a local Mex restaurant, Chuy’s,  serving food but I didn’t see anything that I wanted and I thought it a bit expensive, $10.00 for some dishes, and $9.00 for others, although Sheila said they had Fish Taco’s for $3.00, sorry not interested.  Sheila liked the music better than last nights but I disagreed, I liked the Mocktails group better.  I missed the craft sale & classic car show as it went on from 9 AM to Noon and I was in the pool then hot tub from 10 to 12:30.  Back home for lunch.  Sheila went out shopping after lunch I stayed to read & I checked battery water level, not a big job but fiddly as I have to take out one of the entrance steps for access – it unclips but it makes it awkward to get in & out of the RV for a short time.

Sheila Came back after a cpl hours but never made it to Winco for our supper chicken & deli salads so I went out & got it.  After supper we went over to Larry & Judy’s park model about 6:30 for a bridge game we played 12 hands so that everyone played everyone for 4 rounds.  Judy came first, Sheila second, Larry third with me last as usual.  Then we went inside and chatted for a while before coming home about 10 PM.

Friday 2 February Day 15

Up for our normal day, 70 F at 10:00 AM, back for lunch after WVB.  We actually turned on A/C’s today after lunch so Sheila could have a lie down, (without A/C’s it gets close to 90 F inside, even with windows open).  There is little to no wind. I sat outside reading more of Yvonne’s book, it is really intriguing. We went up to the Mocktails event on the patio for 6:00. The band was “One Too Many” that I really liked but Sheila didn’t, (Too much whiney guitar), she said.  We ate lots of the nachos & toppings. They really are good.  We had a spot in front right beside a propane fireplace & a heat lamp so nice & warm when it cooled down in the evening, (I’m usually just wearing shorts & a short sleeve shirt).  Even though it get hot in the daytime & warms up quickly in the mornings we are still technically in a desert environment so it does cool down in the evening.  Fortunately that is a good thing as it makes it cool for sleeping, you just take a jacket or sweater for the evening.  Then we came back home to relax & watch some TV. 

Thursday 1 February Day 14

Thursday 1 February Day 14

Off to WVB then back to RV for lunch and to check out the waste tank system.  All seems normal so I switched back to pressure water.  I am thinking that it is possible that the grey tank that was closed, filled but didn’t register on the gauges, overflowed and dribbled into the storage bin instead of into the shower basin as it would do on our previous RV, the Class C Jayco, if I overfilled the grey.  Time will tell but the grey valve has been left open so it will continuously drain.  We had a lie down after lunch and then some supper before going to the movie “3 Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri”.  How it won any awards is a mystery, worse movie I have seen in a long time, possibly ever.  Sheila said the awards were for the acting which was quite good, although the characters were mostly very low class and not at all likable and, it didn’t even have a conclusion, they just stopped filming, and nothing was resolved.  We came home to watch TV & get a bit of supper.  

NOTE

The last 2 days of January are listed under February because it was Feb when I actually posted them sorry if this causes confusion

Wednesday 31 January Day 13

We’re up for WVB this morning, another nice sunny clear day.  We both went out to do some shopping.  Sheila wanted some things at the 99 cent store so I dropped her there, then went to Winco got my stuff, came back and waited for her to finish.  I’ve decided that shopping together for several items in a food or general merchandise store doesn’t work very well, I go in get my stuff & leave, Sheila shops around reads labels, looks & compares and takes much longer, I think it’s a male/female thing.  We relaxed in the afternoon and then went up at the door-opening time, (6:30 pm) for tonight’s show at 7 PM. We got a table up front where we could see the guys playing the piano’s.  It was “The Killer Dueling Pianos” and it was fabulous! Two guys on their pianos had everyone singing & dancing and getting involved with the music for close to 2 hours straight--no breaks.  One of the guys, Steve Hoss had a fantastic voice and terrific styling.  For instance when he sang “Desparado” or “Piano Man” it really sounded like the Eagles or Billy Joel.  It cost all of $5.00 and was worth 3 times that at least.  Back to the RV for some TV & then to bed.   We are both tired, there’s so much activity here and the nice hot weather works to make you relax & nap.  

Tuesday 30 January Day 12

We got up early, (for us), to make it to the breakfast club, at Seven Hills golf course this week.  Back to the RV and Sheila went up for WVB but I need to stay in contact with my phone for the repair person to call.  If I don’t get a call today I will phone & leave a message that I am in WVB from 9:45 to 12:30 so phone outside those hours.  I should have thought to say that when I was talking to him yesterday but forgot.  Anyway, had a good breakfast at Seven Hills and came back to RV for me to wait for a call, read, tidy and do computer chores, blog etc.  Sheila came back, we had lunch and went up to the banquet hall room where Judy had her bridge class going. (I took my phone so I could get a call if any came in) We said we would sit in and help as required.  About 2 PM I got a call from the EMT RV so we set a meet around 3:30 to 4:00.  I arrived back at the RV and he arrived about 15 minutes later.  He tightened up the gas joint that was leaking quite quickly. He said it looked like water was dripping down as well.  One of my storage compartments was quite wet so I unloaded it but couldn’t really see where the water was coming from, it’s possible some of my tank level lights are malfunctioning and the tank is overflowing while the lights show only ½ full.  He suggested turning off the RV park water, use up the fresh water tank and then turn the pressure water on again & see if there is a leak into the fresh water tank from the pressure system and that fresh water tank is spilling over somewhere.  So that is in progress now.  We had supper & settled for an evening of relaxing with a book & the TV.  I am reading Yvonne’s book and find it hard to put down.  When I finish Sheila gets to read it, (actually she is free to start it at any time).    

Note

Ignore my comment about the "&" symbol, apparently it dosent put the "amp" message in on the final copy that goes on the net, only on the proof copy before posting so no problem, sorry for any confusion.

Monday 29 January Day 11

It was nice & sunny and the gusty wind had stopped.  It was 68 F at 9:30 AM.  I phoned a repair place to have someone come to see about the propane leak and left a message to call me.  Sheila went up to WVB while I stayed to get a return phone message.  They called & are really busy but fortunately I had shut that line off back in Orange Grove before refilling the tank and it doesn’t affect the stove or regular furnace so it’s not an emergency situation.  They will call when they can be here so I can turn on the valve so they can see the leak.  We went up to the Taste of the Valley at the Dance Hall & Banquet room area running from 3:30 to 6:00.  It had merchants from all over Hemet that come to let people know they are out there & what they do.  Lots of restaurants were giving out food samples and lots of free pens at many of the places.  We didn’t need any supper after that.  I went to play crib, Sheila stayed to watch TV.  We play 5 rounds in partners with the losing side moving tables & the winners split to get new partners.  I won 4 of the 5 games but got an 87 on 1 game which was enough to push me out of winner range, it only cost a dollar so no big deal. Back to the RV to watch “The Good Doctor” on TV which turned out to be a repeat so we switched to a new “Scopion”.  Then to bed as we have to get up early as we are being picked up by Larry & Judy to go to the Breakfast Club Tuesday breakfast, this week at Seven Hill golf course for an 8:30 breakfast. Then we have to get back to GVP for the WVB starting at 10:00.  I tell you it’s a hectic life here!  

Sunday 28 January Day 10

We got up to a gusty windy day but nice & warm, suns out. Glad we rolled awning up.  After our breakfast we’re off to Water Volley Ball, henceforth to be referred to as WVB.  The gusty wind really affected the light beach balls we use so lots of misses but it was lots of fun as usual. After the game, hot tub and shower it’s back to the RV for lunch.  Then I have to crawl under the RV to see if I can find where the propane is leaking out of the auxiliary catalytic heater line that Les & I installed, (mostly Les, he has the expertise). Found it quite quickly, it was actually dripping from an elbow that directed the gas up through the floor boards into the RV.  It’s a steel elbow to a brass fitting.  I will phone a propane repair person tomorrow, they have several repair people who will come to the park & fix your RV on site.  Sheila went shopping in the afternoon after & I had a short rest, (nap?).  Then supper of the leftovers from yesterday and a cpl of pork chops.  Sunday night is bridge night so we are off to that after supper. Well, we had a fantastic night.  I could hardly believe our cards. We play 4 hands before changing tables, there were 5 tables playing and we went 5 rounds.  On 2 tables Sheila & I were able to make 2 complete games in the 4 hands. We came in first place and won $8.00, (anti is $1.00 each).  

Sat 27 January Day 9

Up for water volleyball and in the pool by 10 AM.  Lovely & warm, clear blue sky.  After the game I went up to the patio area where Sweet Baby Jane’s BBQ was serving lunch.  A large plate of either Brisket or Pork BBQ, (or half & half), with beans cole-slaw & a bun for $9.00 and they had live music, going from 11:30 to 1:30.  We were still playing in the pools and when he did Sweet Caroline the pool sang along. Then back to the RV to rest before going out with Larry & Judy for supper. We went to Angie’s Diner where we went last year & they had a rib special that was awesome.  Well, no sign of the special on the window so when I asked the waitress she said they didn’t have it any more but would give us a seniors discount on the regular menu ribs. I had the half rack for $12.14 which included soup (2 choices), or salad plus baked potato with everything and a veggie and a dessert. And the half rack was 6 ribs that the meat almost fell off the bone.  After the large salad and all the ribs, and the tapioca pudding with whipped cream dessert I couldn’t even eat the potato or the veggie, (which were big pile of green beans so Sheila was happy to take them home). After supper we went back to Larry and Judy’s Park Model to play bridge then home for the night.  We took in the awning as a precaution due to some wind.

Friday 26 January Day 8

Cooler last night but the sun is out and it’s warming nicely and was up to 70 F by noon. I went up for the Water Volley Ball game to be there by 10 AM.  Sheila made it by around 11:30 more or less.  Then into the hot tub, shower and home for lunch of some leftover chicken.  After a rest in the RV we went up to the Fri afternoon wine &cheese get together park introduction.  We like to do it once or twice or so, (it’s every Friday), to keep up on any new happenings etc, and eat cheese. Then back to the RV to get some more rest before going to the Mocktails party on the patio.  They had live entertainer, nachos with toppings, mixer, BYOB.  I just drink the mixer.  It’s out on the patio near the pool and they have gas fireplaces going and gas heaters in case it gets a bit cool in the eve, it runs from 6 to 8. They had, to go on the nachos, 2 hot cheese sauces, one hot & one mild, plus a hot bean mix, cut up black olives, avocado paste, sliced jalapeños, assorted veggies cut up, and sour cream.  I might have missed one but it was all compliments of GVP.  To drink they had several pops and a lemonade mixture plus one decanter with orange juice in it spiked with rum, (Sheila said that it was left over from a recent ladies luncheon).  Sheila forced me to get up and dance despite her foot and I kept saying dancing will not help it cure. Back home to relax with some TV.

 Question & request for advice.  Whenever I type the "&" symbol  in word and post it to the blog it adds "amp" beside it. I know what amp means, it's an abbreviation for ampersand which is the name of the "&" symbol.
Do I have to stop using the symbol & in my blog?

Thursday 25 January Day 7

Up to a slightly cooler day, it was 57 F at 8:30 & 64 F at 12:30; still, with the sun it was pleasant in the pools.  After Volleyball back to the rig for lunch and then it is Emelio’s Happy Hour Day starting at 3PM.  Margarita’s blended or on the rocks for $3.50 plus the complimentary Mexican appetizers, a choice of 3 types plus nacho’s with dip.  It runs every Thursday and usually a large contingent of the GVP Volleyball crowd is there.  After that we went to Wal-Mart to get some better shoes than my slippers for walking up to the pool; it’s a nuisance putting on socks to ware my street shoes up & back, plus the ones I got can be worn in the water as well. They don’t seem to sell the “crocks” plastic shoes anymore but I got another pair that I can use in the water if I want and will save the wear & tear in my RV indoor slippers. Tonight is Mexican Train Night so off we go.  They had a big group, 9 tables of 6.  We played our 3 games, me and Sheila came in top 2 on one so we each got our quarter back, (everyone puts in a quarter and 1^st & 2^nd on each of the 3 games wins a quarter). Back to the RV to catch a cpl of our shows on TV, we missed one that started at 9:00 but they are all recording at home anyway. 

Wednesday 24 January Day 6

We woke to a nice sunny day, a bit cool, but clear blue sky and sun. The thermometer I hung outside last night was reading 60 F at 10 AM but it was nice & warm, (the low humidity really works). I had a good Water Volleyball game and Sheila showed up about ½ way through.  She managed OK and said that it helped with her Planter Faciatis to stand on one foot periodically which is easy in 4 feet of water.  She did find the medium hot tub a little hot on her leg so will try the slightly cooler one tomorrow.  After lunch we went to Winco for groceries then I dropped Sheila to start a wash at the RV Park Laundromat. On arrival back at the RV the outside thermometer, which I had hung outside the RV in the shade, was reading 72 F.  Then it’s a Winco hot BBQ chicken for supper, however Sheila got tied up with the laundry so it was a bit of a late supper.   

Last night I tried to get the Cable TV to work but we just got blurry pictures and I don’t know what is wrong or what I have or haven’t done right. 

This morning I asked one of the maintenance people and he thought that I still had the antenna amplifier on. News to me that we had one, but I looked around and found a mysterious box in the storage bin over the dashboard passenger side, on it were 2 buttons.  The small red light on the box was on, I pushed one button and the light went out.  I then tried the TV and all is well, clear picture on all the cable channels.  That also explains why sometimes I got good reception and sometimes I didn’t. The LA TV weather forecast shows tomorrow as being cooler, down to 60 F but by the weekend they are forecasting 80+ F temps.    

Tuesday 23 January Day 5

We got up to a cold RV, it seems like there is a leak somewhere or some gas appliance was on a lot because all our propane is gone.  Fortunately we have our little electric heater plus it is a clear sunny day. The plot for today is to wash the car, pick a bunch of oranges, (it’s called Orange Grove RV Park for a reason – oranges galore, help yourself, & that’s in addition to free coffee and donuts in the office).  Also I took the RV to their Propane tank area to get the propane tank refilled. It took 14.3 USG and was totally empty.  We got everything done and pulled out headed for GVP at 11:45.  There is a Pilot station we always go to at the junction of Hwy 395 & 215, the price is good, (for Calif), and we can get a lunch snack.  There is also a road opposite the entrance with very wide levelish dirt side areas to park.  We pulled in at 2:15, gassed up 56.6 USG for $167.00 ($2.94 per Gallon), had our lunch & out at 2:50.  We got to GVP by 4:20 at 49227 miles. 

As soon as we got backed into our spot Sheila took of to get her nails done – fingers & toes – they are really good manicurists here & the price is half what she would pay at home.  I had a shower in the RV and got busy catching up on emails, blogs, and the daily diary now that I have the computer on power & WiFi.  I’m quite tired from all the driving so it’ll be an early evening to prepare for Water Volley Ball in the morning.

I will keep an eye on the gas and run each of our 4 gas burners, (fridge, hot water, auxiliary propane heater, and furnace), individually to see if we can find out which one is malfunctioning then I will call for a mobile repair truck. 

195 miles covered, 4 hrs on the road

Monday January 22 Day 4

We pulled out of Willows at 9 AM then a gas & food stop at 48777 from 1:00 to 1:40. Other than the gas stop, I drove non-stop to Orange Grove RV Park.  We arrived at 3:45 @ 49032.  A cpl of times when I was passing a line of 4 or 5 big trucks I proved the bit about the max speed for the RV is 75 mph is correct because a governor cut in to keep it at 75 mph, no faster.   We got our free donuts & coffee (me) and parked in a power/water spot, (slightly cheaper that a full service & we don’t need the extras for one night). Then we took the RV up to the washing area to de-grunge it a bit.  Back to our spot for supper & set up Sheila with the TV, (no cable just put the antenna up & got good clear picture on several channels), while I try to catch up on my journal, blog, expenses and clearing the email files.

372 miles covered, 6 hrs 5 min on the road

Sunday January 21 Day 3

We pulled out of Seven Feathers @ 10:20 @ 48365. A gas top up as we are approaching Calif., (higher gas prices), at 11:35 @ 48432 & back on hwy  @ 11:50 then 10 mins down the road a stop at Fred Myers to get my annual phone card, (no tax in Oregon), In at 12:00, had lunch and Sheila got a Starbucks Chi Tea, total $11.92, and back on the hwy by 1:00 heading for the Siskiyou pass.  We hit the summit by 1:25, 4310 ft, and then the Calif border at 1:30, then exit 783 CA, so CA is almost 800 miles top to bottom. As we went down into CA we started to get mixed snow & rain then all snow, the outside temp was 31 F, freezing! It was starting to build up on the window but blew off due to our speed and the wet windshield. The snow continued for 70 miles inside Calif. Before abruptly stopping and then the temp went up within a few miles we were into the 40’s then 51 F. Weird weather. Arrived Willows and parked at Nancy’s Airport Café at 5 PM at 48659 miles. We had a very nice supper and brought some home even.  Their seniors menu is more than we can finish and the price is right at around $10.00 for the main meal complete with potatoes, vegetables plus a salad bar and dessert and a beverage.  For a dollar they will split a meal onto 2 plates, we may try that one day.  Back at the RV we started the Gen so we could se if there was anything on TV.  We watched one show – 60 minutes – that was about the author of “The Spy who came in from the Cold” and “Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Spy” and other novels.  He was an operative with MI6, Britain’s spy agency so his writing is accurate.  Then we turned in as we need to get an early start tomorrow, i.e. on the road before 10 AM.

294 miles covered, 5hrs 25 min on the road

Saturday 20 January Day 2

We are still getting off & on rain showers in the morning. Got up early, (after 8:30), had my coffee while I tried to figure out why the power was not on, discovered a popped breaker, reset it, and the A/C came on in the bedroom. I turned it off.  Sheila had thought she was setting the heat but the bedroom unit only controls the rear A/C.  It blew out as we were running several lights, the electric heater; Sheila probably had the regular furnace on as well and maybe warmed tea in the microwave, a bit too much on the circuit.  After she was up & had her breakfast etc etc it’s off to the Safeway to get stuff we couldn’t bring across the border, away Elks 10:00 @ 48108 and finally out Safeway at 1:10. Away southbound down Hwy 5.  Flying J gas stop @ 48178 @ 12:30, split a 12 inch sub for lunch & out 1:20. Change to Sheila driving at @ 2:00 to 3:20.  Into Seven Feathers Casino parking lot, (we skipped the RV park to save the money, but I miss the hot tub), at 5:10 @ 48365. We planned to go further but light was fading & I had enough of driving the RV towing a car when all I can see are headlights around me.  It’s very hard to judge how far behind me they are when I need to change lanes.  With the car we are probably over 50 feet, (that’s about 17/18 meters or more), Sheila went to the casino while I puttered around in the RV and got supper a bit prepared.  Sheila may go back to the casino but I’m tired.  We are running the generator to use the microwave for supper & to power the computer as the computer battery is shot & it dies after ½ and hour.   

257 miles today, 5 hrs 10 min driving time

Friday 19 January, Day 1

The fridge board arrived at West Coast RV and "B" had it installed and we are set to go. Out at 11:15 & off to Golden Ears Bridge. Then just east of Harris road there was am accident back up. Just before the bridge entrance a car had gone off the road and was in the ditch, another car was on the side of the road with front end damage so it looks like someone changed lanes or severed & hit the other car forcing it off the road.  Ambulance was there so likely some injuries.  About a 10 minute delay. Arrived at the border at 12:45 at 47870.2 miles, (note all distances will be in miles). Clear border at 1:15. Smooth going until around Everett then solid traffic and a slow crawl, (at around 10 to 20 MPH),  through Seattle on interstate 5. The traffic stayed thick and slow all the way through Tacoma, Olympia, and past Fort Stevens.  We stopped for a tea break 5:45 to 6:15 as we weren't going to make Kelso for supper or in day light. Finally into the Elks RV park at 7:45 at 48108 miles.  It was not a fun drive with the heavy traffic plus off & on rain and the clouds making it like evening even at 2:30 in the afternoon.  Had a light supper in the rig and the over to the Elks for their WiFi. No problem getting on the computer remembered the confection from last year.

covered 238 miles from the border in 7 hrs 10 mins less the break of 30 mins so 6 hrs 40 mins on the road. 

Day 0 + 1 Thursday Jan 18, still at home

After the sleepover crew left I went down to the RV to start up the fridge and stow a cpl of things.  Couldn't get the fridge to go, also the gas to the stove was very restricted and would go out after a minute or so.  I phoned "B" at West Coast and took the RV over.  He discovered that the control panel was not working properly so ordered a new one, in Fri AM. Hopefully we can go there with the RV & the car & head south as soon as the RV is ready. By the way after the drive to West Coast RV the stove works fine.  "B" thought is was a blockage when I talked to him on the phone & I guess there was & it cleared driving there. So now we wait again.

Day 0 Wednesday 17 Jan 2018

2018, A new year & a new trip. Getting ready to go.  I picked up the RV from West Coast RV ready to go and parked it in the cul de sac on the level section of the street.  Hopefully we can load and depart tomorrow sometime. Being a shorter trip this year we don't have as much to pack.