Day 53 Sunday April 9

A lot cooler at night than the Yuma area and a slight overcast this morning but still in the mid 60’s at 10 AM. The forecast for the rest of the week is for warmer & clearer.  We went up to the pool to play WVB we only had 11people, (there always are less on Sundays anyway), but we had a fun game. On route up to the pool there were only 4 people playing Pickle Ball. Don joined in the pool and said they ran out of people for Pickle Ball, (you need 4 for a game).  Sheila says she likes it when there are less people in the pool as she gets more chances at the ball. After the game, it was Hot tub & home for lunch.  When I went to the back of the RV to hang up my bathing suit I saw the big black rabbit and a smaller brown bunny sitting side by side. The black rabbit moved towards me and stopped & wiggled his nose by my foot then went back to his spot by the bushes. So the black rabbit is definitely a domestic rabbit that got loose or was let loose and has taken up residence in the RV Park. This afternoon it is shopping day. This afternoon we got assorted groceries, presents, etc at Wal-mart & 99 cent store, checked Angel View goodwill store but no suitable slacks for me. Home in late PM to make supper.  We were just finished making supper when we got a call from Judy Shaffer that they were one short for one table at Sunday evening Bridge so I drove up to play. Sheila went to Larry & Judy’s park model and played Pegs & Jokers with Judy and their grandsons Dillon (12) & Ethan (14). Sheila partnered with Ethan & they won both the games they played. After the Bridge game, which Larry & I lost, I came back to the RV, had my supper late and we watched a bit of TV before turning in.  

Day 52 Saturday April 8

More roosters than yesterday, they seem to all go for a short while & then quit. Today it was 7-7:30 am.  However, since today is a busy travelling day, no problem really.  All unhooked, stowed & battened down & away by 9:20 @ 45749 miles, - a crack of dawn start for us!  Onto Hwy 8 and at Quechan Casino by 9:40.  We drove with the car unhooked because of the short distance.  We then drove down to the border, arriving at 9:45 where I dropped Sheila & parked to wait for her.  Here now starts the “Saga of Sheila” from last Thursday.  I had to wait for a successful conclusion before reporting it.  OK, after the Dentist she wanted to find some nice presents for the grandchildren, something Mexican.  Well, she found some really nice dresses for Mikaela & Erica as well as a vest for William.  Of course she bought a dress for herself as well.  Then enroute back to the border she passes a restaurant that is putting on a Fiesta as a thank you to all the Snowbirds and offering free food & drink. This was now afternoon and all the food was now gone, BUT, they still had free Margarita’s, good strong ones too according to Sheila.  She put her bags down and had one.  As she had to drive back she didn’t have more.  She arrives at the RV in the RV Park & then discovers that the bag with the dresses isn’t there!  Left at the restaurant!! She phones the restaurant but can’t get anyone who speaks English. She phoned again several times on Friday but couldn’t get our US phone to connect to Mexican exchange—something about “no server”.  So, since it’s on our way to Hemet, we decide to take a slight (2 mi. detour) to the Mexican border and she will go back to find them, (it is all of a 5 to 10 min. walk from the border).  After a half hour she returns bag in hand. The restaurant had found it under the table she was at & put it aside.  Sheila believes in the good in people & that it would be turned in and not taken. She was rewarded! We now drove back to the RV by 10:20, hooked up and headed out to Golden Village Palms departing at 10:35 @ 45759 miles.  Our next stop was Spotlight 29 Casino for lunch at 1:05 @ 45892 miles.  After a nice lunch we left at 2:25 and headed up the hwy past Palm Springs.  There is a reason for all the windmills there, we hit strong gusty head & side winds--they even had a lighted warning sign over the hwy about the winds.  It was not a fun drive!  After over an hour we were out of it and arrived at GVP RV Park by 3:50 @ 45957 miles.  Just over 200 miles but the last part made it a tiring day, I was really tired.  After we got in & set up, (by about 5:00), I just wanted to lie down and I did, getting up around 9:30 or so.  Just a quiet evening in the RV tonight, it’s Water Volley Ball tomorrow morning!

Day 51 Friday April 7

We slept in or as much as we could with local roosters around crowing.  We had a relaxed slow morning.  Then in the afternoon we went out to the local Wal-Mart store.  We got some groceries & Sheila wanted to go to Del Taco for one of their fish tacos.  I tried a bite, nothing special, just messy to eat and quite small.  I filled up the tow car as it was Arizona gas prices, 50 cents or more a gallon cheaper than Calif. Back at the RV I went to the pool while Sheila lay down for a nap in the cool air-conditioned RV.  The pool is solar heated and though temps in the daytime are well over 90 F, the pool water was still too cold for me.  It was about the temp of Sasamat Lake at home before it warms a bit in the summer.  I could get in if I wanted too--I didn’t want to, I will wait for GVP and their 84 F degree pools.  Another disadvantage of the pool here is there are no showers anywhere near the pool.  You either shower in your rig or walk/drive to the far end of the park!  Sheila did go in later, but was getting cold after 15 minutes. She was taking a break from laundry duties and had a swim while the machine washed. We had a nice but late supper of salads in the RV & then Sheila went out to pick up clothing from the dryer. Doing laundry here is much cheaper than at GVP--$1.25 vs $4.25. She’s back and it is dark now, we started the A/C in the bedroom to cool it from around 80 F although it doesn’t feel hot to me it just feels nice, Sheila will disagree.

2 pics of our 2 day/night residence in YUMA

our spot Rolle's Lynda Vista

our spot Rolle's Lynda Vista

Pictures of the"camping" spot at Quechan casino just off hwy 8 west of Yuma & a mile from Mexican Border

 camped at Quechan Casino

 From the car parking lot, QuechanCasino

Closer view of our spot

Day 50 Thursday April 6

Sheila set alarm but woke before it.  She went over to the Casino to pick up a cheap take-out breakfast and then headed out for her 10:30 appointment.  I got the RV ready to roll and headed out at 10:40 @ 45740 miles.  I arrived at the RV Park about 10:55 at 45749 miles.  Checked in for 2 nights and got set up with A/C running for Sheila’s return – eventually.  I phoned GVP & got their one week special for $179.00.  Due to a large Good Sam tour group and the Antique/Classic RV show later in the month the special ends on April 15 so at the moment it looks like that will be our return home start date. Sheila got back OK all dental went as planned and she even got some deals at the village merchants including a free Margarita at La Restaurante Paraiso. They were having a Fiesta to show their appreciation for Snowbird’s patronage. Sheila showed up around mid afternoon. All went well and she is happy with the result.  We relaxed in the afternoon heat as much as possible.  We wanted to try the pool but the gate was locked & the key we got didn’t open it, so we’ll have to check that out tomorrow.  We made supper and relaxed outside the RV in the warm evening. They don’t get the breezes here that we did at the casino so the RV heats up a bit more, making it very pleasant to sit outside.

Day 49 Wednesday April 5

Today is our off day so we slept in and had a lazy morning.  We looked up where one of the Passport America RV parks was and drove over to check it out, (it’s just 8.7 miles from the casino).  And then we stayed in Yuma to go to the Golden Corral for lunch.  We got the Early Bird special for $7.99 each including refillable drinks.   Enroute there we had checked out a movie complex to see what was on and after lunch we went to one called “The Zookeepers Wife”.  It’s a true store about the Warsaw Zoo during WW2 and the Warsaw ghetto. The zookeeper and his wife saved 300 Jews from the Nazi’s death camps by sneaking them in & hiding them at the zoo.  By the way popcorn is just as expensive in US theatres as at home, small is $5.75 & it went up to $8.75 for large.  Home to the Casino and Sheila went in to gamble.  I used their change machine to break a $100 bill. Just put it in a slot & the machine reads the bill & spits out five 20’s.  That’s today.  Tomorrow Sheila goes down to the dentist for the completion of the work and while she is there I will drive the RV to Rollie’s Lynda Vista RV Park we visited today and get set up there for a day or two. Sheila has the GPS and as we went there today she should find the campground OK when she’s finished in Algodones.