Friday, January 31, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 26 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
A second day of cloudy weather. Without the sun it feels much cooler than it actually is. While in outside thermometer (located inside the propane tank cover) peaked at 72°F, I put on a long sleeve shirt to sit outdoors. I gave up when the wind got strong enough to be annoying.
I went to the Parker CVS to pick up a prescription. I had it transfered from my Oswego, NY Kinny's pharmacy, which told me there wouldn't be any problems. It did take two days for the transfer to go through, but the "interesting" thing is since I had 3 refills on the Kinny prescription, I expected the CVS bottle to have 2 refills. Nope, - no refills. That might be a problem 90 days from now, but the counter clerk put in a renewal on the computer, so according to her, I'll have refills the next time I try to fill it. Probably will be a good idea to take the Kinny Drug pill bottle as well as the CVS bottle when I do the next refill.
I stopped at Safeway to stock up on some supplies - I've been told that the grocery stores at Quartzite are poorly stocked & expensive, so I'll try to take as much as I can from there.
Dinner was take out fried cod from the bar at the end of the campground. Very good, and plentiful, although the coleslaw had some serious horseradish added to it.
Until tomorrow -
My blog follows my travels through the US & Canada in an Escape 21 Travel Trailer towed by a Ford F150 3.5 Ecoboost Off Road. For anyone interested in additional photos I have a Web Page with photos & journals of all my trips. Shortcut to first Blogger post
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 25
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| Tonight's Sunset over the Colorado River & Campground |
Aren't you getting tired of these "do nothing" days? I know I am. It will definitely be time to move on next Monday! I did take a photo of both last night & tonight's sunsets - both were nice above the river & campground. Other than that it was a day to sit around & read, view web pages, and toss a pot pie in the toaster oven for dinner. For last night's sunset, check today's LakeshoreImages page.
Until tomorrow -
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 24
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| Female Hummingbird |
Yet another quiet day. I did put the 70-200mm zoom lens on the camera and waited for the hummingbirds. For some reason they spent more time sitting and less flying, but I got a couple of photos, including some of the bees that share the feeder. More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.
Other than that, not much happening. Dinner was a turkey burger & salad.
Until tomorrow -
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 23
Tuesday, January 28, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 23 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
Another quiet day. Did my walk around the campground before breakfast this morning - needed a jacket - it was 43°F, the coldest it has been since I arrived here at La Paz. Of course it didn't take long for the sun to warm it up to the mid 70's.
After lunch I drove to Parker for a haircut. Tried the Paqute Barber Shop & am happy with the service. I forgot what it was like to go to a real barber rather than a chain or hairdresser. They spend lots of time on the neckline, including shaving with a straight razor.
Back at the campground I read for a bit, then made dinner - left over chicken and asparagus. No photos.
Until tomorrow -
Another quiet day. Did my walk around the campground before breakfast this morning - needed a jacket - it was 43°F, the coldest it has been since I arrived here at La Paz. Of course it didn't take long for the sun to warm it up to the mid 70's.
After lunch I drove to Parker for a haircut. Tried the Paqute Barber Shop & am happy with the service. I forgot what it was like to go to a real barber rather than a chain or hairdresser. They spend lots of time on the neckline, including shaving with a straight razor.
Back at the campground I read for a bit, then made dinner - left over chicken and asparagus. No photos.
Until tomorrow -
Monday, January 27, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 22
Monday, January 27, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 22 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
I started out the morning adding my last week here at La Paz. Almost didn't - they have a 3 week limit for stays without paying for electricity. I asked about that when I first registered, and, as I mentioned in last Monday's post, was told because I paid for two weeks, on the third week I'd start paying for electricity. Last week they told me I would be able to pay by the week at the long term site I was in with no problem. I specifically asked about the written 3 week maximum rule & they said as long as I was in a long term site, I could pay by the week at the higher non electric rate. Of course this week a different campground host told me that I would not be able to stay. Finally had to get the park manager in on the conversation, and it was decided that I could stay another week. Sure wish they all talked the same story! I did take a meter reading when I first moved to site 20, and found I'm averaging $2.00 per day at $.16 per KWH. At that rate they are making out well by my paying the non electric rate.
Anyhow, I drove to Parker to do laundry. Not quite as crowded as last time. On the way back I stopped at Walmart & picked up a storage bin to attempt to find a way to fit the TV under the bed when I travel or don't want to get it out. It took lots of changes, enough that it will take me a month to figure out where everything is, but it fits.
I did a bit of reading, then went to the Roadrunner for their Monday Taco night. Very crowded - an hour wait to order, and another 1/2 hour to pick them up. Still, excellent fish tacos!
Until tomorrow -
I started out the morning adding my last week here at La Paz. Almost didn't - they have a 3 week limit for stays without paying for electricity. I asked about that when I first registered, and, as I mentioned in last Monday's post, was told because I paid for two weeks, on the third week I'd start paying for electricity. Last week they told me I would be able to pay by the week at the long term site I was in with no problem. I specifically asked about the written 3 week maximum rule & they said as long as I was in a long term site, I could pay by the week at the higher non electric rate. Of course this week a different campground host told me that I would not be able to stay. Finally had to get the park manager in on the conversation, and it was decided that I could stay another week. Sure wish they all talked the same story! I did take a meter reading when I first moved to site 20, and found I'm averaging $2.00 per day at $.16 per KWH. At that rate they are making out well by my paying the non electric rate.
Anyhow, I drove to Parker to do laundry. Not quite as crowded as last time. On the way back I stopped at Walmart & picked up a storage bin to attempt to find a way to fit the TV under the bed when I travel or don't want to get it out. It took lots of changes, enough that it will take me a month to figure out where everything is, but it fits.
I did a bit of reading, then went to the Roadrunner for their Monday Taco night. Very crowded - an hour wait to order, and another 1/2 hour to pick them up. Still, excellent fish tacos!
Until tomorrow -
Sunday, January 26, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 21 & Another Trip to the Desert Bar
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| Helicopter Rides at the Desert Bar |
Today was a campground fund raiser breakfast - waffles, juice, sausage, fruit & whipped cream, all for $5.00. After breakfast I returned to the trailer & read the Sunday paper, some web pages, and a bit of my next book. I decided to drive out to the Desert Bar again. Now that it is warmer, I needed a short sleeve "T" shirt.
Busier than last time, and I finally found out what the helicopters running down the river every weekend were doing. They give helicopter rides at the Desert Bar - $45.00 per passenger. I didn't take one even though it was a lot cheaper than my last one - $13,634.00 to be medically moved from Nantucket Island to a hospital in Boston. I'm so glad my insurance picked up most of the cost! While I didn't ask, I've seen the same helicopters in Lake Havasu City; they may also be bringing people to the bar from there. Sure beats the rocky dirt road! For anyone that wants to know the history of the place, I posted a photo of an information sheet on the December 14th page linked above.
Anyhow, I got a few photos of the bar & helicopter which are on today's LakeshoreImages page.
After getting back to pavement I decided the 14 mile round trip on a dusty dirt road required hitting the car wash for the RAV4. Then, after getting back to the campground, it looked so clean that I decided to wax it. I now have the shiniest RAV4 in the park!
By then it was dinner time, which was grilled chicken breast & fresh asparagus.
Until tomorrow -
Saturday, January 25, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 20
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| Another Hummingbird |
Just a short post today since nothing much happened. I did wander over to the Saturday Swap Meet, and nothing new to buy. I even skipped the Kettle Popcorn! Since I didn't take any photos, I used another hummingbird photo from yesterday.
Spent most of the day reading. I made a couple of BLTs for lunch, and just had cheese & crackers for dinner. Does anyone else prefer "skinny" bacon? Three quarters of the shelf space in most of the supermarkets are filled with thick cut bacon. Oh well, it might be just me...
Until tomorrow -
Friday, January 24, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 19 & Hummingbirds
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| Hummer |
Today was all about birds. The first of them were a couple of Osprey, not the feathered kind, but the Boeing V22 type. While I've read about them, both good & bad, this is the first time I've seen them fly. I was in Parker at the Safeway getting some milk & snacks, and heard an unusual helicopter sound. Having spent a year in Viet Nam where the sound of incoming helicopters was a welcoming sound, I still seem to be tuned to the sound of rotor blades. Looked up & there they were. Grabbed the camera and shot a few photos. Quite impressive!
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| V22 Osprey |
After getting back to the campground, I sat out reading. Not too much wind, and a very overcast day. No individual clouds, but the sun was completely obscured. I decided to grab the camera and wait for the hummingbirds to feed. At least three different ones stopped by & I took far too many photos, but I do enjoy them. Lots more photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.
Since the trailer is cooler than usual this time of day because of the lack of sun, I'm going to bake a frozen chicken dinner in the toaster oven, along with steamed snap peas & mashed potatoes.
Until tomorrow -
Thursday, January 23, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 18
Thursday, January 23, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 18 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
Didn't do much at all today. I did some reading, web page surfing, filled the hummingbird feeder, although I probably should call it a bee feeder since far more bees visit than hummingbirds.
Dinner was another shrimp dinner from the Roadrunner bar next to the campground. I even got an extra shrimp, although rather than fried mushrooms, they included 4 hush puppies. I'd rather have had the mushrooms....
Until tomorrow -
Didn't do much at all today. I did some reading, web page surfing, filled the hummingbird feeder, although I probably should call it a bee feeder since far more bees visit than hummingbirds.
Dinner was another shrimp dinner from the Roadrunner bar next to the campground. I even got an extra shrimp, although rather than fried mushrooms, they included 4 hush puppies. I'd rather have had the mushrooms....
Until tomorrow -
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 17 & The Quartzite RV Show
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| The "Big Tent" - Quartzite RV Show |
I decided today would be a good day to drive to Quartzite to see the RV show. For those that haven't heard about it, during the last two weeks of January the population of Quartzite expands by many thousands, a large tent is set up, and hundreds of vendors gather to sell "stuff". Between the RV Show & Rock & Gem shows running concurrently, there are thousands of booths located throughout the city. Some photos of the show at today's LakeshoreImages page.
While driving towards the Big Tent area I saw 3 Oliver Fiberglass trailers, so I stopped to take a look at them. I met Larry Harmon & his wife Betty who are showing the trailers for Oliver. They have 2 of the new 2014 22' trailers and a 2008 17'. Larry & Betty have a website at Mountainborn.com, and an interesting blog. There are a couple of photos of the Oliver trailers at today's LakeshoreImages page.
By the way, Oliver officially launched their new website today. They also have a Facebook Page.
After that it was on to the Big Tent. Traffic was a zoo, particularly as you got close to the tent. I parked away from it & walked. Saw lots of stuff, and actually bought something - a camp chair that includes a small table. I have gotten tired of balancing my plate, drink, etc on my lap while sitting in my regular chair. While it is more comfortable than most, has the advantage that it has a "hood" that can be raised to provide shade, and it folds into a fairly small package, the problem is no table or cup holder. Of course, like the TV, I'm going to have to find a place to store it when I'm not using it - always a problem with a small trailer!
Much of the BLM land around Quartzite is open to camping - there are 14 day free sections, 14 day areas with access to dump & water stations for $40.00, and Long Term camping for 6 months for $180.00. All of it is dry camping without bathrooms, showers, etc. I included a panorama of the Hi Jolly area, one of the free 14 day campgrounds at today's LakeshoreImages page. The linked larger photo of the Panorama is fairly large - (742K).
I got back to the campground around 3:30, finished my 1100 page book, Robert Jordan's A Memory of Light (the final book of the Wheel of Time series). Dinner was the rest of yesterday's grilled chicken breast (yes, it was large enough for two nights!) as a sandwich.
Until tomorrow -
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 16
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| It's Straight Now! |
I did my walk around the campground before breakfast, then tried sitting outside the trailer, but the wind & clouds drove me inside. I'm still not complaining - it was 65°F while it is in the single digits at home. I fixed the crooked TV mount, and read, caught up on reading some of my favorite travel blogs, and by 1:00 it had warmed up enough that even with a bit of wind it was comfortable outside. I keep telling myself I should be doing something since I usually travel to take photographs, etc, but if I stop & think about it, if I was home I wouldn't be doing all that much different other than my lunch time lap swim. The Colorado River is a bit too clod for swimming! So, I just have to get used to being a bit bored - sorry for those reading the blog - I promise it will get more interesting once I start moving again.
Dinner was a grilled chicken breast & snap beans.
Until tomorrow -
Monday, January 20, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 15
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| The TV Mount (Yes, it is Crooked!) |
After breakfast I stopped by the campground office to add the next two weeks to my stay. When I registered, I was told that after moving to a permanent site all they would do is check my electric meter & book the second two weeks at the monthly rate plus $.16 per KWH used. Evidently, they were mis informed - if I wanted the monthly rate I would have to stay for a month starting today. So, I'm booked at the weekly rate which is a bit more expensive, but with no electric charge. I looked at how much electricity I used over the first couple of days, and the monthly difference came out to about $40.00 in favor of the monthly rate, so I'm still much less expensive than the state parks.
I drove into Parker to get the parts to hang the TV. On the way back I saw an Escape 19 in the golf course parking lot. I bought some 4mm machine screws to mount the TV to a couple of pieces of aluminum that hang from some hooks in the cabinet over the foot of the bed. The directions that state the length of the 4mm machine screws was wrong, so after building the brackets & finding the screws wouldn't tighten, it was back to Parker for shorter ones. So, it is hung. Not quite level - I still need to file the hole in one of the hangers a bit larger to level it, but, like all projects, it took long enough that I'll save adjusting it for later.
I was planning grilled chicken for dinner, but it is not quite defrosted. While thinking about what to make, someone rode by on a bicycle and shouted - "The tacos at the Roadrunner Bar (the floating bar next to the campground) are great". I forgot that Monday is Taco Night (well, since it starts at noon, I guess it should be called Taco Day). Six beef tacos for $5.00. They also have 4 chicken or fish tacos for $5.00, and since I can't eat 6 beef tacos, I decided to try the chicken & fish. The chicken - OK, but the fish tacos were excellent.
Until Tomorrow -
Sunday, January 19, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 14
Sunday, January 19, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 14 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
A typical Sunday - read the Syracuse paper on my iPad, played a couple pages of Candy Crush (I'm up to level 29) took my walk around the campground, and relaxed. I was out of milk so I made a run to Parker. Stopped in Walmart, and on impulse, bought a 24" TV. I got tired of setting up my computer to watch TV, even though I hardly ever watch it. Now I have to find a way to mount the TV in the trailer - I'll probably hang it from the cabinets at the foot of the bed, but I'll have to make some hardware to accomplish it. I have to admit it is far easier to just turn on a TV than add all the parts to make the Mac thing it is one.
Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs.
Until tomorrow -
A typical Sunday - read the Syracuse paper on my iPad, played a couple pages of Candy Crush (I'm up to level 29) took my walk around the campground, and relaxed. I was out of milk so I made a run to Parker. Stopped in Walmart, and on impulse, bought a 24" TV. I got tired of setting up my computer to watch TV, even though I hardly ever watch it. Now I have to find a way to mount the TV in the trailer - I'll probably hang it from the cabinets at the foot of the bed, but I'll have to make some hardware to accomplish it. I have to admit it is far easier to just turn on a TV than add all the parts to make the Mac thing it is one.
Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs.
Until tomorrow -
Saturday, January 18, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 13
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| Stearman Biplanes |
Since i didn't take any photos today, I added one from yesterday. Lots of non photo activity. After breakfast it was off to the Swap Meet to see if anything new appeared. Even though there were fewer booths than last week (I was told many of them are either at the Balloon Festival or Quartzite) I did manage to find the two things I was looking for - a pair of spare locking pins for my Weight Distribution Hitch, and 2 1/2" hose clamps. Spent a whole $1.65 (well, $6.65 since I also bought a bag of Kettle corn.)
While at Lake Havasu City yesterday I stopped at Lowes and picked up some parts for adapting my 12V compressor so it can use my standard air hose connectors. It solves a problem for single travelers - if you want to blow the water out of your lines to winterize the trailer, you really need two people using a non threaded water line to air hose adapter. The plastic one I have has no threads on the air side, so you need to hold the air chuck on it. If you are doing that, you can't go into the trailer & open each faucet one by one, and certainly can't operate the spring loaded toilet valve. At home it is no problem since I made water line to air adapter that uses standard air hose fittings for my 120V compressor. The problem is the 12V compressor uses an 1/8" air hose & all my fittings are for 3/8" hose. Lucky, I found 1/4" pipe fittings with 1/8" barbs at Lowes. So, my 12V compressor things it is a big boy with real fittings! Looks a little silly since the fittings are almost as bit as the compressor.
I was able to do two other projects because my package from Amazon came in. I have an XM radio receiver that I use in the RAV4, and when I can't get a public radio station, I move it into the trailer. While the radio is a docking version, I only have one dock & one power cord so it is a pain to move it back & forth. I bought the missing pieces, and spent a couple of hours threading cables through the trailer cabinets so the radio can go at the head of my bed & still plug into the Sony iPod dock that sits on the extension table at the foot of the bed. More of a project than I expected, but aren't the all!
The last was to replace the propane regulator. The last time I went to fill an empty tank I did the usual - switch the lever to the full tank & disconnect the empty one. The problem - gas hissed out the connector for the empty tank. That isn't suppose to happen. What's more, if it is doing that, I suspect it is also feeding the trailer from both tanks even though it is suppose to only switch tanks when the first is empty. So, I ordered a replacement. Again, not a simple change since the replacement was a different brand with different mounting holes, etc. At least the fittings were the same size. It is also a bit tighter fin inside the tank cover. After hooking everything up & checking for leaks (none) I tried disconnecting one tank & no hissing! Probably should throw away the old regulator, but I always like to have a spare, so it went into the RAV4 storage area for awhile. Now every time I open the storage area I smell propane.
The projects took up most of another beautiful day. I got to sit in the sun and read for about an hour before dinner, which was a cheeseburger & fresh string beans.
Until tomorrow -
Friday, January 17, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 12 & The 4th Annual Havasu Balloon Festival
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| Havasu Balloon Festival |
I drove to Lake Havasu for the 4th Annual Havasu Balloon Festival. While it is a weekend affair, I'm going to stick with just doing Friday. I parked far to far away from the actual festival. What I thought was the "free" parking was 1/2 mile from the festival; there was parking much closer. At least on the way back there was a bus that drove most of the way.
Like other balloon festivals, lots of other things going on. Many food & craft booths, an entertainment stage, and amusement section. They also had sky divers, three Stearman Biplanes that flew by, and, of course, balloons. A large field with quite a few balloons, however very few that actually flew. I'm not sure why - it wasn't very windy. Maybe they didn't have enough paying customers. In any case, most of them inflated, stayed tied to the chase cars, and then deflated. I still got quite a few photos. Some are at today's LakeshoreImages page, the rest on their own page.
After that it was a 30 mile drive back to the campground. I stopped at Bashes in Lake Havasu for some fried chicken for dinner, not that I needed it; I had a Gyro at the festival, although far from the best I've had.
Until tomorrow -
Thursday, January 16, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 11
Thursday, January 16, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 11 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
One of the warmest days here at La Paz - it hit 79°F. Unfortunately, the wind is back, making it uncomfortable to sit outside. I didn't do much more than take my walk around the campground. I did add some tent stakes to the bottom of the hummingbird hanger to keep it from blowing over. No photos today.
Dinner was soup & a sandwich.
Until tomorrow -
One of the warmest days here at La Paz - it hit 79°F. Unfortunately, the wind is back, making it uncomfortable to sit outside. I didn't do much more than take my walk around the campground. I did add some tent stakes to the bottom of the hummingbird hanger to keep it from blowing over. No photos today.
Dinner was soup & a sandwich.
Until tomorrow -
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 10 & The Da Vinci Exhibit
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| The Da Vinci Exhibit at the Blue Water Resort & Casino |
Wednesday, January 15, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 10 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
I waxed part of the roof after breakfast, but it was a little too sunny to do the side facing the sun. My next door neighbor told me there was a free spaghetti dinner all day for seniors at the Blue Water Resort & Casino. I had wanted to see the Da Vince exhibit that was at the casino, so I decided to combine the two for dinner.
Well, I did get to see the exhibit. $20.00 admission, worth it if you are interested in Da Vinci, which I am, probably not if you aren't. It consists of wooden models of many of his inventions, a time line of his life, and a bunch of poorly reproduced copies of some of his artistic work. Part of the problem is the lighting was terrible. I suspect since I spent a lifetime working with theatre lighting I might be over critical, but with fixtures aimed next to an exhibit rather than at it, a single spotlight lighting only the middle of a large painting, many items in darkness, etc, someone could have put a bit more effort into the presentation. In any case, it was interesting to see the drawings of his inventions brought to life. I have always been fascinated by the man - amazing inventive mind combined with tremendous artistic talent. More photos of the exhibit at today's LakeshoreImages page.
As to the spaghetti dinner, when I walked past the thousands of slot machines & found the restaurant, I discovered that every senior in Parker decided to take advantage of the free dinner. The line circled the floor & then some - the wait was between 1 & 1 1/2 hours. I decided it wasn't worth waiting, so did a little shopping & headed back to the campground. Dinner was a grilled chicken thigh & a Koor noodles, cheese & broccoli side. Not free, but I'm sure I ate well before I would have if I waited at the casino.
Until tomorrow -
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 9
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| Rising Moon |
Today was a busy one. I met Micah Smith getting set up to wash a trailer across the street from me, discovered he charges $2.00 per foot including the roof, tires & windows and decided $34.00 was a good deal. Another reason for having a small trailer! He doesn't have a web page, but if you have a trailer between Parker & Lake Havasu City, he can be reached at 602 677 9892.
Only one problem - as he was getting started on the 1st trailer the water went off. I asked him to wash mine if the water came back on and headed to Parker to do laundry. There is a laundromat even if Matilda, my GPS doesn't thing so. The Kofa Laundromat was quite crowded - I couldn't get any of the front loading machines, so it was a couple of old fashion washers. When the clothes were done there was only one dryer left open.
On the way home I stopped at Walmart & picked up a plant hanger that may work as a hummingbird holder. Back at the campground I found a freshly washed trailer, so the next step was to wax it. I only did the shadow side since the sun was pretty hot. Because it is a small trailer, it only takes about 2 hours to do the entire thing. After that I used the trailer as a wind blocker and read for a bit. The last 3 days have been pretty windy, although it seems to be getting less each day. After a shower I read a little more, then decided to try the restaurant next to the campground for dinner. I got a fried shrimp dinner that was excellent. Even included three fried mushrooms, a favorite of mine.
After dinner I waxed the other side of the trailer. Didn't do the roof - that will have to wait until tomorrow. The rising, almost full moon was surrounded by some color from the sunset - the photo doesn't do it justice, but it was pretty.
Until tomorrow -
Monday, January 13, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 8
Monday, January 13, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 8 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
Another windy day. I tried sitting outside, but just couldn't find the right combination of sun and shade while hiding from the wind. I took a couple of walks, then headed for the trailer. I have a new addiction - a friend decided to help with my complaint of being bored & introduced me to Candy Crush. I added the app to my iPad, and have already wasted at least an hour playing it. It is fun as long as you don't start ordering extra plays, etc. I suspect an addictive person could pile up quite a bill at iTunes since they sell all kinds of add ons, just at the time you need them!
No photos today. Dinner was the last of the meatloaf & a salad.
Until tomorrow -
Another windy day. I tried sitting outside, but just couldn't find the right combination of sun and shade while hiding from the wind. I took a couple of walks, then headed for the trailer. I have a new addiction - a friend decided to help with my complaint of being bored & introduced me to Candy Crush. I added the app to my iPad, and have already wasted at least an hour playing it. It is fun as long as you don't start ordering extra plays, etc. I suspect an addictive person could pile up quite a bill at iTunes since they sell all kinds of add ons, just at the time you need them!
No photos today. Dinner was the last of the meatloaf & a salad.
Until tomorrow -
Sunday, January 12, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 7
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| Strange Cloud |
Sunday, January 12, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 7 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
A typical Sunday morning - read the Syracuse Post Standard newspaper on my iPad. I much prefer it on paper, but it would be tough getting it delivered here in Arizona! I have to read it on the iPad 4 days a week anyway even at home; like many newspapers in the US, the Post Standard went to 3 days a week on paper & 7 days on line.
I took my daily 2 mile walk around the campground in two sessions today. The second walk was along the river in the section of the campground that is water only. Even that is pretty near filled - they have a sign at the entrance stating dry camping only. I'm lucky I showed up when I did - the sign has been up most of the week & during my walks I haven't seen any empty spaces in the electric & water sites, either the permanent or 2 week sections.
Some of the trailers & motorhomes in the water only section are here for the duration, and have 200 - 400 watts of solar on the roof, most tilted to improve the collection of solar energy in the low winter sun. At least one motorhome is really prepared for dry camping - it had over 1000 watts worth of panels scattered across the roof. A few also have portable Honda & Yamaha inverter generators (the quiet kind). The row starts about 300' from my trailer & I've never heard a generator, so I'm guessing there are no construction specials in the collection.
While it was quite warm today (at 3:30 it was 75°F) the clouds moved in & the wind picked up. I don't have a wind gauge, but it is enough that it shakes the trailer, and puts a bit of a chop on the river. I managed to sit outside until about 4:30, then decided to come inside.
Just before I came in I noticed a strange cloud - well before sunset one small cloud decided to show some color. If I remember from what little meteorology I've read, it is caused by ice crystals - in any case it only lasted for a couple of minutes before it went back to a normal cloud. You may have to look at the large version to see it...
Dinner will be left over meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and snap peas.
Until tomorrow -
Saturday, January 11, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 6
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| Water Skiing on the Colorado River |
Today's excitement was the Swap Meet. Every Saturday an empty field next to the campground fills with 100's of vendors selling just about anything you can thing of (except the Shepard's hook I'm looking for to hang my hummingbird feeder). All I bought was a bag of kettle corn - very good! I did find a Shepard's hook at the local hardware store, but it was made of 1/2" steel, too big & too heavy for traveling, plus a bit more expensive than I wanted to pay. I'll keep looking.
I took some photos of the different boats cruising on the river. All kinds of boats - I'll try to get more examples. My favorite today was the guy that went by 4 times on water skis. He, unlike the lady the other day, was wearing a wet suit. Photos of a couple of other boats at today's LakeshoreImages page.
Dinner was meat loaf & a salad.
Until tomorrow -
Friday, January 10, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 5
Friday, January 10, 2014, La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 5 - 0 miles 4,878.8 For the Trip
I think I'm getting used to the snowbird life - I actually didn't do anything today, and didn't feel guilty about it. I did take a couple of laps around the campground, made a run to Parker for some hamburger rolls and other supplies. I was hoping to find a pole to hang my hummingbird feeder from, but no luck. There is a Swap Shop tomorrow that he campground host says sells just about everything, so maybe they will have something there. I also placed an Amazon order that I had shipped to the campground. According to the host, there is no problem getting UPS or FedEx shipments as well as normal US postal service mail; I guess I'll find out. I do see a FedEx truck go by my site every day.
No photos today - the sunset was OK, but nothing new or different than those I've already posted. Dinner was a cheeseburger & salad.
Until tomorrow -
I think I'm getting used to the snowbird life - I actually didn't do anything today, and didn't feel guilty about it. I did take a couple of laps around the campground, made a run to Parker for some hamburger rolls and other supplies. I was hoping to find a pole to hang my hummingbird feeder from, but no luck. There is a Swap Shop tomorrow that he campground host says sells just about everything, so maybe they will have something there. I also placed an Amazon order that I had shipped to the campground. According to the host, there is no problem getting UPS or FedEx shipments as well as normal US postal service mail; I guess I'll find out. I do see a FedEx truck go by my site every day.
No photos today - the sunset was OK, but nothing new or different than those I've already posted. Dinner was a cheeseburger & salad.
Until tomorrow -
Thursday, January 9, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 4
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| Paddle Boarding on the Colorado River |
The big excitement for the day? Someone on a stand up Paddle board cruising by on the river. Must be very confident - while the air is 70°F, the water temperature according to the chart at the Buckskin Mountain web page is around 52°F. If it was me on the board I'd be falling in every 100' or so, but she paddled up & down the river with no problems. At first I thought it was a brave dog huddled on the board, but closer examination revealed it was a bag.
Other than that, I spent the day either walking around the park or reading. I did get to meet one of my neighbors and talked a bit as well as a couple of people interested in the trailer. I believe it is the smallest in the park. I know it is the smallest in my row!
I had a large turkey sub for lunch, so dinner was simple - cheese & crackers.
Until tomorrow -
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 3
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| Vermillion Flycatcher? |
Another quiet morning at La Paz County Park. After breakfast I headed to the book exchange library & traded 7 books for 5 that I found that I probably haven't read. I have to say probably, because my database of "read-books" only goes back to 2005. As I've mentioned before, one advantage of getting old is you can reread a book that you first read 5-10 years ago & it is just like new! In any case, I now have a couple of weeks worth of books in the back of the RAV4.
After I got back from photographing the bird in today's photos, one of the campground hosts stopped by and let me know that a long term site was open. I checked it out, and one big plus is it is near a bathroom with showers. Also has a great view of the river. Not quite as large as N8, but still worth the move. I'm now in site 20. By the way, I'm guessing at the name of the bird; if anyone knows better, please let me know. More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.
That is about it for the day. Dinner was grilled chicken, left over rice & mixed vegetables.
Until tomorrow -
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ, Day 2
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| Sunset on the Colorado River |
I spent most of the day doing nothing. I did walk around the campground a bit - it is large enough that it is easy to do a couple of miles without leaving. I wrote & mailed a couple of birthday cards, and checked out the books in the trading library - not much by the authors I read so I'll probably leave more than I take. While there is a bathroom near my site, it doesn't have showers. I tried to get a key to the nearest bathroom with showers - some are open to all and others need keys. The problem is they don't have any keys left for the nearest bathroom, so showers are far enough away that I'll probably drive to them. I did notice as I was typing this that I have been on the road for three months. I am still trying to get used to staying in one place for a long time - I'm used to stopping for a day or two, then moving on - it takes a different mindset to stay in a campground for a couple of weeks.
Another beautiful sunset tonight. As you can see, lots of us were taking photos. It was about the most cloudy day I've had along the Colorado, and, without the sun, fairly cool. Of course, cool is relative - it did hit 64°F when the sun was shining, and at home it is 1°F, and a declared snow emergency with the local schools & interstates closed. As usual, more photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.
Dinner was fried rather than grilled fish so I could finish off the package of Cod I bought yesterday, along with rice.
Monday, January 6, 2014
La Paz County Park, AZ
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| Site N8, La Paz County Park, AZ |
I didn't get too early a start this morning since I only had to drive 20 miles or so. Packed up the trailer, hooked it up, dumped the tanks, and headed south on AZ95. Two stops on the way; the first to photograph some interesting reeds or cattails on the Bill Williams River, and the second for a huge something coming the other way that was definitely a "wide Load", complete with a sheriff pushing us off the road so it could fit.
While I was hoping for a one month site at La Paz, none were available, so I'm in a two week site with the possibility of moving to another one when the two weeks are up. While the month price is quite a bit less expensive, the weekly sites have free electricity - it is $.16 per KWH on the monthly sites. I'm in site N8, at the northern end of the park. Electric & Water, no sewer, and on dirt. Our section only has about 8 RVs, and the sites are larger than those closer to the water. I also have cable, and since I will be here for a month, actually programed the USB tuner I have for the Mac. Unfortunately, after the 45 minutes it took to find all the channels, I didn't find much that interested me. There is a PBS station, so maybe I'll check that out if I get bored.
I met a couple in a near by trailer that is part of the Broadhurst family that started the Broadhurst theater in NY. Tom Morse, one of my former students designed sound for many Neil Simon productions, & I saw Broadway Bound there. Small world.
Dinner was a fillet of Cod, pretty good for previously frozen (I've been spoiled by fish a few hours out of the ocean at Nantucket) and mixed vegetables. The only problem grilling fish is I have never found a good way to keep it from sticking to the grill. Tried starting hot, cold, oiled, etc, no matter what the grill is going to need a good cleaning afterwards. One interesting dinner possibility - there is a floating restaurant next to the campground. While I rarely eat at one, being that close is going to be tempting!
Not a bad sunset over the Colorado River tonight.. For the photo and a few others, check today's Lakeshoreimages page.
Until tomorrow -
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 14
Sunday, January 5, 2014, Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 14 - 0 miles, 4,860.4 For the Trip
My usual Sunday morning spent reading the Sunday Syracuse Post Standard. Not much else going on. I am leaving tomorrow, hoping to get a site at the La Paz County Park just north of Parker. I've enjoyed my stay here at Cattail Cove, but since my 2 weeks is up & I've been asked to stay close to Parker for a month by the cardiologist, and it isn't until February that the Fiberglass Rally in Quartzite take place, the move makes sense. La Paz had much better long term rates than the state parks.
Dinner will be a Barber Foods Chicken Cordon Bleu & asparagus.
Until tomorrow -
My usual Sunday morning spent reading the Sunday Syracuse Post Standard. Not much else going on. I am leaving tomorrow, hoping to get a site at the La Paz County Park just north of Parker. I've enjoyed my stay here at Cattail Cove, but since my 2 weeks is up & I've been asked to stay close to Parker for a month by the cardiologist, and it isn't until February that the Fiberglass Rally in Quartzite take place, the move makes sense. La Paz had much better long term rates than the state parks.
Dinner will be a Barber Foods Chicken Cordon Bleu & asparagus.
Until tomorrow -
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 13
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| The Crescent Moon |
I was up a bit earlier than usual so I could drive to Parker, AZ for my Cardiologist's appointment. While he wants me to cut the new medication in half, refrain from alcohol which is no problem, and coffee (yikes!), he feels there is no need for me to head back home unless I have a number of more episodes of A-Fib. Since I'll be staying in the general area for at least another month, he feels that is long enough to be sure everything is under control.
According to my GPS, there is no Laundromat in Parker, AZ. I find that hard to believe, but rather than spend a bunch of time looking for one, I drove to Lake Havasu City & did laundry at the same place as 2 weeks ago. Of course that took longer & cost more in fuel than a long search for a laundromat in Parker, but... I also stopped at the Safeway for some chicken & asparagus for dinner.
While I still didn't get the image of the moon I want, at least there was a clear shot of the crescent this evening. I still need to shoot it when the crescent is small enough that the earth glow shows. When it gets as large as it is now, it is too bright for the earth lit remainder to show. Anyway, here is enlarged image shot with my 300mm lens & doubler for a total of 600mm. I'll have to wait until close to the next new moon to try again.
Until tomorrow -
Friday, January 3, 2014
Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 12
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| Balanced Rocks, Lake Havasu, AZ |
Friday, January 3, 2014, Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 12 - 0 miles, 4,860.4 For the Trip
Another quiet day. I read a bit, spent some time updating the blogs & journal links on my RV Travels page at LakeshoreImages. I met a couple towing a Trillium that pulled into the campground. We had coffee & talked about life, photography, trailers, etc. They have a web page called Towing Miss Trilly, and split their time between Rikki-tikki-tavi, a trimaran during the summers, and the Trillium during the non sailing months.
No photos today unless I add one of the moon. It was interesting last night with a very small crescent, and reflected earth light glowing the rest of it. Unfortunately, by the time I saw it it was too high for a good photo, and it looks like the clouds are moving in for tonight.
Dinner will be a pot pie.
Until tomorrow -
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 11
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| The First Day Hikers (From Yesterday) |
Thursday, January 2, 2014, Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 11 - 0 miles, 4,860.4 For the Trip
Not much happening today. I did some bills, updated my banking registers for the new year, etc. I did discover my AT&T Mobile bill was $5.00 more than usual. I was going to ignore it, but I just had to know why. Well, due to a typo I underpaid the last bill by $.10. They added a $5.00 charge for the underpayment. It was my fault, so I could have just paid it, but I called them ready to yell about being a 15 year customer who has always paid on time & WHY ARE YOU CHARGING ME $5.00 FOR A 10 cent MISTAKE!!! A very pleasant young lady answered the phone (after a 15 minute wait) and told me she could fix it, and did, then wished me a happy new year. I'm not sure why everyone complains about AT&T customer service - they were great for me.
Anyhow, that was the excitement for the day. No photos. I did drive to Lake Havasu to purchase a new pair of hiking boots - they were on sale at one of the sporting goods shops. Only problem is after selecting 3 different pairs of boots, I discovered they didn't have any size 10 in stock for any of them. Wasted trip & my current boots are getting pretty worn.
Dinner was a steak & steamed broccoli.
Until tomorrow -
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Cattail Cove State Park, AZ, Day 10 & 1st Day Hike
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| 1st Day Hike at Cattail Cove State Park |
Happy New Year to all! The Arizona State Parks, along with many other states, sponsor a "1st Day Hike" on New Years Day. I went on the Cattail Cove 1st Day Hike this morning, along with about 30 other people (although some dropped out before the group photo at the end). The hike was along Whyte's Retreat Trail, which follows the contour of Lake Havasu south of the campground. About a mile or so of fairly easy terrain. Lots of stops along the way to talk about the Lake, the fauna, and the area in general. I believe a good time was had by all, and many thanks to the Rangers for the opportunity.
I'll include a few photos in today's LakeshoreImages page - more at Cattail Cove 1st Day Hike, 2014.
I may have to add some more to the page later since I haven't told you what will be for dinner!
Well, not much else happened, so you will have to be satisfied with just the dinner report - Chicken Parmesan & spaghetti.
Until tomorrow -
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