2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 46

 Thursday, November 30, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, Day 7 - 0 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

After breakfast & a walk I did the usual reading. Around 2:30 I headed to Mike's Barber shop for a haircut. Unfortunately, he is booked until December 15th. Then I headed to the local Ford dealer to ask about my F 150 Phaser noise. I had the phasers replaced/serviced under warranty at 31,000 miles. Unfortunately, they are starting to rattle again, and this time the truck is old enough to be out of warranty. They are estimating a 3 day job and around $3,000.00. It goes in December 11th for evaluation. Not the best day of the trip! 

On the way back to the trailer I stopped by Safeway and picked up some baked chicken for dinner. In anticipation of leaving in the morning, I dumped the tanks. My site (like all of them) at La Paz County park is water & electric (no sewer), so I want to start out as empty as possible.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 45

 Wednesday, November 29, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, Day 6 - 0 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

After my walk and breakfast I did my usual journal & forum readings, then turned to the Kindle for my latest book. While I said I wasn't going to start a Brother Cadfael reading binge, I did download book #1, Ellis Peters' A Morbid Taste For Bones. Someone stop me! I finished #1 & just downloaded #2 One Corpse Too Many. 

Not much else for the day. I kept moving back and forth between sitting inside & outside. As long as there was sun, outside was comfortable at 65°F, but when the clouds rolled in with the light wind it was a little too cool to be comfortable. 

Dinner was an Amy's Chili Relleno Bowl.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 44

 Tuesday, November 28, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

Another do nothing day. A little cool to sit out this morning at 45°F. It warmed up into the low 70's by late afternoon. I spent part of the day trying to schedule a pick up of a couple of prescriptions with a second Shingrix shot. Somewhat confusing since it is a different Walgreens (Lake Havasu City) than I usually use, and I'm trying to squeeze the prescriptions around my next acceptable refill by my insurance. We will see what happens next week. 

Other than that, the day was spent reading. I'm now reading Ellis Peters' The Raven in the Foregate, one of the Brother Cadfael books. I don't want to start a binge reading of them; there are over 20 & I've only read a few. Takes a bit of getting into, but I enjoy them.

Dinner was a turkey Bubba Burger & snap peas.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 43

 Monday, November 27, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

I managed to get a mile walk in before breakfast, then read journals & forums for a bit. Actually, I got plenty of exercise before the walk; I changed the sheets on the bed. Since there are walls on three sides of the full size bed, changing the sheets is a challenge, although not that much different than changing them in most fiberglass trailers. There is an advantage to a walk around bed offered in the new Escape 23! No, I'm not considering an up size.

I got a call back from Hungry Mother State Park to confirm (and, of course, pay for) 2 sites (me & the Guidos) for the fall fiberglass trailer rally. 

Around 11:30 I started a load of laundry. 

After the laundry was folded & stored away, I headed for the showers. While some of the reviews were not all that positive, I guess my standards are a bit more lenient. A small drying room with 8 hooks & a bench, a large shower stall with a raised lip to keep the drying area floor dry, a wire rack in the shower to hold your stuff & a standard showerhead and mixing valve shower handle. A little dark, but clean. My only complaints are it was a bit cool, either over active AC or left over from the cool night, and soft water that required lots of rinsing to make you feel like you were washed. Overall, an A-.

I sat outside trying to take a couple of hummingbird photos, but they didn't visit the feeder while I had the camera. I did catch a few photos of Gamble's Quails.

Gambol's Quail

Gambol's Quail

Dinner was a Stouffer's Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo meal, and Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia for dessert.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 42

 Sunday, November 26, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

A cool night; it hit 40°F at 6:30AM. I went for a walk around the park around 8:30 and it had warmed up to 50°F with clear skies. 

A mostly do nothing day. I did make my usual Sunday phone calls even though I talked to everyone on Thanksgiving. I sat outside and watched the hummingbirds feed (yes, they finally found the feeder). I did some reading, then made a trip to Walmart. Much better stocked than during my usual January visits, but it is early. In any case, I refilled the freezer & refrigerator.

Back at the trailer I finished A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs, #13 (not in order, but the number I've read & total in the series) of the Ellis Peters Felse series. I recommend the series, and while they can be read in any order, starting at the first and reading in order makes it easier to follow the growth of George's son Dom. I started Joe Hart's Where They Lie on the Kindle, and just finished the audio book of Jo Nesbo's The Night House. While not as good as his Harry Hole series, it is interesting to see (hear) him venturing into the horror genre. The newest audio book is Exposing Truths by L. A. Dobbs.

Dinner was a Purdue Chicken paddy and creamed spinach.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 41

 Saturday, November 25, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

Well, no picnic table yet. I do have a correction on yesterday's post - the races are on the Colorado River, not an inlet. There is a dam (not Parker dam which is further up river and makes up Lake Havasu) that produces Moovalya Lake in front of the Blue Water Marine Park. In any case, the races seem to be a weekend event - they are still racing today. 

I did another speed test of Verizon, and got 21Mbps down & 1.1Mbps up. So far I have been able to read web pages, Facebook & my usual RV forums, as well as listen to internet radio, so it works for me. 

I met one of the groundskeepers, and asked about a table. He said the office never let him know and it was on the way. Five minutes later I had a table. After that I wandered down to the river and took a few more race photos. Much colder than yesterday. While it is 67°F out, it feels much colder because there is a steady wind.

Boat Races

Boat Races

Boat Races

Dinner was a cheese brat & Bush beans.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 40

 Friday, November 24, 2023 - Blue Water RV Park, Parker, AZ, 206.3 Miles, 3,395.9 Miles for the trip

I got out of the Lost Dutchman State Park around 10:00. While traffic on I 10 was heavy, no more than usual going through the Phoenix area, and no stop & go. I arrived at the Blue Water RV Park around 2:00. Parker looks the same as it always has, with gas a bit cheaper than Quartzsite. Of course I was running low just west of Phoenix, so I paid $3.59 per gallon; it is $3.32 here in Parker at the Running Man Indian stations.

I'm in Site 90, a back in site on gravel with a good size concrete slab. 2" side to side adjustment and 1" drop on the tongue. Full hookups, but no picnic table. The management tells me one will arrive tomorrow. The park is fairly full with little room between spaces; I would not have been able to use the site if I had a large slide out. Cost is $33.57 per night at a 1 week rate. 

I tried to save the hummingbird feeder water since it was still 3/4 full. I put the feeder in the sink & propped it up. Unfortunately, not well enough - by the time I hit Parker it was on its side and drained. I made a new batch of sugar water, set it out behind the trailer, but so far, no takers.

One of the reasons the park is near full is there are boat races on the inlet of the Colorado River the park fronts on. Some photos of the races (unfortunately, I can't post the sound, but it is very much like a night at the Oswego Speedway):

Boat Races

Boat Races

Boat Races

There is an NPR station, KAWP, which is a relay of KAWC, the Yuma, AZ station. That is good since the cell connectivity isn't all that great. That is good since the cell connectivity isn't all that great. I couldn't get a connection on Verizon on the first try, and AT&T would not do a speed test. On a second try, still no speed test on Verizon, but it was fast enough to download my mail and let me upload the pictures for today's page (and the page as well), although the pictures are the real test. 

Around 4:30 I started two loads of laundry. $1.50 to wash, $.75 for the first 45 minutes for the dryers. I added a quarter to go to one hour.

Dinner was a Boston Market Sweet & Sour Chicken meal.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 39

 Thursday, November 23, 2023 - Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 3,189.6 Miles for the trip

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wandered up to site 30 and there is a car trailer parked in the site & a slow cooker on the picnic table. A bit odd, but on a a second walk the site owners were there. Seems they booked a non hook up site (most of the sites in the park are dry) and rented the site so they could cook their turkey. We chatted & they offered to move the trailer out of the site so I could park my travel trailer. I was in no rush, although I did have to be out of my site by 12:00, and they stopped by around 10:30 to let me know the trailer was out of the site.

I packed up & moved. While less shade, a better view of the mountains. A bit more expensive since the reservation fee wasn't spread across 2 days. $38.20 for the night. I got a call from Blue Waters and will be in site 90 starting tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the morning making phone calls. All are doing well, although I didn't get through to my brother in the Catskills. While I was on the phone a roadrunner walked through the site. Now a younger owner would be able with one or two finger pushes change the phone from the midst of a Facetime conversation to the picture taking mode and grab a shot, but I know that if I tried it I'd hang up on the folks I was talking to & connect to someone in Switzerland, so I didn't try.

After the phone & Facetime calls there were so many birds stopping by that I dug out the camera. Of course they all went away. I did get a few images:

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

More photos at today's Lakeshore Images Page.

After running the photos in Lightroom, I put the camera battery on the charger & went back outside to do some reading. Of course lots of humming birds stopped by the feeder as long as I didn't have the camera. No second visit by the roadrunner.

Once the battery was charged, I took a panorama of the Superstitions:

Afternoon Panorama

Just to show how much difference a lighting change can make, here is another panorama taken just before sunset:

Late Day Panorama

If interested, full size JPG (over 8MB each) are linked at today's LakeshoreImages Page.

Dinner was early since the traditional time for our Thanksgiving dinner was between 3:00 - 4:00, depending when the 20 lb Plainville Turkey came out of the oven. While not a Plainville Turkey, I did have turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy & green beans. I much prefer our traditional dinner, but have to make due on the road. Unfortunately, nothing left over for sandwiches!

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 38

 Wednesday, November 22, 2023 - Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 3,189.6 Miles for the trip

I went out around 8:30 last night, and unfortunately, there was a moon at 50%. I did shoot an image of my trailer at ISO 20,000, 20 seconds at f:11. I was somewhat surprised that the metering system was able to set the f: stop for the exposure. Focus was a bit soft.

Night Time Image

I went to Robert Horne Ford for an oil change. They insisted that the lug nuts needed replacing as well as the expected transfer case oil change. On the way back I stopped at Fry's for a couple of freezer meals.

Back at the trailer, I sat outside in the shade. A bit cool in the shade, but too hot in the sun. Eventually, I headed for the showers. They are individual rooms on the back of the bathroom. Four of them, one handicapped. The doors on two of them don't close. The one that does close has no lights. Lukewarm water from a high pressure spray that hits over 95% of the drying area. There is a bench & 2 sets of hooks in the drying area. As long as you are comfortable with someone opening the door while you are showering, they are usable, but other than the handicapped shower which has both a light & a locking door, I can't rate them any better than a C-.

I tried a number of times to contact the Blue Water Marine RV in Parker for a reservation for the next week, but never got further than their voice mail. Site 30 just up the road from me here at Lost Dutchman is available for tomorrow, so I reserved it. So, tomorrow will be my shortest drive!

More reading outside, plus I went for a walk around a couple of campground loops. 

While sitting I took a couple more photos, including an Anna's Hummingbird. I can't tell the difference between it and a Costa's, but that is what iBird Photo Sleuth tells me.

Moon Rise

Anna's Hummingbird

Dinner was a chicken pot pie.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 37

 Tuesday, November 21, 2023 - Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ - 129.1 Miles, 3,189.6 Miles for the trip

No rush to get out of the park other than by check out time of 11:00 since it is a low mileage day. I left by 10:30 and arrived at the Lost Dutchman State Park around 1:00; that includes a stop at a Walmart on the way. Mileage started out great, hitting 14.7MPG, but by the end it was down to 12.8MPG. A bit of a headwind for most of the day.

I'm in site 20, a level water & electric site on asphalt for $36.60 per night including a $3.20 reservation fee. The site has a fire pit & picnic table, both on gravel next to the trailer. A great view of the Superstition Mountains from the picnic table & the kitchen side of the trailer. The nearest bathroom is a short walk, and has showers.

Site 20

82°F outside and clear skies; I fired up the AC once hooked up & cooled the trailer down to 76°F. 

After hooking up I called Robert Horne Ford to schedule an oil change which will be at 9:00AM tomorrow. After that it was outside in the shade for a bit of reading. I finished Kyril Bonfiglioli's Don't Point That Thing At Me, and while it took more "mind adjusting" than needed with the typical British mystery style, I have to admit I enjoyed it. I'll probably read the rest of them; I started #2, After You With The Pistol. I put out the hummingbird feeder, and less than three minutes after I walked away from it a hummingbird was at it. 

I then set up the Z8 for some night time images, but the setting sun looked great on the mountain, so I dug out one of my older cameras and took a couple of images. The second photo is with a D800 and much warmer conditions.

The Superstitions With the Z8

Later With The D800

Dinner was a Benihanan Hibachi Chicken Rice Bowl.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 36

 Monday, November 20, 2023 - Gilbert Ray County Campground, Tucson, AZ, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 3,060.5 Miles for the trip

Another cool night, hitting 44°F at 7:00AM. I went around the "A" loop during my morning walk and there were around 5 RVs in the loop with reservations for more. Most of the sites are available although a few are blocked off, mostly because the gravel is still not level. 

After breakfast I read on line for a bit, then headed out to Safeway for coffee & water.

Back at the trailer I sat outside with the camera, then did some reading. I finished The High Ground by Ben Rehder. I like his ideas, but even though Buck Fever, his first novel was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, I find his writing style somewhat lacking, particularly after reading an excellent author such as Ellis Peters. This was his 24th novel, so he certainly is not a beginner. In any case, I started another British author - Kyril Bonfiglioli's Don't Point That Thing At Me. He wrote four books featuring art dealer Charlie Mortdecai that are "interesting". Not sure I'll venture into the other three, but they are available at the NYPL.

Gila Woodpecker

Costa's Hummingbird

Cactus Wren

While the sky is cloudless, it is only 64°F outside with a fairly constant wind, so sitting outside is only tolerable if you are in the sun. Eventually, I felt both fried by the sun & windblown, so it was back inside.

Dinner was the leftover shrimp & noodles.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 35

 Sunday, November 19, 2023 - Gilbert Ray County Campground, Tucson, AZ, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 3,060.5 Miles for the trip

It did cool off enough overnight to run the electric disk furnace more than once; 51°F by morning. 

During my morning walk I discovered that the A section was open. No RVs in it but a couple of sites had reserved stickers. The new electrical boxes are nice, but the old 30 amp only ones worked fine for me & the update added $15.00 per night to the cost. 

A cool day, only getting up to 70°F, lots of sun, and a fairly strong cool breeze. I sat outside for a bit playing with the new Z8 camera. The images with a question mark are ones that iBird Photo Sleuth was less than 50% sure of. The Verdin images are much harder to catch than the hummingbirds since they don't stand still in mid air. 

After downloading the images to Lightroom, I took a shower, the first trailer shower of the trip. While I find there is plenty of room to shower in the Escape 21 bathroom and I have room in the gray tank, since it is a wet bath I generally spend far more time wiping the bathroom & toilet dry than I do showering. Still, it did remove a layer of dust from the walls (and me).

A Verdin in Mid Air

More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

I finally finished book #12 of 13 of the Ellis Peter's Detective Felse series. The only one I have left to read is A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs, which is on hold at the NY Public Library with a expected 2 week availability. That will be the total of the series since the author, Ellis Peters, who I thought was a man is actually Edith Mary Pargeter, who died in 1995. Of course there is also at least that many of her Cadfael series featuring medieval monastics in Britain. I've read a couple of them already. I just started The High Ground by Ben Rehder, finished Priest, an audio book by Gerard O'Donovan, and downloaded The Stolen Coast, an audio book by Dwyer Murphy. 

I sat outside and read for a bit, but the wind was a little too much, so back in the trailer around 3:30.

Dinner was Knorr's Chicken with Broccoli Pasta side with added shrimp. 

After dinner I walked around the campground taking some cactus photos. As I hit the entrance to section A I met the regular winter hosts - they are in an Escape 19 in site #1. We chatted for a bit then I headed back to the trailer.

Section A Winter Hosts

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 34

 Saturday, November 18, 2023 - Gilbert Ray County Campground, Tucson, AZ, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 3,060.5 Miles for the trip

I met a groundskeeper on my morning walk and he thinks some of the A section sites will open on Thanksgiving. Some are still too messed up from the electrical upgrade to be ready in time; they will add the sites as they clean them up.

A light rain this morning with a rainbow around 9:00 and a break from 7:00 - 1:00, then a short 10 minute rain. The sun is peaking around the clouds at 1:30.

Around 10:00 I headed to the Tucson Mall and REI to buy a replacement pair of Keen closed toe sandals. Mine are over 15 years old and the back strap on one of them tore loose from the main body. After I got back to the trailer I decided to see if I could sew the strap back in place on my old pair (of course after buying replacements). I don't know if the repair will hold up but it is worth a try. I dug out my dad's heavy set of needles, awls, etc since I was sewing multiple layers of very heavy material. 

I haven't been giving temperature reports lately because they have been too nice! 60's at night & mid 70's to 80 during the day. The trailer does heat up in the sun, so I have been running the AC a bit. No need for it this afternoon - a dreary 70°F day out with a cool breeze blowing. While great lighting for waterfall photos, not so good for images of what is one of the most picturesque campgrounds I've stayed in.

Dreary Skies

And More Dreary Skies

With the fog and intermittent rain, I stayed inside most of the afternoon. I did change the file names for the Z8 to JVZ to differentiate from the JV3 for the D 850. If I go over 9999 I'll need a new set of three letters. I am up to 8571 on the D 850, on top of already gone through JV1 & JV2.

While there are still heavy clouds to the south, there are clear skies with distant clouds on the northern side of the campground. No sun & 66°F. I will probably plug in the electric heater tonight.

Dinner was an El Monterey Chicken Enchiladas bowl, and chocolate pudding for dessert.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 33

 Friday, November 17, 2023 - Gilbert Ray County Campground, Tucson, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 3,060.5 Miles for the trip

An important lesson learned: While it is handy to store the squirt bottle of the mustard upside down so it flows when you squeeze it rather than having to shake it to get the mustard to the spout, it is important to NOT store it upside down if you are going to drive from a low altitude to a high altitude unless you like erupting mustard. No matter which way you hold it, a mustard lava flows out of the spout until the pressure equalizes. If you want to douse 10 hot dogs in a row, no problem, but it sure doesn't work for one brat!

A light to medium rain started around 7:00 last night, lasting for about an hour. 

I went for my usual morning walk. I was hoping to see the new electrical work in Section A, however it is still closed. I did find 2 more Escapes in the H section.

After my walk & breakfast, I replaced the water pump. So far it appears to have solved the running when water is not being used. I won't know if it solves the fresh water tank filling until I hit a campground with water hookups, but there is no reason it shouldn't have fixed the problem. It is quieter than the old one.

I sat outside and took a few hummingbird photos. I also took one of a Starlink antenna - I am seeing those at almost every campground. I managed to capture a couple of hummingbirds arguing over the feeder:

Hummingbirds Fighting Over the Feeder

I called Tucson Camera Repair, and they still had a Nikon Z8 on the shelf. I am not sure I'm ready to give up single lens reflex for a mirror less camera, but if I don't try one, I'll never know. So, I am now the proud owner of a Nikon Z8. It does take a bit of getting used to the electronic viewfinder, but getting rid of the mirror click & delay when doing multi frame shots is nice. Here are the first two images of what my iBird Photo Sleuth app is 100% sure is a Verdin:

A Verdin 

On the way back from Tucson Camera Repair I also stopped at Food City for a couple of things. It is a store heavily slanted to Spanish foods, and brands that I am not familiar with, but I got what I needed.

Back at the trailer I played with the new camera, then settled in for dinner, which was a turkey Bubba Burger & Bush beans..

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 32

 Thursday, November 16, 2023 - Gilbert Ray County Campground, Tucson, AZ - 117.4 Miles, 3,060.5 Miles for the trip

I took my time getting out of the park, even dumped the tanks. I used site 19 since the sewer hookup was almost full hose length from the trailer & the one in Site 20 was much closer. I was on the road by 10:00, and arrived at Gilbert Ray by 12:45. 

While I didn't need the rest stop, I stopped to take a couple of photos at the Texas Canyon rest stop. Interesting rocks. There is an expensive dry campground in the area that I've looked at, but never stayed. I have visited the Amerind Museum in the area.

Texas Canyon

Texas Canyon Panorama  (Full Size - 5.3MB)

Check in went smoothly, unusual for me at this campground. I also discovered that section A, my favorite is taking reservations starting today. Unfortunately, they won't let me switch from my reserved site C8 to one in the A section for this trip - reservations are not refundable. The section was closed for electrical updates when I made my reservations for both this trip & the trip home from Parker in the Spring. The volunteer working the desk suggested that I try to make a reservation for the Spring, so after I was set up I checked, and I'm now in A 63 February 20 - 25th. I called Desert Trails & canceled my reservation there. Since Gilbert Ray raised their price from $20.00 to $35.00 with the electrical upgrade, the price difference between the two parks is not all that much ($45.00 per night at Desert Trails in a full hookup site), which is about 5 miles from Gilbert Ray, but Gilbert Ray is much nicer.

After setting up I turned on the AC (it was 85°F in the trailer) then headed to Camping World for my water pump, Walgreens for a bunch of prescriptions, and Batteries + for a couple of CR 2477 batteries for my Sensor Push thermometers. I don't know if it is just the battery or the device that is dying, but I'm getting the message that "the battery voltage is low - please replace" in the one in the refrigerator and it won't update the graphs, so I'll try that first. 

Later - it looks like that cured the problem since it is now updating on my iPhone. While a bit expensive, I like the sensor push thermometers since they not only show the temperatures on my iPhone, but graph by the hour, day, week or month (even the year) and can produce a data file that I can download to an Excel spreadsheet.  I have 4 - one in the freezer, one in the refrigerator, one outside the trailer in my ladder storage tube, and one I keep with my temperature sensitive eye drops.

An Escape 19 pulled in across from me. It is a 2023 being towed with a 3.0L Ram Diesel. He gets 17MPG, much better than my current trip average of 13.07MPG. We chatted for a bit, then I let him finish setting up & came back to the trailer to put today's journal page together.

The Escape 19 (Those are not the Owners in the Photo)

Site C8

I'm in site C8, a back in gravel site with electric only and a picnic table. Not all that level, but with a bit of maneuvering, I was able to get within 1" side to side & a 2" drop to the tongue. Since I'm here for 5 days, and had the mentioned shopping to do, I had to unhook anyway. $20.00 per night. The bathrooms are .15 of a mile from the site and don't have showers. I did half fill the fresh water tank on the way in so I can shower in the trailer, although there is a water spigot within my two hose lengths that I could have used to fill.

It was cloudy when I set up; now there are dark clouds to the west and rumbles of thunder. 

Dinner was a cheese brat & salad.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 31

 Wednesday, November 15, 2023 - Dwayne's Mountain View RV Park, Bowie, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,943.1 Miles for the trip

I decided to try my bathroom key last night, since, as suspected, after the office closed the bathroom doors were locked. Only problem? My key didn't work. It fit the lock, but wouldn't turn. Just in case the women's room had a different lock, I tried it there - no go. So, back to the trailer. In the morning I met one of the groundskeepers, and he tried the key; still didn't work. Took it to the office, got a new key that worked.

I managed to do a one mile walk by going up & down all the roads in the park, then had breakfast. Did some forum & journal reading, by which time it warmed up enough to move outside with my Kindle. I watched a number of trains go by. There are some very different engines pulling the trains. They all look the same, but some are loud enough to shake the trailer while you can barely hear some of the others. They are long trains - while on I 10 I measured one of them at 1.2 miles long. Most have multiple engines in front, and either a pusher engine at the end or one in the middle. Only about one in ten toot their horns, and that is far away enough not to be annoying. They do run all night.

A Train

A Mid Train Pusher

Around 12:30 I headed to the taco truck. Three ground beef tacos with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese & onions, and a tub of sour cream. I ordered 2 hard shell & one soft for $9.00. Not bad, although more lunch than I usually eat. After lunch it was back outside. I fired up the AC around 1:30 since it hit 87°F inside the trailer - it was 78°F outside by 3:00, and the sun was strong enough that I moved to the shade of the trailer. 

Watched a mobile repairman work on the slide of a large diesel pusher next door that was stuck open. They had already spent 3 days here rather than the one day they were planning on, and missed one of their reserved parks. Took about an hour for the repairman to replace a shaft and get it working again.

After that I headed for the showers. A household type shower stall that had shelves and a fine spray showerhead on a hose. A small drying area that has both a bench & shelf but no hooks. A shower curtain keeps the spray out of the drying area. It took over 4 minutes for the water to turn hot, and it kept going from hot to barely warm, requiring adjusting the cold water while you were showering. Other than that, it was fine. I give it a B-.

Since I was still full from the taco lunch, dinner was just a salad & left over fruit.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 30

 Tuesday, November 14, 2023 - Dwayne's Mountain View RV Park, Bowie, AZ - 187 Miles, 2,943.1 Miles for the trip

Well, even with the new installation of the Garmin software, the routing for today's leg was "interesting". As I pulled out of the campground, Matilda, my Garmin announced that I 10 was closed and it was rerouting me. It went from 183 miles to 465 miles. I ignored it and headed south on I 25. As I got close to Las Cruces, it announced that I 25 was closed & wanted me to get of on US 70 & turn left (east). I did get off at the US 70 exit, but disobeyed Matilda and turned right (west) and the mileage immediately dropped from 445 to 174. While US 70 did go through town for a bit, it eventually merged with I 10, which I took until the Bowie exit. Real maps are useful! Over the drive I got 14.7MPG, so even towing, the 88 octane gas doesn't seem to be a problem. Of course I'm only towing 5000 pounds, well under the truck limit.

I arrived at Dwayne's Mountain View RV Park around 1:30, registered, and found a site. The first attempt was nice & level, but had a burned 30 amp receptacle. Since they said take any place you want, I moved to site 20. Within 1/2" side to side & I had to raise the tongue 2" (didn't need to unhook). With tax, $27.58 per night for two nights for full hookups - basically a parking lot with utilities, no picnic table, grill or fire pit (although for some reason, site 21 has a picnic table). I paid a $5.00 deposit for a bathroom key since I'll want to use the showers - electric only at Gilbert Ray for the 5 day stay at the next stop.

Site 20

Lots of train traffic directly behind the park.  So far, only one of the trains blew the horn.

After setting up I checked the internet speeds - AT&T was 7Mbps down & 3.6Mbps up, while Verizon was 24.8Mbps down & 15.8Mbps up. Since I haven't been using Verizon all that much this cycle, I stuck with them. 

They have a Taco truck next to the office so that may be dinner. Later - well, it won't be tacos for dinner. Seems the truck is only open for lunch 10:30 - 2:30, except for weekends, when they are open 11:00 - 5:15. So, tacos for lunch tomorrow.

Dinner tonight was an Amy's Chili Relleno Bowl.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 29

 Monday, November 13, 2023 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs, NM, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,756.1 Miles for the trip

A quiet night except for a couple of trains. Two of them had very loud pusher engines - just when you thought all the engine noise was gone it came back. Still, I don't remember any after midnight, and none early in the morning. 

I tried for a couple of star photos, but wasn't happy with them. It is dark enough - there are lights in the distance, but only one trailer here in the park with bright lights all night. Probably won't be able to try again since it is quite cloudy today & predicted to remain so for the next couple of days.

I checked both Verizon & AT&T - Verizon was 28.8Mbps down & 12.5Mbps up, while AT&T showed 45.2Mbps down & 4.3Mbps up. 

As I often do, I entered my next stop in the Garmin. Interesting result. While the air miles to Dwayne's Mountain View RV Park is around 170 miles, the actual route was 7680 miles and showed a path to Europe & back. I decided it was time for a Garmin update, and since AT&T was fairly fast, a good place to do it. I also downloaded a new audio book - Gerald O'Dononan's Priest. Hope this is better than Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, on which I gave up. The updated Garmin software (or map) fixed the problem - 183 miles expected.

It eventually turned partly cloudy, and when the sun was peaking behind the clouds it was quite comfortable sitting outside reading. I finished Ellis Peter's The Piper on the Mountain, and started his Black is the Colour of My True Love's Heart. This will be the last of the series until a reserved one is available.

After lunch I spent most of the afternoon reading.

Dinner was a mirror of last night (grilled chicken thigh & asparagus) except I finished off the Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. 

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 28

Sunday, November 12, 2023 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs, NM - 183.5 Miles, 2,756.1 Miles for the trip

I didn't mention the difficulty of paying for my Oasis site. The new owner works, and since I was only doing one night, he was never in the park. He eventually sent his son to the site to accept the $25.00 for the night. His son told me that Chuy's is closed because of the lack of business.

I hit the road around 9:30, which changed back an hour as I hit mountain time a little ways going west on I 10. So, I would have arrived far too early at Leasburg Dam. An easy solution - stop for gas (cheapest of the trip at $2.76 per gallon). It was only 88 octane since I'm at 4000' and will be for most of New Mexico. I still managed to get 13.9MPG for the day (12.95MPG for the trip so far). I also stopped at an Albertson's to replenish the refrigerator & freezer. I arrived at the campground a little after 1:00. 

It is interesting finding your site. When you make the reservation they give you a site number (29). The problem is the signs at the many turns within the campground only identify the loop name. I eventually determined where I belonged; even the site label didn't help since the tags & campground information was clipped over the campground number sign. Some of the turns are tight, and there is a 4" post at all the corners.

Again, I'm in site 29, a water & electric site on soft gravel. It has a covered picnic table & a charcoal grill. $14.00 per night plus an $8.00 reservation fee for a total of $36.00 for the two nights. You can't beat New Mexico's State Park prices. A fairly long walk to the bathrooms & showers, and an active railroad just behind the site. The do "toot" the horn on the way to the campground since the entry road has a crossing. One of the bushes behind the site is covered with berries:

Site 29

The Train

The Bush

Since I didn't do a walk this morning, I did one after setting up. It was warm enough that I ran the AC (set at 76°F). It only ran a couple of times - the sun is very strong, but sitting in the shade is a bit too cool, at least in a "T" shirt.

I sat outside making my usual Sunday phone calls, then read - current book is Ellis Peter's The Piper on the Mountain (Yes, I'm still on the binge). I finished listening to Daniel Suarez's Change Agent, which I highly recommend, at least the audio version. Started Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, which I can't get into.

Dinner was a grilled chicken thigh (cooked in the dark using a 1 pound propane tank because my one gallon one finally ran out of propane) and asparagus, and more of the pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream. Looks like one serving left. By the way, the outside temperature is down to 63°F as I finished dinner. When talking to Kyle, my son, it was going down to the 20's tonight back in Oswego.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 27

 Saturday, November 11, 2023 - Oasis RV Park, Van Horn, TX - 126.3 Miles, 2,572.6 Miles for the trip

A late start to getting out of the park - I didn't leave until after a mile walk around the campground & breakfast in the trailer. I thought about going for the biscuits & gravy at the cafe, but passed. Overnight a Scamp 13 arrived:

A Scamp 13 Next Door

A fairly short drive, all on I 10. I filled up at the Love station in Fort Stockton on the way at $2.94 a gallon. On the way I stopped at a station about 15 miles from Van Horn to call the Oasis RV Park as they asked me to do when I tried to make a reservation. The station would be a "Guido Special", since we joke about him managing to pass the cheaper gas station & needing to stop at a more expensive one. While diesel was the typical $4.09 per gallon, gas was $4.45 a gallon! Glad I didn't need any. It is back to a little over $3.00 here at Van Horn.

I'm in site 21, a level full hookup site on gravel for one night - the first 1 night stop since before the Hungry Mother Rally. Notice the Gaffer's tape on the kitchen window. The Oasis is not an ideal "campground"; it is within 150 yards of I 10 with definite traffic noise, & trains go by, but is is in a good position between stops, and there is a good Mexican restaurant across the street. They have cleaned up the place since my last stop. There were many old beat up vehicles parked around the park; all are gone. A few permanent residents, but most look like overnighters.

Site 21

It warmed up enough for me to try to epoxy the window strip (58°F). I only had the 5 minute setting version so I had to work fast, but on the other hand I didn't have to wait for a day to find out if it worked. It appears to be a success. I may still need to order a replacement window - one side of the roller system that rides in the track/window strip is outside the track and has a broken wheel. Since Hehr, the manufacturer of the window has been taken over by Lippert since mine were made, and most of the windows are a custom order by Escape, finding a replacement is difficult. I hope I can hold off until I get back to Oswego to start the process. While I carry far too many tools & spare parts, major projects such as replacing a window are much easier done at home.

Great internet speeds here, at least on AT&T, 47.8Mbps down & 12.2Mbps up. I didn't speed test Verizon, but it shows a strong signal on my iPhone, and has no problem with internet radio. By the way, I may have fixed the problem loading images to my Blogger page. I discovered that I had AdBlock turned on for Blogger. Shut it off & yesterday's images as well as today's loaded. 

I headed for the shower (there is one men's & one woman's bathroom, each a one person room), each with a shower. While somewhat "long in the tooth", it has all the essentials - an electric heater, 6 hooks, a chair rather than a bench, lots of room for drying, a shower stall with lip to keep the water in & a standard showerhead, even a bathmat. No shelf in the shower; a B+ unless you insist on taking off for age (I don't). 

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading. It almost made it up to 60°F, but started back down after hitting 59.8°F on my outside thermometer; 58.2°F at 5:15.

I walked across Business I 10 to Chuy's Mexican Restaurant, but it was closed (maybe for Veteran's day, maybe for good) - not the best reviews or look, but I've eaten there in the past & it was OK. In any case it was back to the trailer and dinner by Jon, which was an Innovasian Orange Chicken Bowl, with Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream for dessert.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 26

 Friday, November 10, 2023 - Fort Stockton RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,446.3 Miles for the trip

It did reach the predicted 44°F this morning, but the electric heater kept the trailer at 66°F (the warmest I like to sleep). I went to breakfast at the Roadrunner Cafe (I'm getting use to letting someone else make my meals), then went for a walk around the campground. Managed to get a mile walk in doing most of the roads. It doesn't seem to be warming up very much - at 10:00 it is all the way up to 45°F.

Back at the trailer I spent an hour or so trying to pay a couple of doctor & Oswego Hospital bills. Since I'm traveling, I signed up for the USPS Informed Delivery program. Each morning they send you an email with photos of the envelope of the mail you will be receiving later that day. I saw that I got a bill formatted letter from Oswego Hospital, and another from Physician's Care, PC, the organization that handles the billing for most of the specialists in the Oswego area. Since I can't see through the envelope, I called the organizations. Of course they want the account number (which, for some crazy reason is different for each Oswego Hospital bill). Oswego Hospital billing says I don't owe anything. Wonder what is in the envelope. Next call to Physician's Care had better success after a couple of transfers. 

Since I had so much fun with the billing, I decided to start the process of refilling some prescriptions that are due when I'm in Tucson. Found a Walgreens near the campground, called to make sure they would hold the prescriptions for the week it would take for me to get there, then started calling the 4 different doctor's offices. Since most of them don't have real people answering the phone, trying to leave a message for a different pharmacy than the one you have registered with them gets interesting. I have no idea if any of the requests to specialists will work, but I did get to talk with a real nurse at my primary care doctor. 

Around 11:30 I packed up a basket of clothes and headed to the laundry. Five washers with 2 out-of-order & 6 dryers with 1 out-of-order. While the folding table is small, it has the nicest chairs I've ever seen in a laundry. Padded living room type chairs (2) that make waiting for your laundry very comfortable. 

The Laundry Room Chair

A light rain on the way back to the trailer, and at 1:00, still only 45°F.

After lunch I sat in the trailer reading. Current book is Ellis Peter's Rainbow's End, #13 in the Felse Investigations series. I've read 7 of them, and am currently on a binge. Written between 1950 & 1970, they are great if you are comfortable with the British style of detective writing; a little slow and literary if you are not. You can read them in any order. 

I noticed a cool draft from the kitchen window & when I turned the handle to close it, the closure strip glued to the glass came unglued. Lots of Gaffer's tape later, I'm hoping it will stay closed until it warms up enough for me to epoxy the closing strip back to the glass. 

I do have a replacement water pump waiting for me in Tucson. The statement that a travel trailer is an earthquake going down the road sure holds true!

Dinner was back at the Roadrunner Cafe. Their breakfast was OK with excellent hash browns & a great biscuit (which they provide with almost every meal). Dinners - Well, edible, but nothing to write home about. I had the grilled chicken & it was tough. I skipped the chicken fried steak, remembering that the last two times I tried it is was also tough. In any case, easier than making it yourself.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 25

Thursday, November 9, 2023 - Fort Stockton RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX - 182 Miles, 2,446.3 Miles for the trip

While it didn't cool off overnight like yesterday, it did start to rain. A very light rain, in fact the only reason I could hear it was because the leaves over the trailer turned the heavy mist into drops. Still 63°F when I woke up at 6:30. When I actually got up at 8:00 it was 61°F, and by the time I left at 10:00, it was down to 59°F. 

The entire drive was on I 10. Traffic was fine, but there was light rain most of the way, just enough to run the intermittent windshield wipers at their lowest setting. Of course each time a truck passed I needed to kick them up to high. Since the speed limit was 80MPH and I was doing 65MPH, I was passed a lot.

I arrived at the Fort Stockton RV Park a little after 1:00. By the way, there is also a Fort Stockton Resort & RV Park a bit further into town. It is easy to mix them up, in fact a few years ago I made a reservation at the wrong one. I prefer this one, which is not a resort, although they do have breakfast & dinner at the Roadrunner Cafe in the park.

I'm in site 9, a full hookup pull through that is barely long enough for the truck to stay connected and, because of its location, allow the 30' power cord to reach the power pedestal. I'm just barely within the front of the site with plenty of room behind the trailer. The site is a mix of gravel & grass, and includes a picnic table. $45 per night. I needed to raise the trailer 1" side to side & the tongue by 2"; stayed hooked up. 

Site 9

I didn't do any sitting outside after setting up; still having light rain and it is down to 51°F. My weather app says down to 44°F overnight with a high tomorrow of 52°F. Looks like lots of in trailer time. 

There are two sets of bathrooms with showers, one standard Mens/Womans next to the pool, and a building with 4 individual (family) bathrooms with showers towards the back of the park. That one is closest to my site and looks to be OK. The laundry is next to the pool bathrooms; $1.50 to wash & $2.00 to dry. 

Dinner was the shrimp & catfish combo basket at the cafe. Needed a coat to get there - it is now 49°F and heavier rain...

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 24

 Wednesday, November 8, 2023 - Pecan Valley RV Park, Junction, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,264.3 Miles for the trip

I was wondering if the gain of 1500' of altitude would result in cooler nights - not sure that is the reason, but it went down to 51°F last night & the electric heater came on more than once. 

I checked the AT&T speed this morning - 45.8Mbps down & 19.2Mbps up. That shoots down my theory that the reason I can't directly load images to my Blogger account is because of slow upload speeds - I still had to add URL link to the photo at this site for today's & yesterday's post. 

I did a double lap around the campground, then baked a tube of Pillsbury Deluxe Cinnamon buns. Not as good as those from scratch, but I had them in the refrigerator & they only had a couple of "use by" days left.

I sat outside for a bit, then around noon walked around the campground with the camera (more photos at today's LakeshoreImages post):

One of the Goats

Back at the trailer I loaded the photos, then headed for the showers. 2 stalls, one with a portable bench & 3 hooks (one working hook in the other). Both have the showerhead aimed at the drying area with no shower curtain. A full volume showerhead, but if you run it full, it sprays on the drying area floor. No shelf or hooks in the shower area, but the wall between showers is 4" wide with a flat top so your stuff can sit there. Plenty of hot water & a ceiling heater that takes off the chill from the AC. All in all, the best is a C+.

I sat around reading outside in the 84°F afternoon with the trailer AC going set at 77°F. I received a notice from the Easy Touch app that an update on the thermostat was available. Not all that easy to do, but I made it through it.

While I was sitting out a flock of chickens stopped by. They are not shy, even coming up to my chair with me sitting in it!

Part of the Chicken Flock

More reading until dinner time, which was a Benihana Hibachi Chicken Rice Bowl.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 23

 Tuesday, November 7, 2023 - Pecan Valley RV Park, Junction, TX - 234.6 Miles, 2,264.3 Miles for the trip

Another early start, and long drive, at least for me. I hit the road at 9:00. Almost all of the trip was on 2 & 4 lane roads (TX 21 & US 290 with the final 20 miles on I 10), with lots of traffic going through Austin. I arrived at Pecan Valley RV Park around 2:00. Three RVs all arrived at the same time, and since they guide you to your site, a bit of a zoo. I'm in site 5, a full hookup pull through. I had to raise one side 3/4" and the tongue 3". A very friendly campground. For example, they provide leveling blocks at each site. They sell eggs, pecans (naturally) as well as candied pecans, a favorite of mine. We will settle up when I leave 2 days from now, so I don't know what the site cost is. I will be getting a vet discount from the regular $42.00 per night.

Site 5

It is hot. My under the trailer outside thermometer says 91.3°F, although my watch says it is only 84°F in Junction, TX, the nearest town. I fired up the AC as soon as I plugged in & the trailer is cooling down from 90°F. While my site in under a leafed out tree, the sun is now sneaking under it putting full sun on the passenger side of the trailer. The AC is doing well cooling down the trailer, but it is loud enough to completely blank out the radio, and make it uncomfortable to work inside. After getting this far in today's post I gave up and went outside to sit in the shade of the tree & let the AC make noise for itself. 

I did one loop around the campground, including checking out the goats, chickens & the North Liano River, which has more water in it than it did the last time I was here. A bit more sitting & reading, then it was time for dinner, which was the left over shrimp & noodles.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 22

 Monday, November 6, 2023 - Lake Somerville State Park, Somerville, TX, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,029.7 Miles for the trip

A very quiet night. After dark (early at 6:00) I stepped outside to see if the sky was clear enough to see any of the Taurid meteor shower, but too many clouds. While they produce fewer meteors than some of the others, they often make large fireballs which are neat.

It was also another warm night - the electric heater never came on & I left a bunch of windows open & the Maxx fan running on step 2.

On my morning walk around the campground loop I saw 2 other campers in the park. I know at least one left early, but the place is pretty empty. After breakfast I read some journals & forums. A bit of a strange internet connection, at least on AT&T. A speed test shows 45.5Mbps down & 1Mbps up. The first connection takes forever, but once connected, it is fast enough. Even at 1Mbps the uploads of my photos was acceptable.

During the walk around the campground I noticed that every site with the exception of 38 has a reserved sign. I wonder if they keep site 38, which looks like it was built as a handicapped site, open since it can't be reserved, and it the only site in the park that has an available sign. Since it is my favorite site, I should stop by the ranger station to see what is up; maybe in the morning since I didn't unhook the truck. Along with a photo of the campsite, I took one of the pretty purple berries hanging off the trees as well as some Spanish Moss:

Purple Berries

My Favorite Site - 38

I didn't have to stop by the ranger station since I ran into a volunteer couple cleaning a near by site.  They said there is at least one site in each section of the campground that is first come & 38 is the one for this section.

I read until lunch time (a Cobb salad), then read some more after lunch. A rough day!

Around 2:00 I headed for the showers. There are 2, one handicapped. The standard shower stall is small to medium size, no shelf or hooks, no shower curtain, and a high pressure, low volume showerhead (not the 1" one you see most of the time, but 2" diameter - the 1" one is in the handicapped shower). The spray from the showerhead is so fine that by the time it gets any lower than your chest, it is cold even though it is hot on your head. A small drying room that has no bench & 3 hooks so short that I couldn't hang my shaving bag on them. There is a bench outside the shower drying room with a shower curtain between. You can't really close the shower curtain since you need the bench for your stuff. Since the bench is in the general bathroom area, you better not be shy. I'm used to a large group shower & drying room since I swim laps at one of the gyms at the college at home, but that still feels different than drying next to the bathroom sink. Still, it worked. I give it a C-.

After that more sitting outside until dinner which was a Knoor's Broccoli & Cheese Noodles with a bunch of added shrimp, and a green Jello for dessert.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 21

 Sunday, November 5, 2023 - Lake Somerville State Park, Somerville, TX - 263.3 Miles, 2,029.7 Miles for the trip

Another warm night; the electric heater came on once around 6:00AM (or, it could have been 5:00AM depending on which clock you looked at since last night was the switch to standard time).

I didn't go for my morning walk, and after breakfast packed up the trailer and hit the road by 9:00 (real time). Once I hit Texas (just across the lake next to the campground) the speed limit jumped from 55MPH to 75MPH. Same narrow 2 lane road. Most of the trip was on good quality 2 lane roads with passing lanes every couple of miles. I even made it through College Station without problems. I have notes that I should avoid College Station; the last time I went through it took over an hour to get through the city, but I suspect that was a game weekend. In any case, it was 45MPH and a few stoplights. A bit longer drive than I'm used to, but I have a couple over 250 on the trip.

I arrived at the campground around 3:30. You do have to check in at the office for a window tag, but the individual daily charge must have been included in my reservation. 

I'm in site 37, a back in site on asphalt that was within 1" side to side & needed the tongue raised by 5". Water & electric for $25.00 per night (actually $20.00 per night , less a $5.00 senior discount plus $10 per person per night charge). I'm next to my favorite site (38) which is huge with paved sidewalk & table area. It may by non-reservable or is reserved for tomorrow - I tried for it when I made the reservations and it wasn't available. It is empty tonight.

Site 37

After setting up the trailer - pretty simple since I can't hook up the water without filling my fresh water tank, I made my usual Sunday phone calls. My brother Dave was sitting in a tree with his crossbow waiting for a deer, the Guidos are doing well, as well as my son. Karin called me before I could call her - all is well in Tacoma Park.

By the time I got done with the phone calls it was almost dark. I prefer daylight time for the longer daylight evenings, and if we could get rid of the switch twice a year I'd rather stay with Daylight Savings Time. I heard a quip on NPR that Standard Time is more conducive to the human light cycle, so if they ever decide on one time, I lose!

I cooked a Turkey Bubba Burger in the dark and had it along with some steamed snap peas. I'm annoyed with Walmart. For years they were the only supplier of bagged snap peas that were stringless. The last two times I picked up a bag from then they had strings. Not so bad when you eat them raw, but once steamed, they are not much fun to eat.

Until Tomorrow -