Apricity West 5

November 22, 2024 - Friday

Walked, danced and visited Lu. It turns out, they were having their rig cleaned by a young man whose wife runs a bakery in Yarnell, Shira Pioneer Donuts, which we have heard about from others in the park. He had a box of individual brown bags with one donut and the donut hole smeared with chocolate. The recipe was her grandmother’s and is 100 years old - the cost was $3 a donut. It was sooooooo worth it! Keep in mind I just got through walking and dancing, but I could not resist. I tracked a lot of points for my indiscretion. We also ordered an apple pie to bring to John and Eileen’s for Thanksgiving. They will deliver it to us as they will be going by on Wednesday. 

 

Heather decided to pull up stakes and stay in a hotel in Surprise tonight. She invited us to lunch and we all agreed on the Sizzling Wok for a 2-hour long rich conversation over soup, Chinese entrees, fried rice, and Fortune Cookies. We learned a lot about each other - she has truly blossomed over the last year driving a tour bus at "The Canyon.” 

 

We didn’t bother with a real supper - just a few zero point items for me. 

 

November 23, 2024 - Saturday

Lu and I went for a walk around the park in the reverse direction that I usually do. It was more like a stroll as she is still on the mend, but we had a great conversation. Rich and I spent the afternoon messing with our new banjolele - it was really difficult to tune and stay tuned. Also, the strings were not nylon and the frets were not consistent in length because the neck was so short. Sooooooo, we decided to return it and try another with all of the options we prefer. We boxed up this one and will drop it off on Monday at a UPS drop box. 

 

November 24, 2024 - Sunday

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that my weigh-in this week went UP for the first time in 8 solid weeks. And now Thanksgiving is in view. Well, I still walked with Lu again this morning and did laundry too. Then we picked Dave and Penny up to take them to Jake’s Spoon, the restaurant at Wickenburg Ranch, for a nice brunch. 

Right - more food, but I am counting everything as best I can. 

The Bloody Marys were adorned with celery, olives, lemon, lime and a slice of crisp peppered bacon. The horseradish was a bit strong for me, but I just sipped water after each sip of it.  

Penny and I had Blue Crab Lump Benedict and the boys had Huevos Rancheros which they thought was the best they have had. 

It was such a gorgeous sunny day with a slight breeze that we found comfy lounge chairs to sit and visit for an hour while looking out over the golf course. Sure will miss them when they leave this Sunday...

November 25, 2024 - Monday

Walked, danced, and went into Wickenburg to pick a FEW things at Safeway and drop off the banjolele return package. Went to lunch at the Elks - me again with the turkey wrap (no sauce) and Rich with the French Dip.

 

Workers plugging Christmas lights in on Locomotive #761 & Tender and the Drover Caboose.

Went to a Cocktail Party at Dot and Harvey’s - Darice and Don, John and Geri, and Tonya, Dot’s daughter, were there. Dot had put together a beautiful board of assorted cheeses, crackers, grapes, apple and pear slices, celery, broccoli, carrots, peppers, dip and chips that tasted like stuffing! So many zero point choices, but I confess I went for the cheese, salty crackers and chips. 

November 26, 2024 - Tuesday

Walked and then drove all by myself into Wickenburg Senior Center to practice with the ukulele group. Denny and Joanne are in California for Thanksgiving and beyond. Rich stayed home waiting for Patrick to install our new microwave/convection oven. This guy is one strong dude! He climbed up and down the stairs lugging the old one out and the new one in with the greatest of ease. We highly recommend him, Rags for Riches RV Service 623-707-7677, if you have any needs. He also brought us each a delicious cinnamon roll from a bakery he is promoting. Sooooo, I went for another walk around the park with Lu and adjusted my point intake for the rest of the day. Cindy joined us for dinner - she had both the flu and Covid vaccines and was feeling slightly feverish. She researched and found Patrick for her issues in the first place, so it was a great find. 

 

November 27, 2024 - Wednesday

The usual walk and dance in the morning, then did some cleaning of the rig. Suggested that Penny and Dave stop at our humble abode for a cocktail this afternoon. That turned into a dinner invitation from them for shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta. Rich cooked more of the huge brussels we had left. It was a delicious meal.

November 28, 2024 - Thursday

Lu and I walked before all of the festivities began. Then Rich and I drove into Surprise for another spectacular feast at John and Eileen’s with Matt, Sue, Pat, Bob, Jerry, Steve and Rob. Trust me these folks know how to put on a feast...

 

Appetizers at 1pm…

Kitchen prep - these two are great at co-creating culinary magic…

Rich carving John’s “best yet” brine smoked turkey…

Dinner served at 4pm…

Ready to dive in - the hostess with the mostest is hiding in the background…

Followed by desserts! 

Oops! Forgot to take a picture, but trust me, the apple pie, pecan pie, and apple pizza were wonderful! 

 

Needless to say, there was NO WW POINT TRACKING for me today. I ate to my heart’s content and my stomach was maxed out. 

 

Another Thanksgiving behind us...

 

 

Apricity West 5

November 15, 2024 - Friday

Stopped to see Lu after walking and dancing. She’s on the mend. After lunch, Cindy and I went to Joanne and Denny’s house to pick up an electric keyboard that they are not using. Cindy’s played for over 30 years at her church and really knows her stuff. She has a keyboard back in Wyoming and will bring it down next year. This is a loaner which she really appreciates.

Penny and Dave stopped by to invite us out to the Wild West Saloon for dinner. We had a great conversation and learned that she went to Westfield State and he to Western New England College (now University). These are colleges very familiar to me, so we talked about a lot of  commonalities. They also graduated from high school in 1965 like me. Tonight there was a bright and beautiful full moon. 

Speaking of high school, the Wildcat football team lost tonight. Their first loss for the season, but in the post season quarter-finals. They sure provided a lot of entertainment and good football to the little town of Lee this season. Next year...

 

November 16, 2024 - Saturday

It was 38 degrees when I walked this morning, with no wind. I found my winter coat which just happened to have a pair of gloves in the pockets. As I walked through Saguaro Park, the crazy shapes of the trees stood out to me so I took a few pictures. 

Today was the annual North Ranch Craft Fair where crafters of every ilk come from inside and outside of the park.

Rich chose not to participate this year since we sell every Saturday of the summer back in Lee. And, it is a lot to haul across the country for one day. As usual, all Veterans are gifted a beautiful quilt by our in-park quilters, Alet and Kathy.  

Cindy was happy to receive one for her service in the Army National Guard.

November 17, 2024 - Sunday

Weighed in and it has been 50 days straight of tracking (and walking). Thankfully every weigh-in has gone in the right direction - down, though it doesn’t seem fast enough. We treat ourselves to a nice breakfast after weigh in. Today was French Toast with Dave’s Killer thin sliced bread that we got at the Senior Center - it tasted good.

 

Cindy & Tom W. offered their lovely home to have one more uke practice. She has a couple of banjoleles which she offered me to take one home and try, which I did. 😁

 

It was a pretty cold day so no sitting outside, but Cindy came over later and we had a bowl of chili topped with cheese and Fritos. 

 

November 18, 2024 - Monday

Walked, went to the Dollar Store, and danced. Later in the afternoon, Penny and I went over to Cindy’s to practice on her new keyboard for the jam. We all made some pretty decent music for the first time together, but Penny has company coming on Thursday so won't be able to jam with us. 

 

November 19, 2024 - Tuesday 

Extended my walk a little bit by going up to the dog park after the cactus garden - it was only .14 more miles than what I have been doing. Hmmmm! We finally Celebrated Roxie’s Life at Coffinger Park today. It was a lovely tribute to her life and 11 ukulele players were there, as well as Roxie’s ashes. 

Links to music are in the body of this email…

When we were going inside, Steve, neighbor behind us, was at his grill. I said, “What are you cooking tonight?” He said, “Butter chicken - it’s spicy.” Rich said, “What time should we arrive?” Haha! I had to Google butter chicken - a spicy Indian dish.

 

November 20, 2024 - Wednesday

After I walked and danced, we went to Safeway to stock up. What a mistake! You would have thought this was Thanksgiving week - tons of people shopping and a lot of empty shelves. We still managed to spend a lot though. After putting everything away and having lunch, Amazon delivered our new banjolele! Yup - that’s right. Rich ordered one and here it is. Now to learn to play it properly...

Rich was sitting outside when Dave and Penny meandered over with a drink in hand and a couple of beers in a bag. 

Great way to start a progressive cocktail party which then moved to their place on their brand new outdoor rug. Dee and Dwight joined us and Cindy arrived soon after. Dave brought out a few "new to us” whiskeys and topped it off with Reese Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Thins. We also got a tour of their 40-foot Class A Motorhome - WOW! So luxurious. Also got to meet Buddy, their 16-year-old cat. 😸

We also received a dish of Butter Chicken with a package of pre-cooked rice from Steve. Wow! It was like a party in our mouths! They are so kind…

November 21, 2024 - Thursday

A cold, windy walk today. Practicing some songs on the banjo for the jam. Heather drove down from Grand Canyon for the jam today - 4 hours with pit stops for Bella. She’s dry camping for the weekend - 70+ degree weather. It sure was great to hear her music again. There is a short clip in the body of this email. Cindy made her debut on keys - 🎹 😊 They came over for a post-jam cocktail.

 

 

Apricity West 5

November 8, 2024 - Friday 

Too cold this morning to walk, so I lounged around in my fuzzy lounge PJs until 9 and went to line dancing. In the middle of a dance, teacher Cindy stopped and yelled, “There is a huge spider on the floor!” We all froze and looked down on a baby tarantula, the size of a half dollar. Care was taken to carefully pick him up and put him outside. I learned that tarantula bites, though poisonous, are not fatal to humans. Instead, they are valued for their part in keeping desert insects under control.

After the excitement, Rich and I took Cindy to the Elks for lunch. I stuck to my usual turkey wrap, but they both had the French Dip sandwich. All were happy with the choices. Today is the first day of the North Ranch Yard Sale where you can find many kinds of wares, clothes, power tools, furniture, etc. We went directly to Dee’s which is where we bought several cowboy hats, a sweatshirt, hat bands, and bling tops last year. This year I got a cute sweater and a margarita. Since I hadn’t walked yet, I held it to one and then had to go home to rest a few minutes before taking my walk. BUT I DID IT! I do not want to break my streak of walking and tracking points…

Glennette

Cindy and Dee

We were back home sitting outside and a couple out for a walk commented on our New York plates which led us to an easy flow of conversation.They grew up in Springfield, MA (which is where my career was based) and raised their children in Enfield, CT. They know upper NY state well and their daughter considered going to Cazanovia College which is where Theresa went to college. She now lives in Boston and their son lives in Chicago, so they decided to travel. They visited friends in Jojoba Hills who were at an Escapee Park, who suggested that they might like this lifestyle and they said, Noooooo. But a week later they found a gorgeous Class A motorhome to their liking, sold their home in California, and are now waiting for a site in Jojoba Hills SKP Resort Coop Park in Temecula, CA. They actually started this whole process in August of this year so are learning a lot. AND he is a photographer with a website and she wants to do a blog to record their journey. Small world! Meet Penny and David - together since they were 14 years old❤️

Lee High Wildcats won their State Semi-Final game tonight 38-0, so they will play West Boylston this Friday night.  GO WILDCATS! Football icon 

November 9, 2024 - Saturday

Went for a walk with Cindy and Lu and the rest of the day was a do nothing day. 

 

November 10, 2024 - Sunday

Walk and online church today. It was a gorgeous 72 degree bright sunny day so we spent most of the day outside. A new Casita pulled in across the way from us this afternoon and I noticed their license plate was from Massachusetts. Of course, the first chance we got, we asked the man while walking their dog, “Where in Massachusetts?” “Woostah” (Worcester) was his reply. They retired recently and started their RV journey in July. They bounced around until they arrived here which is enroute to their destination, Imperial Valley. They will be here for 7 days. 

 

It was nice to have Eddi come over for a visit. 

 

November 11, 2024 - Monday 

HAPPY VETERANS' DAY

The usual walk, dance, chill… Do nothing kind of day, but I did have a phone call with all of my 4 grandchildren today. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

 

We got a package from Amazon - Rich ordered a small unit that will air fry/bake/roast. This was to cover for not having a microwave. It is a perfect size and very affordable. 

Dee came by for cocktail hour. When the mountains are pink, it’s time to drink...

November 12, 2024 - Tuesday

Went into Wickenburg for ukulele practice preparing for Roxie’s Celebration of Life. Afterwards, Rich and I went to Bar 7 for the first time and had a scrumpdili-icious pot roast dinner. 

The decor is very Western...

When we got home, there was a knock on the door. Penny was inviting us to come over at 3pm for cocktails, food, and fun - just bring drinks. They are just about 5 sites down from us and we trotted right over at 3 sharp. Their neighbors (Glinda and Keith, Larry and Debbie) right behind them are from Washington state. They were our neighbors last year. She had chips, dips, shrimp, peanut butter pretzels, queso, and taquitas. After a while, Cleve and Jerri came with delicious homemade pickles, green beans and special candies. Next thing we know Glinda and Debbie are setting up tacos with all the fixings between their rigs. 

Once the sun set, warm blankets were offered by them to keep us warm. I learned that Penny is an alto for a choral group that was invited to sing in Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day! What a special evening…although the WW point count was far beyond the daily points and well into the weekly points!

 

November 13, 2024 - Wednesday

Time to get back on track today - walked, danced, and made good food choices. Also managed to get a 1.5 hour pedicure too. Cindy came over after a trip to Prescott. Soon after Steve came - he is Lu’s neighbor (retired Marine, retired law enforcement) - to ask about our motorhome as he is considering a new rig. He has an Airstream now, but is looking for a different layout. As we adjusted our lawn chairs according to the direction of the sun, he commented that is why Western gunfights were always at high noon - because the sun would be a disadvantage to one and an advantage to the other. Never knew that!

 

November 14, 2024 - Thursday

Walked and skipped chair yoga session (again). Reason being we are practicing today at 11am for Roxie’s Celebration of Life which would make it too tight to fit everything in before we go. I drove today. It occurred to me that I never drive except on our way out here (towing our car) and around the park once in a while. I was a little nervous about driving on the highway with speeders and several roundabouts, but all went well. Phew! I am going to do it more often to stay sharp. Ha! 

 

The jam was very sparse today - bass, guitars, dobro and ukulele. It certainly wasn’t our finest moment. I use the excuse that I had already played 1.5 hours before we got there for 2 hours. My fingers feel like raw meat. I think we drove the half a dozen people in the audience out. Oh well. At least Rich played his harmonica for one song! 

Next time will be better - Heather will be there!  

 

Apricity West 5

November 1, 2024 - Friday

Walked, danced, and then went into the Elks for lunch. The usual turkey wrap with no dressing was my choice. It is a lot of veggies and turkey with a little cheese - very good. Cindy, Lu and Roger came over to visit. Our neighbors left today so we had more room to spread out. 

 

My Ring doorbell got a picture of a bear sauntering through my yard in Massachusetts. There is a family across the street near a ledge.

November 2, 2024 - Saturday

Walked with Lu at 8am - later now as there are no classes to go to on Saturday. Later in the day, a Road Runner walked through our site.

Cindy stopped over after a trip into Wickenburg. Glenette was walking by, and she dropped in to visit.

 

November 3, 2024 - Sunday

Weighed in and still on the right path - downward! Took laundry over before our 8am walk - me and Lu. We saw a coyote approaching us on Vagabond, but he ended up crossing through someone’s yard to the next street over, Wandering Way. He looked skinny and mangy. We see scat all over the grounds. 

Well, our microwave/convection oven died once again. Last year it died just before we left for home and then it came on again at the first stop we made. So we tried unplugging from the main post, but no luck. Dang! 

 

November 4, 2024 - Monday 

It was cold and windy for my walk today - 42 degrees wouldn’t feel that bad if the wind wasn’t blowing. Did line dancing and then we went into town for more supplies. I know, it was supposed to last two weeks the last time we went, but there is always something more you need.

 

The HUG group will be playing at a Celebration of Life for Roxie at Coffinger Park. We got the song list and it is 20 songs, half of which we never heard before. So Joanne and I got together this afternoon to at least listen to them. The date is 11/19/24 and there will be music, music, music. Tomorrow is our only rehearsal for this so 🙏! After practicing, Joanne showed me her greenhouse of veggie sprouts. It is hard to get dirt here in the desert - at least dirt worthy of growing. 

Dee came by to visit in late afternoon. 

 

November 5, 2024 - Tuesday

Took my morning walk with more layers of clothes before going into Wickenburg with Denny and Joanne to ukulele practice. We actually made it through the whole song list and it will be ok after 2 more practices. Did more laundry and it warmed up enough to sit outside later in the afternoon. Pat is back from Tucson for several days and Cindy came over. We shared thoughts on healthy food preparation. Rich uses an electric skillet and the microwave to cook our meals, so we don’t use the gas stove (we would have to unhook to fill up - a bit of a pain). So he ordered a small air fryer. Can’t wait to try some WW recipes I have found. 

 

Another beautiful sunset…Cindy’s POV!

She also got a shot of a javelina poking around her territory. 

November 6, 2024 - Wednesday 

This is the first day I did not walk in the morning - the wind howled all night shaking our tiny house and 40 something degrees which was not inviting to go outside. So I put on my fleece jammie’s and shawl and scarf to relax and do my NY Times puzzles before dance - then we went into Wickenburg.

When back in Congress, we drove past North Ranch to check out the status of Ramblin’ Dan’s. You may recall there was a kitchen fire two years ago. No progress on the rebuild. 

I walked at 3pm - still windy, but not as cold. Cindy had to have an RV Repair guy come, so I asked him if he could check our motorhome while in the park. Not only the microwave, but we have a leak under the fridge that we can’t figure out. He did come and was able to change a corroded pipe fixture - voila! He will be back in the park for Cindy on the 26th, so he will remove our microwave and we have a replacement ordered. 

November 7, 2024 - Thursday

37 degrees when I woke up this morning (it's warmer in Massachusetts) and only going up to 60! Lu and I walked at 9 when it went up to 45… Ditched yoga today because I do NOT want to ruin my streak for days walking. Went to the jam and we were honored by Rich playing his harmonica to a couple of my songs. He sounded good. Charles is who sold him the octave and he gave him a thumbs up! Charles has joined the group with his guitar and voice which he hasn’t done is many years. And Gary has brought a song to sing during my turn. Really nice voice. Heather, our neighbor last year, chose a permanent position driving a tour bus at Grand Canyon. She will be joining the jam in two weeks. She will drive here for a two night stay dry camping in her truck. Can’t wait - stay tuned…🎶

 

Until next time...