It's Never a Good Thing When....

Hey y'all, no need to pay the ransom, we are alive and well and have survived to tell the story!  About that heading....it's never a good thing when....when you are sitting with good friends (thanks for the cookies John & Lora!!) just having a lovely chat, when all of a sudden your phone rings.  And it's not a number you recognize, so, of course, you click Ignore.  Then your husband's phone rings, and it's some security company, which neither of you recognize nor called, so he too clicks Ignore.  (actually, he clicked screen call, which is effectively the same thing)  Either way, you just go on about your merry way, visiting and chatting, and forgetting all about your phones and their associated calls.  And then, about 2 hours pass, and your friends have left, and your phone rings again.  Hi Nina!  And it's your dear sister-in-law, asking if you had received a call about your dad being barricaded in the bathroom with steak knives and the police and EMTs taking him to the hospital.  Now, that's an Oh-sh$t moment if there ever was one, right?  And so the nightmare began.

Yup, so began a month of almost non-stop phone calls and life and death decision-making, at all hours of the days and nights.  Turns out, out-of-whack sugar levels, combined with pneumonia and a few other factors is not at all conducive to a healthy lifestyle, and, after a couple of weeks in the hospital, and a day under Hospice, and another week in the hospital, Dad succumbed and passed peacefully during his afternoon nap.  Too bad he didn't get to see that Charlie & I have reconnected and we all four actually enjoy spending time together.  Now we get to deal with the aftermath.  Let me just say, do your duties, people, and assign beneficiaries to your financial instruments.  And make out a Durable Power of Attorney, not a GENERAL one.  And SIGN IT.  and DATE IT.  In the presence of a legitimate notary, for goodness sake! And then, once it's official, SEND A COPY OF IT to your designated beneficiaries.  End of rant Public Service Announcement.

So, what else happened during the last month??

Well, we packed up the coach and took it 62 miles away, to Apache Junction, to get the rear engine hood-cover struts re-emplaced.  Yes, that was one of the repairs we had made at the factory, up in Indiana.  But, we got a Coolant Low light come on, so Driver went to check on it, as good & responsible drivers are wont to do.  When he released the hood latch, the darned thing flew up, breezed right by his noggin (thank you, Lord!), and wham!  Out popped the struts once more.  So, now we had TWO issues - the struts, AND that pesky Coolant Low light.  East Valley RV was the recommended facility, so off we went.  The day before, though, a torrential rainstorm had swept through the Valley (west side and east side!) and several area roads were flooded or had ponding.  This was what we saw on our way out of the campground.  After weeks and weeks and weeks of sunshine, we finally saw rain!  Why on the day of our travels, of all days?

Here's Agua Fria - a "river" that was nothing but dust for the previous month and a half.  Water!

Can you blow up the photo below to see the street flooding?  Sorry, it was shot out the window, at about 60 mph, from a bridge over the neighborhood, and it's not like we could stop to let me focus better.

 I believe this is the Salt River....a real and true creek after all this rain.

While we were waiting for the RV repairs, we found a little farm market, with lots of special sauces, jams and jellies ...

lots of varieties of local honey...and candy.  A whole wall of homemade candy.  We were good; we left that all there and bought only veggies.

We took a back street to get back to the RV repair facility, and look, more flooding.  Looks a little bit like Florida after a hurricane, right?

Even the clouds were low on the mountain.

It was nice to have clear skies for the ride home, but, geeze, look at the traffic!

All this excitement is tiring for puppies...

And, because, well, because Dick Luck, our shower hot water decided to crap out on us.  Sometimes during a shower, the water would go absolutely STONE COLD.  Not gradually, either.  Hot, then COLD as ICE. So, we had the RV repair facility check that out too.  Seems the "mixer" or scald regulator has failed.  At first, they looked at it and couldn't find anything wrong, so they were going to charge US for the diagnostic hours (3, if I'm not mistaken) and send us on our merry way.  BUT, an insurance adjuster just so happened to be in the office, waiting his turn to consult with the service manager, and he overheard us discussing the issue.  It was he who suggested the mixer might be defective or even failed.  And, thankfully, he was right!  Of course, they don't just keep that part on hand, or in stock, so they had to order it, with arrival due for 2 weeks out.  And what about that Coolant Low light??  Well, turns out, we had a couple of small leaks, but they weren't authorized to repair that, and they sent us on to Freightliner, down in Tolleson, AZ.  But, they couldn't take us in for another couple of weeks, and on the same day as my next back treatment was scheduled.  Well, now, THAT wasn't gonna work - getting my back fixed was absolutely imperative, and long-awaited, so we pushed the coolant resolution out another week.  Soooo, when we called to confirm the shower part had arrived, ahhh, lo and behold....there was a mixup.  It either didn't get ordered, got ordered incorrectly, got fulfilled incorrectly, or maybe didn't get sent.  I dunno, pick your choice; we got all those excuses handed to us.  Sooo, we confirmed our Freightliner appointment and headed down that way the day before our scheduled appointment.  (there was an onsite RV parking area at the facility).  Turns out, the SENSOR was bad, and there was only a very slight coolant leak, due to a loose radiator cap.  They had a new sensor for us, replaced it, addressed the slight oil leak, and cut us loose.  They even notarized some paperwork for me so we could bury dear ole dad.  How's that for service??!!  From there, we went back across town to Apache Junction, to see about getting some reliable hot water in our shower stall.  Their original plan was to remove the big mirror, cut a big hole in the wall, remove the innards and replace the bad part, test for leaks, and patch the gaping hole they would make in the wallboard.  HA.  I told Dick that mirror was glued on tight.  Only way to remove it would be to shatter it.  Turns out, I was right.  They managed to get in from the FRONT of the faucet handle, though, and remove only the very inside part, the section that had failed, and put it all back together.  Only took about 3 hours, but they calked it up, so we couldn't run water in there for another 24 hours.  So, STILL no hot (nor otherwise!) showers for us!  Oh well, what's another day, when it's been 3 weeks already?  Should I even mention the CRRRR-ACK I heard and felt as we were leaving the Freightliner facility?  Yeah, the repair facility took a peek at that, as well.  Turns out, the awning over our entry door has a motor that has seized.  And the awning no longer fully retracts.  Ugh....not a good way to travel.  The tech was able to manually push it back, almost to flush with the wall of the coach, then he got a zip tie around one side and duct taped (with matching black, no less) the other side.  This repair will have to wait until we get down to Rockport I suppose.  But, it's on record, and Newmar has already authorized repairs, once we land somewhere for more than a couple of weeks.

But, just because we live in an RV, doesn't mean we don't have seasonal spirit...

And everyone needs a bit of relief when dealing with hospitals, doctors, elder care services, bills and banks, and RV repairs too, right?  Remember those orphan blocks that came my way, courtesy of a quilter in Iowa?  Did I even ever show them to you?  Do you remember the shop hop gift certificate I won way way back in October? Well, the blocks started out as humongous red starbusts on backgrounds of stark white.  They were well pieced, but about 20 inches, more or less, and only mostly square.  Some smaller, some larger. None exactly the same though.  So, I cut them down (incorrectly, as it turns out, so I cute them AGAIN, uniformly this time), and Driver & I spent a couple hours fretting over how to combine them and how much fabric to purchase to make it all work.  That task was made more difficult by the fact that I didn't have a clear plan nor pattern at the time of fabric purchase.  This is the layout we ended up with.  Not too bad, if I say so myself, even if it looks NOTHING like what I had in my head.  It was supposed to be a Quilt of Valor, but now it meets neither the size nor color requirements of that organization.  Oh well.  It's still pretty.  And I have just the perfect quilting pattern to embroider in the white corners.

And, remember that huge box of goodies that Kelly, my friend from Ohio, sent me?  It was full of embroidery supplies, thread, some aprons she needed embroidered for her grands, for Christmas gifting, and 2 quilt tops that I had volunteered to sandwich and quilt for her.  She didn't want them back - they were to be given to charity, any charity of my choosing when completed.  Well, I had a short block of free time, not enough to really start a project, nor complete a project, but a few hours' worth.  I thought maybe I should open those 2 quilts and check out the piecing so I could start forming a quilting plan.  Folded in with one of the tops was this little pieced beauty.  It was sewn by a dear friend of Kelly's who is recently departed, and she (Kelly) was asking me to quilt it for her.  I got to use the camera scanning and auto-fill features of my new machine, so it was quite the learning experience.  Plus, in homage to Rosemary (the original sewist), I put a couple of embroidered flourishes in opposing corners.  I think she would have appreciated that.  I know Kelly did - now both of our souls are stitched into her new wallhanging.

Definitely not my style, and certainly not my colors, but, hey, it's also not my wall art!

Again, all this work can be exhausting....

So, all the paperwork for Dad is done and filed, and he's in the ground, where he's wanted to be for the last 19 years, the RV is repaired, we are once again enjoying hot (really hot!) showers, the nights are getting chilly cold, and our time in Surprise is drawing to an end.  We decided to make time to enjoy the Christmas lights of Glendale Glitters, a bedroom community of Phoenix proper.  We didn't really know what to expect, but we had heard there were 1.6 million lights in a 16 block area.  So, we packed up the pup and hit the streets.

This 3-D ornament was very similar in size to the one in On Top of the World's Town Commons.  People were walking inside and posing for pictures, but the line was long, and frankly, we didn't want to wait, just to pose for a photo.

Of course, we were overjoyed to find an open ice cream parlor...

Bailey was just certain if she stared long enough and hard enough, a clump of cream would fall off the spoon, right into her waiting mouth.

The lights were pretty, and the night was fun, but after experiencing the magnificent light displays of Cuervo, TX, Homosassa State Park, FL and Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC, we must admit to feeling a bit disappointed and even let down.  There were no vendors to speak of (ok, so, there was one pushcart, selling balloons on a stick), no music, and very little energy in the air.  Oh well, it was free, so we really can't complain.  But, we won't be going back any time soon.

Here are some photos from the Cuervo, TX light display.  The photos are from 2014, but the shows go on even now, we hear.  It's a drive-through experience, so you can stay warm as you tour the park.

Back in Surprise, though, it got cold.  I mean, REALLY COLD.  And again rainy!  Really?  We've seen more rain here in 3 months than we saw from 3 hurricanes in FL!  Like, being outside was just Not Fun.  What's a girl to do?  Well, personally, I cranked up the heat, put on a long sleeved shirt and my fuzzy pants, knee socks, and got out my cutting board and sewing machine.  I really don't know how anyone ELSE handles the weather, but that's MY solution.

Six identical placemats have magically appeared!  

They would languish in the closet, if it were not for the help of dear Barbara S.  I reached out, and bless her heart, she was there to throw me a lifeline.  She provided the photo/diagram below as a quilting suggestion for me.  And, wouldn't you know it?  It's all within my skill set (well, maybe not those pebbles in the dark blue arc, but I kind of want that section to puff out anyway) or I can program my fancy machine to do it repeatedly.  Whoohoo, a double win!  I have done the echo-arcs in the blue sections, and man, am I loving the results.  No, silly, I don't have a photo, that would make it too easy and logical.  The placemats are all packed up (under the bed, no less) because we had to get on the road - we have reservations to keep down in Alamo Texas!  Where it promises to be WARM.  Well, at least, warmER.

So now you know where we've been in the last month, and what we've been doing.  If you are one of the ones that reached out to check on us during that time - THANK YOU, your kindness and caring are greatly appreciated. And all the rest of you - thank you too, as we know you were thinking about us and wondering what the heck we were up to.  And, if you were too busy to even notice we were "out of service," well, that's good too, 'cuz that means you were likely having your own version of fun.  😄

Next up, our road trip to the Rio Grande Valley.  Hopefully, I'll get that out to ya sooner than later!  In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas, and for those of you that are traveling, please be safe and careful out there!

Another Day, Another Adventure....aka Angels ARE Among Us

Let's see, today is Texarkana, but YESTERDAY, well, yesterday was full of adventure and Dick Luck.  We left our little family campground in Springfield, IL, bright and early, since we knew we had a looong day (6 hours driving, for us, that's long) ahead of us, and rain was in the forecast, so we knew we would be delayed.  We weren't too long on the road when we came across the mighty Mississppie River.  I knew there'd be another bridge to cross, but I truly expected it to be much bigger, higher and grander.  Nevertheless, it was big and high enough.  The river is still at flood stage, and it was a pretty swift current.

Not too long after we set out, the rains came.  First, it was just a sprinkle, but then we drove right into what appeared to be the heart of the storm.  Visibility was considerably reduced, as was our speed.

We were only about two hours out from the campground, when Good Ole Google deviated from the Lady of the Dash's route, and promised that we could detour, and arrive 20 minutes faster.  Well, we gave it some serious consideration, but ya know, there's that weight and height issue.....and just never know if we will run into some low overpasses or weight restricted bridges.  So, we usually err on the side of the Lady of the Dash.  She knows how tall, wide and heavy we are, and she's supposed to take all that into account when she plots our route.  With the exception of that one time in Atlanta, when she tried to put us on the Expressway, where a Peach Pass was mandatory, she's been pretty accurate. So, we crept along, inching down the road, but staying true to Sally's route.  Eventually, we came across the cause of the backup.  Apparently, a load shifted or a truck rolled, or something catastrophic involving steel I-beams.  Cleanup was definitely in progress by the time we approached, and they had both lanes back open, but there was quite a backup.

We got past that, and were well on our way to Tom Sawyer's RV Park, where we had originally planned to spend the week after our Nappanee appointment.  As you may recall, they closed the campground on June 11, due to flooding.  LOTS of flooding, like 36 feet underwater!  Well, they had opened it up again on July 13, the day before we were scheduled to arrive, but we told them we had changed our plans and would no longer be staying there.  That was Friday.  On Sunday, we again changed our mind and decided that would be an overnight stop on the way down to see Connie, and old square dance friend.  OK, *she's* not old, the friendship is years old!!  She lives in Frisco, TX, and the quickest way to her house was south and west (remember, Indianapolis was "closed.")

We were booking right along, planning to arrive around 4 pm, just in time for me to fix dinner.  We called the campground to get final directions and it was confirmed to exit the Interstate at Exit 4, turn right, and go over the levee.  Sounds simple, right?  Surprise!  There was construction immediately upon exiting the Interstate, and there were concrete barriers on the left, and a raised curb on the right.  And the lane was only about 8 feet wide!  Yes, the lane was juuuuuust barely wide enough that our tires could pass squeak  through, but we rubbed several times, on both sides.  We literally inched our way along, till we got to a stop light.  Whew, or so we thought!  No, there are no pictures of that nightmare, as I could hardly keep composed, much less think to take photos.  When the light turned green, we proceeded, but we heard an awful, metallic screeching noise.  Neither of us knew what it could be, but we decided it was our metal ramps (on the tow dolly), scraping on the metal plate in the road, covering up what we assumed would be a ditch or hole.  We only got about a half mile down the road, when a good Samaritan flagged us over and told us we were putting on quite the fireworks display.  Look good and hard at the picture below - I know it's really hard to see through all the dirt on the windshield.  But, see that tow dolly tire, on the right?  It's past shredded!  And, no, there's not much of a fender left behind.  Nothing much to do at this point, but take the car off the dolly, as we did, and drop the dolly by the side of the road.  Which we did.  We were only 2 miles from the campground (which turned out to be quite a cultural experience, but more on that later), so we called and told them what happened, using THEIR directions, which, SUPPOSEDLY were to route us AROUND the construction, and that we would be there when we could.  Campgrounds get antsy when you don't show up by closing time, but they're usually forgiving if they know there's been trouble on the road, so we always try to keep them apprised of any situations.  Especially this time, since I was using THEIR DIRECTIONS.  Yes, yes I was ticked off.

I was able to wash the windshield enough so that I could see to drive, and I was able to lead Dick, driving the coach, into the campground with no further difficulties.  There, they checked us in under the wrong name, trying to charge us more than one night's stay, and we got that straight, only to be led to a flooded site (really, just a mud puddle with gravel) that was under an overhanging tree.  I guess the owner could tell by my reaction that I was less than impressed, because she immediately offered me another site, just 2 spots over.  That site had trees on BOTH sides, and the limbs were even lower hanging!  I just looked at her and mentioned that we could not fit under the trees without scraping, to which she replied, "Couldn't you just swing wide?"  Really??  What was she thinking?  We were already pretty frazzled, and looking at a few hundred dollars damage, did she really think we were going to deliberately drive under low branches, risking further damage, this time to our home?  Uhhhh...I don't think so!  Anyway, I picked out a site further down the row, that didn't have any trees and was less flooded.  (Sidebar, this campground is RIGHT ON the banks of that Mighty Mississippi, and the flooding has JUST receded, so there was still a lot of standing water.  And mud, lots of mud.)  We got into it, and were just barely settled, when there came a knock on our door.  Yup, a knock on the door.  I opened it to find a bear of a man standing there, asking if that was our dolly down by the bend in the road, and offering to winch it up on his trailer and bring it to us.  All at no charge.  Dick was on the phone with the Good Sam Roadside assistance clerk, trying to tell her where to find the dolly, so we had to make a snap decision.  It got easy, once the gentleman suggested that we had better let him go get it quick, before someone snatched it right up and took it home.  I thought that would be rather difficult, since the tire was shredded and all, but he warned us that wouldn't matter.  It was easy to just pull it up onto a flatbed and be off with it, and, this was highly likely in West Memphis.  ???  Who knew.  Not only were we in what could be called a dump, but it was a high crime area too! So we agreed to let this dude, whom we had only just met, go home, get his flatbed, and go retrieve our tow dolly, while we waited for the Good Sam tire guy to arrive with a new tire for us.  Meanwhile, Dick went into town to get us a set of stick-on lights for the car.

Then the Good Sam tire guy arrived with the tire, but neither the nice guy, nor my dear hubby had yet returned to the camper.  So, Tire Guy had to sit and wait, and there I was, not really even sure that Nice Guy was going to return with our dolly.  What if HE was the one that was going to abscond with it?  What if it was already stolen, and there was nothing for him to pick up and return to us?  I didn't have to wait too very much longer, and Nice Guy really DID return.  With our dolly up on his flatbed, just as he had promised.  A man true to his word, thankfully.  He was so very sweet, saying anytime he can help someone, he does.  The Tire Guy got right to work, removing the shredded bits and getting the wheel ready to accept the new tire he had brought with him.

There's my Nice Guy (Angel) on the left, and George, Tire Guy, on the right, placing the new tire of the rim, while the dolly is still up on the flatbed.  All in all, this really was the safest option.  There was hardly any shoulder, back out on the road, and I can say, from personal experience, there was at least ONE pile of fire ants.  Yup, I stepped in it.

After all the excitement was over, and Nice Guy & Tire Guy both took off, Dick and I were left to enjoy the view.  I thought, at some point, we would see a paddlewheel or steamboat, or something attractive, but the only boat traffic was this one tug, pushing two barges.  Disappointing, to say the least.

This morning, we set out, again, bright and early, headed to Texarkana, TX.  After some pump issues and witness to a 2 truck (tractor trailers) accident right in front of us (we TRIED to warn the dude, it wasn't safe to proceed...) at the obligatory fuel stop, managed to find our way into our scheduled overnight stop.  We had called Monday, for reservations, and apparently, that was a smart move, since all their easy-in, easy-out sites are occupied by now.  But, it's a clean little park, with permanent residents around the outside and a little fish pond on the back side.  It's just off a busy highway, but it's all quiet inside, so we are happy campers!  Tomorrow, we head to Frisco, where we'll catch up with Connie and see what all she's been doing for that past 12 years!