Colorado Springs

We made it to Colorado Springs and checked into the Mountaindale Cabins and Rv Resort. We decided to stay two nights....we would have done more, but they are expecting snow and freezing temps over the weekend.  No need to stick around for more bad weather, so we will be starting our journey across Kansas Saturday morning.  We do plan to come back.  The campground is wonderful.  Here is a photo of our site.

This is a large pull through, one of there premium sites and it overlooks the rest of the campground down below.  It was wonderful!  Guess who we found at the campground?  Fellow rv'ers Jesse and Ginger.  We had a very nice visit with them.  Jesse and Ginger are workcamping here for the next 5 months.  I was also fortunate to meet our next door neighbors.....Molly and Mac

These two guys are English Sheep dogs and so lovable.  They have their own radio show on Pet Life Radio called "On the Road with Mac and Molly".  Their owner, Donna does most of the talking.....LOL!  If you have the chance, do check out the Pet Life Radio web site very interesting and entertaining stuff!
Guess that is it for now, gotta start packing up.  My cold really got me down the last couple days, but seems to be better this am! 

High Winds, Freezing Temps

We did survive the high winds last night....everything seems intact including us and the furballs.  What a night.....the winds were a howling and dust was blowing.  We knew the temps were predicted to drop below freezing so Billy unhooked the water connection.....woke up to a chilly 32 degrees.  You bet, I put my long underware on before I ventured out with the furballs for their morning stroll.  This am the wind is still blowing...not as bad....but combine it with the low temps and well...let's just say that I won't be sorry to leave Santa Fe when we head out tomorrow.  To top it all off....I seem to have caught a cold!  Came down with the sniffles and aches yesterday.  I have been healthy all winter....really irritates me that I'm sick now.  Ah well, this too shall pass and I have some good drugs to ease the symptoms.   All in all our trip to Santa Fe has been a bust....and I don't know if I ever wanna come back!  We will be heading up to Colorado Springs tomorrow.  I'm ready to put Santa Fe in my rear view mirror!

Santa Fe, NM

Yes, we made it to Santa Fe!  Sitting here in the middle of a rodeo fairground...just look what is right out my back window....

I think this is a finch?  Pretty colors and quite the songster!

"A horse is a horse, of course, of course......"

 Not sure if this little guy is a guy or a gal, but he/she is way cute!

We were planning on doing the downtown today, but we may have to get the truck serviced.  Billy noticed that we may have a low tire and we do need an oil change.  The weather here has not been great either....cold, cloudy, and windy.  We just can't seem to get outta this wind tunnel!  We were supposed to leave out tomorrow, but they are forecasting sustained winds of 35 to 40 with gusts over 60.  That means we will stay put here at least another night...maybe two.  We took a short drive through the downtown area yesterday and I sure hope we can get a chance to go back for a closer look!

Petrified Forest, Painted Desert

Once again, we found ourselves surrounded by beauty...stunning views no matter which direction we looked...

 We visited the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.  It was almost like being on some alien planet.  The colors and textures were amazing.  
The rv park we are staying in is called the OK Rv Park and that is about all I can say about it....it's ok for a short stay.  It's nothing but a large gravel and sand parking lot, but it does have decent free wifi and free cable.  Well, free is probably not the best word...more like included in the site rate.  Our next stop is Santa Fe, NM.

Grand Canyon

There are no words that can describe the beauty and majesty of the Grand Canyon.  So, here are a few photos for your enjoyment...believe me when I say they don't come close to the real thing....

   You can click on any of them for a bit larger photo.  The only disappointment was that the day was not as clear as I would have liked....a bit of a haze in the distance.  The rv park we stayed at while in Williams AZ was very nice....here is the link for those that may be interested....Railside RV Ranch.
All in all....it was one truly wonderful, amazing day.....but it was a long one.  We left our fifth wheel...furballs and all...around 9am and didn't get back till around 6pm.  We were all "dog" tired...LOL!!  We left Williams and had a short travel day...bout 2 hours.  Tonight we are in Holbrook AZ.

Viva Vegas

The last three days have been a whirlwind of activity!  I have never been so tired and yet .....so much fun!  The first day we walked up and down the Vegas Strip....course we don't gamble.  We just or maybe I should say "I" just wanted to see some of the sights and sounds of the big casinos.  Vegas is NOT my Billy's cup-o-tea, but he hung in there for me.  The second day we went back again to the main Vegas strip, but later that evening we went to "old" Vegas for the Fremont Street Light show.  It is spectacular.....

The Flamingos at the Flamingo! I love flamingos!

There is a little ducky back there....

Beautiful flowers everywhere I look!

Street Neon on the Old Vegas Strip on Fremont Street

 This is a shot of the canopy of lights..... before the show

Here is a shot of the canopy during the show

 Yeah....I know what you were thinking....poor Billy.....he doesn't want to admit it, but I think he had fun too!  LOL!

We left Vegas early this morning and headed south to Kingman where we picked up I4o.  We are spending a couple of nights in a sweet little town named Williams in AZ.  Tomorrow we are going to check out Grand Canyon!!

 

 

 

 

Cleaning, Sleep deprivation, and Trader Joes

Today is our last day...here in Desert Hot Springs, CA.  We are both ready to move on to Las Vegas.  I spent the day yesterday cleaning the fiver....a really good cleaning....the kind where you bring the ladder out so you can get to all those dust bunnies that live in the the upper atmosphere!  Billy left to get his truck washed and run some errands so he was gone most of the day...that was a good thing.  I don't like having folks underfoot when I'm cleaning....of course, the furballs where here.  They were doing a good job of staying out of my way...somehow they sense when Mama is in a state of "cleaning frenzy"!  By the end of the day...I was exhausted.  Not that cleaning is all that physically exhausting, but the night before had been a rough one.  Little Belle roused me out of bed around 2am for a potty call and I really never did get back to sleep that night.  Today after the dinner dishes were done, I could barely keep my eyes open.  I headed off to bed....yes, it was still daylight, but I couldn't see sitting up in my chair fighting off the "sleepies"till a respectable amount of darkness had fallen.  I think it was around 7:30 and then around 10:30 little Belle is once again needing a potty outing.  Up I was and out we went and then back to bed.  This time I took a benadryl....my allergies were acting up and I also knew it would make me sleepy...and it did!  I was off to dreamland in no time....didn't see the clock again til 5am.  I definitely needed that....as I feel much better today.  Good thing, cause the basement needs packing, the furballs need bathing, and the laundry needs to be done.  Tomorrow we will try to be outta here by 9am.  We enjoyed our stay here at Desert Hot Springs....I love Palm Springs and Palm Desert.  They do an outstanding job with city landscaping it is beautiful.  We were also introduced to "Trader Joes" by our fellow rv friends Rick and Paulette.  We are officially hooked on that little grocery store and I plan on looking for them all the way back to Indiana!  Good stuff!  We love their homemade chicken salad,  their Mango Salsa, their free range chicken, and let's not forgot those yummy pot pies!
Last but not least....we did make it over to the air museum the other day.   The museum itself was nice and we enjoyed our time there....is it worth $14 a piece to get in....we didn't think so.  I did have a bit of excitement while there....we were in the back lot...which backs up to the Palm Springs Airport.  Enjoying watching the planes land and take off.  We saw this Navy Jet land......

Here let me get a little closer look for you......

a big ole wave.....directed right at little old me....how's that for the "right stuff"!

Travel Plans and more Zoo Pics

I took a little time off from "blog land" this past week....really hadn't plan too, but that is how it turned out.  We have made our departure plans and we will be pulling out this Saturday and heading over to Vegas for a 3 night stay. I made our reservations at Sam's Town.  The price was not bad and they have a shuttle service to downtown Vegas that runs every 15 minutes.  That way we can come and go as we please and don't have to worry about parking or traffic.  I'm really looking forward to seeing the inside of some of those casinos....and the lights!  We don't gamble, so we will just be enjoying all the sights and sounds.  
Last Monday, I made another trip to the zoo.  I got there around 7am....nice thing about the membership we bought, I can get into the zoo 2 hours before they officially open to the public.  That was so nice.  It was a beautiful morning and I practically had the whole place to myself.  Here are just a few photos.....

 I have no idea...but those ears are way cute!

 I'm not sure, but I think this wild dog is thinking "breakfast"?  Hope the fence holds.

 Gotta love that face!

 Good morning, Sunshine!

Oops!  I don't think he is a morning person....he! he!

I have taken over 1000 zoo photos....love my new camera, thanks Billy!  Lots of inspiration for new paintings!

Day at the Zoo

I went to the Zoo on Wednesday and OH, what a day I had there.  Billy dropped me off around 9am.  I was loaded....had both my lenses, my camera, my monopod, my umbrella, and water and a snack.  It was an overcast day, which made it nice temp wise.  It did sprinkle a couple of times, but I had my trusty umbrella so I was good.  I really took my time and got some great shots....around 500 photos.  By the time I left I was really tired....I think it was around 3pm when I decided to call it a day.  I certainly can't post all 500 photos, but here are a few of my favorites.

 I was actually just shooting the flowers when this little guy magically appeared right in my camera frame...how cool is that!

 The latest addition to the zoo....Jaguar

 This beauty is a Cheetah

Bobcat

 Look at all those teeth!

I love, love, love my new telephoto lens....it did a great job of bringing in those shots.  Keep in mind, that all of these with the exception of the hummingbird, were either shot through glass or cages.  I do plan on going back....I have been reading up on my camera settings and want to try some different things.  Knowing where all the buttons are and what they do on my camera is a challenge....but, practice makes perfect!

Yesterday was spent resting up a bit (my legs were sore from all the walking) and cleaning up the fiver.  Belle seems to be fully recovered, but now Cosmo has had an incident.  So, we will see what tomorrow brings.

Shopping and Farewells

Yesterday was a fun day.  Paulette came by and asked if I would like to go to Jo Ann Fabrics and Trader Joe's (organic grocery).  I said a big yes to that....not often that I get an opportunity to leave Billy at home and have a "girl's day out".  It was great fun and I enjoyed Paulette's company very much.  I'm also sure that Billy enjoyed his time alone at the fiver for a change!
Later that afternoon, we headed over to Rick and Paulette's to say our goodbyes.  They will be pulling out in the morning.  We sure enjoyed meeting them and getting to know them....great folks!

 

Safe travels you guys!

And I just couldn't resist one more photo of Rylie......she is just a hoot!!  Who knows, I may have to do another painting...this "pose" is hard to resist!

Our little Belle had a good night and good day....seemed to be back to her old self.  This morning, however,  we had another "upset", but she has kept her breakfast down and seems to be her old self....so I'm not sure what is going on.  Right now, I think we will just keep a close eye on her and see how the next couple of days go.  Thanks very much for all your well wishes.

Today is shaping up to be another beautiful day here at the Sands. 

April Already?

The weather here at the Sands...in a word...HOT!  I'm not complaining though...I have been waiting for HOT all winter!  I love sitting out back of the fiver, here at the Sands, and drinking my morning coffee.  Yesterday I was greeted by a roadrunner, a bunny, and assorted birds.  It is a great way to start the day.  I was prepared to do the same today, but the wind is back.  The wind not only brought a drop in the temps, but also pollen.  I've got the sneezers this am!  A.....Chuueeee!
Last couple of nights have been a bit rough for our little female...Belle.  Seems she has an upset tummy.  Friday night we were both up several times....last night only twice.  I hope that means she is getting better.  Not sure what brought it on....she still wants to eat and is drinking water.  I have been feeding her white rice with a little chicken and she keeps it down.  For some reason...it is when her stomach is empty or almost empty that the upset occurs.  If she is not completely over this by Monday, we will be heading to a vet.
As for Billy and I, we had a project yesterday.  Our Precision On Demand Hot Water Heater has been having some issues.  The water goes from hot to warm to cold...then back to hot.  Shouldn't do that.  

See that brown, circular part back there...way in the back.  Inside is a miniature paddle wheel and that wheel has to turn freely as water runs through it.  It is that turning wheel that tells the unit to turn on.  Periodically that wheel needs to be cleaned...it shouldn't be brown, but clear plastic.  We have done this once before...so we were confident in our abilities.....well, so much for confidence.  We did get the wheel apart and cleaned and put back together, but when we fired it back up and turned on the "hot" water the unit refused to light.  Out comes the manual...me reading and Bill doing.  We make a great "fix-it" team...LOL! 

OK...see that yellow wire in front...that is the igniter wire or the one that makes the spark that lights the burner.  That was the first task....making sure we were getting a spark.  According to Billy, who was holding the end of the wire when I turned on the "hot" water....NO DOUBT it is definitely sparking.  It was pretty funny watching him dance around....wish I could get him to move like that on a dance floor!  OK...so we have a spark...now what.  Billy looked at all the connections....wiggled this and wiggled that...nothing.  Finally, I read this....."Use a wrench or similar tool to tap on the gas supply pipe to the right of the coil on the modulating valve 1076 (see figure -3). It is possible that the piston in the modulating valve has been forced out of its normal range and may stick. The tapping helps to free the valve".  Billy, of course ignored me and continued his own search and "wiggle" mission to find the problem.  At last....I'm inside running water and I hear a "tap, tap, tap" and presto....hot water!  Need I say more!