Dancing in Jan & Feb, 2011

     Gary spent many hours getting the Warrior ready for our first extended trip.  We left for Yuma on 1/12 and spent 6 days in the KOFA C0-Op, enjoying their swimming pool and  hot tub.  There was a pool tournament about an hour after we arrive, so Gary rushed over in time and won it.  The next evening was bingo.  Gary & I each won a pot and then I won blackout.  It wasn't a lot, but paid for our stay there.  Did I mention that at that point, they asked when we were leaving? 
     Of course we had to do some geocaching.  We did a portion of the lightpole series in the desert to test out our Honda's all wheel drive.  We got into some really soft sand and it did great!  We also found 40 caches, our best day ever. 
     On the 18th we headed for Quartzsite to join a  million other RVers.  We parked in our usual area on Plomosa Road, about 5 miles north of town.  We attended two SKP Rallies while there, Chapter 28-Big Sky (WY, MT, & ID) and Chapter 39-Washpan (Eastern WA and the panhandle of ID).  The weather was the best we'd ever had in Quartzsite, with only 2 days of cold and winds.  We also had friends from Wisconsin over to help us root for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship.  (Guess it worked!)  
     On the 29th we moved across the road and a  mile west to the site for the SKP Geocaching Rally.  It was another great even with lots of old friends and some new ones made.  Of course while we were in Quartzsite we had to do some shopping at the Big Tent and other places.  By the time we'd left, we had sure done our part to make Quartzsite green.  Among other things, we got a towbar and base plate for towing the Honda (I drove it, following Gary for this trip.), a fantastic fan for the Warrior, and extra satellite dish for the Warrior.

     We came back to RoVer's Roost, by way of Yuma, to have our solar, inverter, generator system reviewed and brought up to par.  This should really help with getting the most out of our system.  Of course any trip on I-10 between Casa Grande and Yuma involved a stop at Dateland for shakes.  Overall we had a great 3+ weeks and the Warrior worked fine for a smaller home on wheels.  Rusty adapted and didn't cry like he had the first night out.  The dogs were sure glad to see the 5th wheel when we got home.
     SuperBowl Sunday, we had a party at the clubhouse with most of the rooters being for Green Bay.  I brought a bratwurst stew for good luck and once again, it worked. 
     Right after our February Follies, a Texas Hold 'em Tournament was held at the park.  Lessons were available for those who wanted them.  I attended, learned a lot, and even watched some poker on TV for a few nights.  With 22 entries, there were about 8 gals.  Surprisingly, I was the last Gal left (4th overall), and Gary won.  We were each awarded coveted bracelets (bought at the dollar store, I think),  just like the world series of poker.  Don't think we'll take it any further though, I was a nervous wreck!
     I also went to Bear Cabin in Show Low, AZ for a four day Quilt Camp.  It was wonderful with 11 quilters there.  I had some fun projects and it was fun being looking outside at snow while quilting.  Other than the first night, all meals were prepared for us, so it was a real vacation. 

     A reminder that we'll be getting our mail here at the Roost in Casa Grande through at least April.  After that, we'll be traveling and mail will be forwarded to us from our regular South Dakota address.  If you have time, please let me know how you like this new format and the pictures.  I added one of our fantastic Arizona sunsets.  This is the view from our front door, with Tabletop (climbed 2 years ago) in the distance.

     Dancing thru Jan and Feb, toward Spring............................ Hugs, Katy, Gary, Rusty, and Spicy



    

Dancing thru Winter in the Desert 2010-11

In trying to stay current in the rapidly changing techno world (impossible, i know, but we can try), we're going to try a blog instead of travelogs. I think it will be simpler to send one with short bits of info every couple weeks or so, instead of a long travelog every 3-4 months. At least that's the theory.
We had a really nice holiday season with big potluck dinners in our clubhouse. Over 80 people attended both events. In addition to the usual activities and parties we celebrated New Year's at 10pm (that's Midnight in New York), with a dance and watching the ball drop in Times Square.
We had a chance to get together with two other couples that we had gone through training with at Escapees Headquarters in Livingston, TX. Although we had seen each other separately, we hadn't all been together since 2001, when we trained. It was a fun evening reminiscing and sharing our travels.
I also went to an Alpaca farn for Alpacazona, a celebration of all things alpaca and knitting. They had yarn in all forms, as well as some finished projects. It was fun to see the animals and there were even some babies.

     Alas, Gary is now a "Man without a Truck."  We traded our Dodge truck in on a Honda CRV.  It's light enough to tow easily and can be towed with all four wheels down.  It's also all wheel drive, for off road geocaching.  It even came with a portable card table in the back.  It gets about 26 miles to the gallon and will be super to have along for exploring, once we're set up in an area. 
     That's going to be it for Nov and Dec.  I'll send emails to my travelog list when I post a new blog.  I'll be doing another one soon to cover Jan and Feb.
     Dancing on Down the Road..........................   Hugs, Katy, Gary, Rusty, and Spicy