Saturday, March 22nd

Our time to start moving is nearing. We are approaching the end of our two-week stay at The Caverns and we’ve loved every minute of it. It seems we have done very little, but we really have accomplished a lot. I’ve managed to completely wax the coach, do some small repairs and upkeep maintenance, and gotten some serious relaxing practiced.

When we arrived we expected to meet Jack & Carole Morgan, a Monaco couple we know and enjoy. They were in the park, but were experiencing some low voltage electrical problems attributed to the park’s electrical wiring. When we arrived we found a note taped to the electrical box on our assigned site. They had two days of low voltage and didn’t want to risk a damaged circuit board on any of their appliances. I always use our Autoformer transformer when we’re here at The Caverns. When the park updated to 50-amp electrical service, they added one copper wire line and didn’t replace the aluminum wire line already in place. It creates a low voltage situation when the temps drop and everybody is using electrical heaters. Our Autoformer boosts the voltage to a proper level at the expense of amperage. Bottom line is that an Autoformer can be a great tool to keep the voltage from dropping too low and damaging any appliances. The Morgans decided to move on east to Willcox, so we missed them. We were surprised to hear from David & Lana Greer who were about 8 miles down the road from us so we spent a day with them touring Tombstone. Then this week we got a call from Bob & Marlene Rea that they were in Benson. So we got together with them and Bill & Sandy Crawford for a Thursday night dinner at one of the great Oriental buffets in Sierra Vista. It was a terrific reunion with some treasured friends.

The park is winding down for the season as many of the regular residents will be departing and heading north to their summer homes. The activities are dropping off and the meals have ceased. We have met some wonderful folks here and going to miss the fun that we have. We’ve made one trip to Tucson to get some serious shopping done, but Sierra Vista has almost everything a person would need. We’ll be looking forward to getting back to this area next winter.

We will be leaving on Monday morning and going to Deming, NM and the Low-Hi Ranch, the home park for the Loners-on-Wheels, a group of older singles that meet there every year. We’ll spend one night and hopefully have the time to visit the St. Claire Winery to get a couple of bottles of wine. They will custom mix wine to your taste so we’ll have the chance to get our own mix of red wine.

On Tuesday we’ll drive to Truth or Consequences, NM and the Elk’s Lodge for one night. Then on Wednesday we’ll drive to Albuquerque for two nights at the Elk’s Lodge. On Friday we drive to the Tucumcari, NM Elk’s Lodge for one night, Liberal, KS Elk’s Lodge for one night, and Wichita, KS Elk’s Lodge for two nights. There we’ll get the opportunity to see one of my favorite cousins, Linda Cain-Kreiser. After that visit we’ll drive to Hebron, NE for two nights at the Riverside City Park. Then we’ll go up to Milford, NE for a week with another cousin, Nancy Anderson-Obermeier, on her acreage. By April 15th we’ll be back in Rapid City. Hopefully the snow and cold weather will be over and we’ll be ready to go to work.

Speaking of weather, we have enjoyed some fantastic sunny days with temps in the high 70’s and cool nights. Last week we actually had nighttime temps down to the high 20’s, but it warmed up during the day. We have been very fortunate to be able to enjoy these warm days and spend a lot of time outside.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. We will miss our friends at Palisades Presbyterian Church and the church service and message that Harvey Throop will deliver. We’ll be thinking of all of our friends and remembering what Easter is all about.

Don’t forget - “we must live each day as our last, for it's not enough to merely survive, we must thrive. The clock is ticking for each of us. Make each day count. Have a purpose in life. Donate time, money, love and prayers for others. And remember, time waits for no one.” DB

Sunday, March 9th

We are back on the road again!! Our nine days in San Diego was just too short! We really miss the church family and the good friends we have that we see on a regular basis while we’re there. But we DO have wheels on our house, and it is time to start thinking about returning to our summer home in the Black Hills.

I was able to get down to South San Diego and have lunch with my old SDPD partner, Carl Maupin. Carl has taken on the responsibility of being the property manager of one of the newest and largest shopping centers in San Diego. He obviously has a lot of fun in his work and enjoys the routine of the daily challenges. I told him he needs to think about retiring and relaxing before his age and health catch up to him, but he still insists that he enjoys his work and the responsibilities that accompany the job. And Danny Hollister, one of my SDPD sergeants, dropped by on his BMW motorcycle. We had a good talk and got all caught up on the “haps” at the Department.

On Wednesday morning, the 5th, we packed the coach and left the church about 9:30. It was tough saying goodbye to Pastor Harvey Throop and Janice, my favorite secretary. They have become close friends and we’ll miss them both. We pulled out onto I-8 headed east and immediately encountered some northerly crosswinds. We drove over the mountains and down to the desert floor where the winds continued. We simply slowed down to 50-55 MPH and took the trip easy. We arrived in Yuma about 2PM. When we got to Yuma, we drove to Super Fuels - a small fuel dealer that sells about 10-15 cents lower than the local market price. I was able to fuel up both the car and the coach. Diesel fuel was about $3.11/gallon (compared to California prices approaching $3.79-$3.99/gallon). We had to wait in line to get in to the fuel islands, but the people were very courteous and helpful in getting us positioned to refuel both vehicles. Once we were topped off, we drove east to the Yuma foothills where we stayed for two nights with Roger and Ilse Elliott. They are friends of Archie & Pami Trott, another Monaco couple we have known for years. The Elliotts have a lot with all the developments - including a park model home, lots of concrete, and city sewer. They may be thinking of selling in the future, so we wanted to look over their lot. When we pulled up, Roger met us and told us to count on having dinner with them that night. Bear in mind that we’d never met them before, and they were the most gracious hosts to us. We had a terrific pork loin dinner and retired early.

Thursday morning we were up early and wanted to drive around the area looking at available lots for sale. We saw many, but really need to spend some time in Yuma with a realtor to see what’s for sale and the prices. We eventually meandered over to the Yuma Market Place, a giant swap meet and wandered through there for a couple of hours. We then returned to the Elliotts. About 2:30 Ilse invited us to join them on the “Whiskey Road” tour. We started at a little cocktail lounge where we met several of their friends, and proceeded on to a couple of more homes of other friends for more libations. It was interesting meeting all these winter visitor folks and seeing the improvements they’ve done on their homes. We were back at the coach by 7PM and settled down to some TV and a light dinner.

Friday morning we up and ready to leave by 9:30. Ilse asked us to stay until Sunday, at least, but we explained that we had needed to keep our reservations intact. We thanked them for their wonderful hospitality and departed. We took it east going across the desert and marveled at the color due to the recent rains. About 40 miles west of Gila Bend a trucker went by and was signaling to us about the Kia. I checked the mirrors and could see nothing wrong. As I put on the turn signal to pull over to the shoulder, I saw the white smoke emanating from the left front tire. It had suffered a sidewall failure and was destroyed. I set out my three cones and started digging for the jack and tire iron. I replaced the damaged tire with the spare, loaded up the remains into the car, and drove into Gila Bend. We decided to pass up a lunch stop and continue to Casa Grande. We arrived at the Western Horizons Desert Shadows RV Park about 3PM. We were able to check in and get located near some other Monaco friends, Bob & Marlene Rea. Marlene told us she had dinner ready for us (Wow! Was that ever a wonderful surprise!) and to come over with a drink whenever we got everything settled. It didn’t take long - I was both tired and hungry! We had tasty dinner with them and retired again for an early evening.

Saturday morning I was up and ready to get tires replaced. We drove 30 miles up the road to Chandler to the Sam’s Club and bought two new Michelin tires. I took the relatively new front tire off the passenger side and it is now our spare. The new Michelins ride well and we have the peace of mind of two new tires.

It’s interesting that I purchased a tire pressure monitoring set in January, but it hasn’t yet been shipped. There is an issue of new technology and the set should be arriving any day to our San Diego address. Mother will have to forward it to us when it arrives - hopefully soon! How timely that we would have a blowout AFTER I have ordered this new “safety item” and it hasn’t been installed yet! Anyway, we hope to have it in the next week or so. It probably would have saved us the expense of two new tires.

One of the maintenance items on our coach was the metal-braided hose for the handheld shower. The metal braiding has finally broken and we needed to replace the hose. I checked the internet for prices and was shocked at how much a brass-colored hose costs. We drove down to Home Depot today and they don’t have brass replacement hoses. So, we drove across the street to Lowe’s and found a whole new hand-held shower (with 72” hose) and purchased that. We’ll find out how nice the shower head is once we take showers. I was also able to do some work on a wood box that Dave Dyas built for me. It fits in the empty space between the generator and the generator door. He built a solid, beautiful wooden box that can carry some of my extra hoses, engine belts, engine filters, and water filters. I needed to drill and install a couple of support screws to firmly hold the box in place. I finally got that accomplished this afternoon.

We will leave Casa Grande tomorrow and drive down to Sierra Vista. I received a phone call this afternoon from Jack & Carole Morgan - Jack wanted to warn me that they are in Sierra Vista at the same park we will be staying in. It’s good to hear Jack’s voice and we look forward to seeing them down there. We’ll also be seeing Bob & Marlene Rea in a little over a week and will get to see Dave & Marie Ostrander when they return.

Our travel schedule has changed a bit - I’m a bit worried about the weird weather that has been hitting the lower Midwest. We probably aren’t going to make it to Arkansas as planned. We’ve decided to hunker down in Sierra Vista for two weeks, then go to Albuquerque, and on up to Wichita, Lincoln, and Rapid City. We’ll still arrive at Hart Ranch on April 15th, but have some flexibility to park for a while if we encounter some foul weather. It’s a disappointment to have to cancel some of our reservations and change our plans, but the smart thing to do is to take the cautious route. With fuel costs still rising, two new tires crashing our budget, and Uncle Sam reaching into our wallet for income tax, we are going to try the frugal approach for a couple of months.

Just as an after thought - one of our closest friends passed away last week. Dave Baleria was a good friend, shared many of my opinions, and was well-known in the RV internet circles. Dave was only 54 years old and collapsed while he was out walking his wife, Sandy. He leaves a huge legacy of service and training that can’t be matched by anybody! Keep Sandy in your thoughts and prayers - she has some tough challenges ahead of her in the next few months. She is a strong woman and a survivor, but she’ll miss Dave immensely.

Dave sent out his Travel Reports weekly and sometimes as many as three a week. In the last year he always ended his reports with this:

“Remember, we must live each day as our last, for it's not enough to merely survive, we must thrive. The clock is ticking for each of us. Make each day count. Have a purpose in life. Donate time, money, love and prayers for others. And, time waits for no one.”

It was almost a premonition that he believed and he lived life this very same way. It has been a real shock to learn of his passing, but it’s almost as though he was preparing everybody for what your unforeseeable future might hold. He is so correct in his beliefs and we all need to be reminded occasionally that we are only here temporarily. Don’t get caught short; plan ahead and make the most of what precious time we have!

Thursday, Feb. 14th

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!!!!

Our stay at The Caverns in Huachuca City was relaxing and enjoyable. We were able to get several chores done on the coach and enjoy the numerous activities in the park. Seeing all the old friends made the two weeks memorable. We had the chance to join Dave & Sandy Baleria for a dinner at the local VFW. We had originally planned to leave on Saturday and take some time to drive over to Lancaster, CA for the Monaco Pre-Rally. However, Melvina, the park manager, was cooking a Mexican dinner on Saturday night so we stayed an additional night in the park. The meal was absolutely delicious and we got to see some other friends from our previous stays at The Caverns.

On Sunday morning we pulled out of the park and started our drive west. We drove up to the Flying J in Eloy to fill our propane and diesel fuel. We got there in time to encounter some of the rudest RV drivers I’ve ever seen. They were all in a big hurry to get to the fuel islands and were cutting people off from turning in from the street. Finally, an employee of Flying J came out and started some traffic control and moving vehicles out of the street. We made it to the pumps, got topped off, and got out of there. We drove up to Casa Grande and turned west on I-8 toward Gila Bend. This route enabled us to avoid the Phoenix traffic as we aimed for Blythe. The weather cooperated with us and we had a cloudless day across the desert. Before we crossed the Colorado River into California, we stopped at the Flying J in Ehrenburg and topped off our fuel tank. The prices are almost a quarter higher in California, so the stop was worth the savings. We drove to the Colorado River Fairgrounds in Blythe, found a quiet spot on the infield, and parked for the night. There were a few Airstream trailers still there from their Wally Byam Rally, but we parked and settled in for a quiet evening of TV and dinner.

The next morning we got up and pulled out onto I-10. We drove through Palm Springs and up into the high desert. We arrived at the Palmdale Elks Lodge about 2PM and found a spot to hook-up. As I shut the computer down, I saw that Ray & Glenda Roe were also in the park. We walked over, greeted them, and made plans for dinner that night. Mondays are Bingo Nights, so Dottie & Glenda played Bingo as Ray & I sat in the bar and talked. Dottie and I also drove up to Lancaster to check out the facility and see where we’d be parking the next day. We had a great time with the Roes, and made plans for the Friday night steak dinner at the Lodge.

Tuesday morning we were up early, hooked up the car, and headed for the Lancaster Fairgrounds. We got parked and situated in time to start working on the layout of the parking lot. We managed to finish the layout marking on Tuesday, so we’re doing touch-up work and helping wherever they need additional bodies. Our real work will start on Saturday morning when the volunteers start coming in, and then on Sunday the early arrivals will be here. The next few days will be very hectic, but we’re ready for the influx of motor homes. Two years ago we experienced snow during our Rally. This year there is no snow in the forecast, but we’re dealing with some gusty winds and cool nighttime temperatures. We’re looking forward to “The West Coast Gang” arriving and the fun starting! Monday, February 25th

Monday, February 25th

We are back “home” again at Palisades Presbyterian Church in San Diego. It was a rewarding two weeks in Lancaster for the Monaco Pre-Rally. Once we got the parking lot all marked out for an anticipated 450 coaches, we waited for the arrivals to show up. Saturday the remaining volunteers arrived, and Sunday was the “Early Arrival” date for the rest of the attendees. On Sunday morning we viewed an empty parking lot. By 5PM we had parked 350 coaches. It was a task to get them all parked with as little hassle as possible. It’s amazing that some of these people are still allowed to drive on the highways! We had a few boneheads that just would not listen to or watch us. It was easy to spot the problem drivers. They either drive too fast, don’t watch their parkers, or just ignore our instructions. Thank goodness they are definitely in the minority! Most of the folks really appreciate our efforts and catch on quickly that they need to watch us carefully and pay attention to our instructions.

I saw a lot of people with names I recognized, but I couldn’t take the time to greet or meet them. We had coaches arriving in a steady stream. It was fun to see old friends arrive and know that I’d see them later in the week at dinners or seminars. I worked almost every day - we were called on to assist people who needed to pull out of their space to fill their water tank or empty their holding tanks.

During the week Monaco service technicians came to the coach and fixed several small items. We had our generator serviced, our satellite TV checked out, some new awning straps installed, and our furnace and interior lights repaired. And I even had the opportunity to purchase a few “toys” for the coach.

On Saturday morning there was an organized caravan of coaches down to Pomona for the Family Motor Coach Assn. Convention. We decided not to go so we could spend more valuable time in San Diego. We were up at 5:30 to help all the caravanners get organized for they trip. We had tehm all lined up in an outer parking lot. About 8:30 we pulled them out onto the street and the Antelope Valley Freeway. I was directing traffic at the intersection and we moved 79 vehicles out onto the freeway in just over six minutes! After they had gone, several of us went to breakfast. We finally left Lancaster at 11:30 and headed for San Diego. The weather cooperated with us and we pulled in to the church at about 4PM. Our Welcoming Committee met us in the parking lot and we settled in. It was humbling to see four people come out to welcome us back from our almost two-month, 1415 mile trip!

We will be in San Diego for nine days and leave again on March 5th. If any of you San Diego friends are in the area, give us a ring and say “Hello!”. We’d love to see a few friends before we depart for the summer.