Pine View Reservoir

Joey, Beth, Jason, Willard and I took our boat up to Pine View Reservoir to take in a little sun and do a little fishing. It was a beautiful day with a wonderful view. No fish, but a relaxing time together. Life is good.

Newspaper Article

Millie sent us a copy of a news article about us that appeared in the Wickenburg Sun on March 28, 2007 after we had already left the area. I really don't want to retype the entire article,but I will summarize it. Patti James (staff writer) tells about Willard's love for gold prospecting and his searching for the "mother lode" around historical Stanton, AZ, but doesn't make a "job" out of it. She described how we met in highschool, married, had our children, then began our college education about 10 years later. She mentioned that Jean was the Queen Mum of the Stanton Red Hat Goldminers. And that we love this lifestyle. It was a nice article. Click on the picture and you can read the entire article.

We're still in Ogden, UT

We just got home from watching our son, Joel, make the final few yards in a 26.2 mile marathon run in Ogden. We were so proud of him. He had some cramping that slowed him down a bit, but he kept on running. As he is recoving from the run, he is planning the next one.

We have really been busy since we arrived two weeks ago. Willard waxed our motorhome, cleaned the roof and put rubber protectant on it, serviced the generator (filters & oil), put air pressure extenders on the tires, bought a air pressure hose to air up the tires, and sanitized the water tank.

We put together a storage unit in Joey's back yard for the snow blower, lawn mower, bicycles, tiller, etc.

We also bought a Comfortaire bed and gave our other mattress to Joey and Beth.

Bill and Karen came down from South Jordan and we took them to the Hot Springs in Honeyville. We stopped at KFC and got lunch to eat when we got there. After a long soak in the hot mineral water, we treated ourselves to Shakes before shopping at Smith & Edwards. It was a wonderful day. They are now in Montana at their son's house.

Willard and I entertained at the assisted living center here in South Ogden. They really seemed to enjoy our music and invited us back. We'll probably play for them again in September on our way back through, as we head for Arizona for the winter.

Willard's brother, Elvin, passed away last week. We did not attend the funeral which was held in Texas City, Texas. Robbie, our oldest son who lives in Austin, represented our family. We are now in the process of selling the house he lived in. I inherited it from my Mother years ago and he was buying it from us. We plan on selling it, keeping the balance he owed us, then give the equity to his children. I'll just be glad when it is sold.

The weather is just beautiful here. Warm days and cool nights. I just love this time of year in Utah. I also like the fall. We hope to take our boat up to Pine View for some fishing and boating. Willard is planning on golfing some while here. Dan is planning on coming down Memorial Day weekend, then we will be on our way to embrace another journey.

A Lot Has Happened the the past 3 weeks.

We went to the Escapees Escapade in Stockton, CA. It was great. About 2000 attended driving about 1500 rigs. Organization is the key. We attended classes on tire safety, fire safety, and how to clean the rig. I can't remember all the classes we attended. We shopped and bought some RV stuff, which included a Comfort Air bed. I attended line-dancing classes.

We had to take Duster to the vet. He had some kind of rash on his feet and was chewing his feet until they bled. He is fine now after taking medication.

Willard and I entertained at the Ham-A-Rama before about 1500 people. Guess we were okay, since no one threw any tomatoes and they clapped when we finished each of our two songs. There were about 12 acts, mostly comedy and music. The next night we attended the farewell party and met some wonderful people. We hope to see them again on the road.

We also traded in our Sea Breeze for a 2003 40' Alpha See Ya! It is the first used vehicle we've ever bought. Hope we are not sorry. We offered them an offer we thought they would laugh at, but they accepted it. You can see it in the pictures below on our way to take delivery. You see, if we license it in another state, we can't take delivery in California, so Tom drove it to Boomtown, NV where we took possession.

We spent 6 days at the dealership in Salida, CA while they fixed the slide motor, replaced the seals on the big slide, washed, and serviced it. It took us two days to move in. We have since discovered some minor problems with door latches and the like. But, it is ours now and we must deal with any problems we encounter. Willard loves to drive it and I like the interior. We have to remember a rig is like a home in a 3.5 earthquake everytime you take it down the road. So, things happen.

I remember when we moved to Cedar City and bought our home there, we had many costly repairs to make and thought nothing of it. Guess we will have to have the same mindset with our roaming home.

We drove from Boomtown, NV to Winnemucca, NV and stayed two nights. It rained most of the time we were there. Then we headed for Wendover, NV (on the Utah border). We should be at Joey's (our middle son) home in Ogden by 3:00 this afternoon. That's when they get home from church. We just hope we can park this bigger rig in the area we parked our Sea Breeze. If not, we will just have to go to an RV park.

We don't think they serviced the generator because it started leaking oil last night. I hope we can fix the problem. I guess it's things like that causes us some concern about purchasing a used rig. We'll keep our fingers crossed that it's just a small inexpensive repair.

In the posts below, I published some pictures of our stop at Donner Pass. There was a big snow storm at that elevation the day before we left the valley. Chains were required on Wednesday. On this day the roads were clear, but snow was still covering the countryside.

Donner Pass, CA (May 3)

This picture was taken at the Rest Stop at the summit of Donner Pass.

The Rest Stop at Donner Pass

It was cold at the rest stop. We just stretched our legs, took Duster for a walk, and left for warmer conditions.

Donner Pass, CA

A Cold Spring Day in Mojave, CA

It was a cold dreary day. I couldn't put off washing clothes any longer, and Willard has to walk Duster morning, afternoon, and night rain or shine. We did manage to find the time to go shopping for groceries. And we checked out California City, CA., a small community just north of here. while we were out and about. When we got back home, I made cornbread and red beans (I put the beans in the crock pot this morning) for supper. Then we fixed strawberry shortcake. We watched CSI Miami before we started putting up all the things we dragged out since we travel tomorrow. Four more rigs came in today. The park is just about full now.

We are in Mojave, CA

What a nice day to travel. No wind, cool, not much traffic. Now, the view could have been better. Miles and miles of desert and small shrubs with rugged mountains in the distance. We did go through Apple Vally and I was reminded of visiting the Roy Rogers Museum here many years ago. I think they moved it when Roy passed away.

We are parked at Sierra Trails RV Park, a nice little park. The spaces are a little snug, but Willard backed in like a pro. I fixed lunch, put the motor home back together, then took a nap. We met our neighbor, a full timer, and exchanged experiences. I was surprised when 5 or 6 rigs came in this afternoon. Of course, it's the only park in the area. We will depart on Friday. Tomorrow should be very relaxing. Rain is in the forcast. Sounds like the kind of day to curl up with a good book, or start another story. Maybe I'll even work on some genealogy. I do need to wash clothes and buy groceries. That never ends.

Joey called today and told us Jason was filling out his papers to serve an LDS mission. He said it was like Christmas around his house. We will make sure we are in Ogden to attend his farewell. It's a big decision for a young man to make. He needs his loved ones around him before he leaves for two years of service. Wonder where he will be sent?

All is well......

Boy Are We Breakin' Wind Today

We left Yuma early this morning thinking the wind storm had passed through last night. Well, it hadn't. We are now on highway 86 headed for Indio, CA. It was so windy across this desert that it is a miracle we made it across. We've been in ground blizzards during the winter in the Rocky Mountain, but this is worse. I just heard over the CB that a truck was blown over about 4:00 this morning. I'm surprised we are able to stay on the road. This area reminds me so much of the Great Salt Lake area. (had to stop until we got parked in the RV park...the wind just got too bad.) We traveled along the Salton Sea for 40 miles, but couldn't see much of it for the blinding sand. We arrived in Indio, CA about 11:30 and are staying at Indian Waters RV Park. It is a beautiful park. We'll be here for a week. After the trip today we are ready to get off the road for awhile. Now to just relax. There's a spa, jam session on Sunday, a casino, Texas Hold'em in the park tonight and tomorrow night. Who could ask for more?

Finally made it to Yuma!

We were so surprised when we drove into Yuma. I was expecting something between Tombstone and Quartsite. NOT! It is a nice modern little city. We did visit the Territorial Yuma Prison that closed in 1909 thank goodness. It is now a museum. I felt eerie as we walked between the cells. Since its closing it has been a high school, rooms for the homeless, during the depression. It had to be just awful. Most of the inmates died of pneumonia, TB, consumption, murder, etc. One lived out his life here (died at 90). There were women here, too. Most committed adultery and some did commit murder. A baby was born to a new inmate and lived here until it was 2, at which time the mother was pardoned. The cells had two very hard bunk beds (3 high), a bible, and a chamber pot. The beds were only about 2 feet wide and the space between them was about 2 feet wide, too. The cell was about 10 feet long. No air onditioning and 110 degrees in summer. No windows. Just awful, awful, awful.

We were also impressed with the Old Town of Yuma. It seems to be the cultural center of the city. Surrounding the RV park are acres and acres of farm land. Most are ditch irrigated. This area is the lettuce capital of the world. They also grow dates and peanuts. I would have never guessed. Now I see why so many people live here in the winter.

We are at Yuma Lakes RV Park. It stretches out along the Colorado River. We got here yesterday and will leave in the morning on our way to the Escapees Escapade in Stockton, CA.

While here we have been in the hot tub twice, had a Blizzard fix, and enjoyed dinner at Red Lobster. Of course, Willard just had to play nickle Keno at the Indian Casino here. And he had to twist my arm to play video poker. We donated a small sum to the Indian Tribe. I'll swear they're scalping the "white man" and we seem to enjoy it. We never made it over to Mexico. There just isn't enough time to see everything. Guess we'll have to come back again.

Before we left St. David we did go to Wilcox, AZ and visited the Rex Allen museum. It was really interesting especially after meeting Rex Allen Jr. at the Escapade in DeQoin, Ill. several years ago.

Easter 2007

We had a nice day today. Slept late; went to church; went out for lunch; took a nap; went on a walk around the ponds; watched some TV. It was a relaxing Sunday.

Yesterday we went to Douglas, AZ and had delicious lunch in the beautiful Gadsden Hotel. It opened in 1907. This stately hotel contained a spacious two story lobby, soaring marble columns, and a Tiffany stained glass mural. They were preparing for a big wedding that afternoon.

We crossed the border, but the streets were empty. Seems Mexico residents take about 10 days off at Easter. There were only a few stores open. We didn't stay long. When we returned back to the RV park, Willard and I got our guitars out and practiced behind our rig. Our neighbor came over with his guitar and we had a regular jam session. It was so much fun. About 8:00 we went to the Hot Tub and met a nice young couple from Tuson. He was in the Army and had been in Iraq. He thinks it is a no win situation and that we need to be there only to train their armed forces. But, the people are afraid to join the Iraq army because so many are murdered if they do. I fear the future - Iraq, Iran, and illegals from Mexico. None of it looks good. Anyway, we thanked our new young army friend for serving our country.

Friday we went to Tucon and bought some items we needed for the motorhome at Camping World. We went to a casino nearby and were very disappointed. No 5 cent Keno machines. That's what Willard likes to play, one nickle at a time. He's a big gambler isn't he?

On Thursday we just layed around. Willard fished. I didn't do much of anything. It was nice. I did take Duster to be groomed. And that evening we went out to eat. Went to the Hot Tub and met two interesting couples, one from North Dakota and one from Florida (who were full timers). I love this lifestyle. You meet so many wonderful people and have so many experiences. We keep in touch with family and friends by phone and email. Life is great even though we are sometimes faced with challenges. As Willard says in a song he wrote, " ....the years were good, even when times were bad."

Obituary: Worth (Our precious Tabby cat)

We got Worth when he was a kitten. One of the students at Red Rock 6th Grade Center in Cedar City, UT gave him to us. He enriched our lives for 14 years. He took to traveling in our RV very well. He met all our visitors with loving rubs. Worth loved to roll in the dirt, hunt for bugs and birds, and sleep on the dash of our rig. But his favorite place to sleep was on Willard's pillow. He tolerated Duster, our cocker spaniel. Worth died of a nasal tumor. We will miss him so much.

Bill and Karen left today.

Bill and Karen left St. David today. They are heading back to Stanton, AZ for the April Outing. We had a lot of fun while they were here. We will miss them.

• We visited Tombstone 3 different times before we finally got to visit Boot Hill. It closed at 5 pm. We were always too late.


• Went to Bisbee and visited the copper mine and had a lovely dinner


Bill, Karen, and Willard waiting for the Copper Mine tour in Bisbee.









(Photo) Willard enjoys the fire. It was really cool that morning.

(Photo) Jean enjoying the heat from the big fireplace at the Copper Mine entrance.

(Photo)Bill and Karen ready to go on the tour.

• Went geo-caching and found 4 caches (2 in Tombstone and 2 near Benson
(Photo) One of our Geo-Cache finds.


• Went to the hot tub almost every night at 8 pm


• Worked on the RV park puzzle


• Fished in the RV park ponds


• 


• Visited a winery


• Went to Old Mexico for shopping and had lunch at a nice little restaurant
  
• Laughed a lot

We're Finally in St. David, AZ

Tuesday we left Stanton and headed to Peoria, AZ to get our motorhome serviced. Then we drove on to the Western Horizon Park in St. David in a wind storm. Sometimes we could barely see the road. We were glad to get out of that wind. The hot tub sure felt good that evening.

Bill and Karen were not far behind us, but stayed in an RV park in Benson, AZ for the night. We met them the next morning and had breakfast at a Dennys across from their RV park. We shopped at Walmart before they followed us to the park we were staying in. We gave them a 5 day 4 night pass to stay in the park that we belong to. After they got set up right next to us, we took a drive over to Cochise Stronghold and back to Benson for Mexican food at Miguel's. It was kind of weird because we had the same waitress at Dennys that morning. That evening Karen, Bill and I sat in the hot tub. It was sure relaxing. When I got back to the rig, I found Willard worried about his left arm in pain. He said it had been numb several times during our drive. So we went to the emergency room in Benson and had some tests made to see if he was having some cardiac complications. Thank goodness he was released with a good bill of health. It's better safe than sorry. We have had several friends ignore symptoms of a heart attack and they are no longer with us.

(Photo)We had Karen take a picture of us so that we could make some flyers to advertise our gig.

Today we went to Tombstone, AZ and spent the day (1) shopping, (2) attending 2 gunfight presentations, (3) had lunch, (4) geo-caching, (5) more shopping (Willard bought a leather vest and some spurs), (6) had our picture taken, and (7) took a trolly tour of the area. The hot tub sure felt good after such a busy day.

(Photo: Bill, Karen, Willard and me having lunch at a sandwich shop in Tombstone, AZ)

(Photo: This is Willard sitting up at the bar with his new spurs on. )

(Photo) The Bass Gang posing for picture at Tombstone.

March Update

As usual I can't believe another month has gone by. I'll try to recap our activities. Right now we are still in Stanton. It is almost 11:00 pm and raining. I love to hear it rain at night. It's good sleeping weather. This morning Willard and Bill took a guest out to prospect for gold. It started raining and they headed back to camp. After they got back we went over to Bill's and Karen's Rig to visit. Then we decided to go to Wickenburg to do some shopping. When we got back, I curled up in the bed and read and watched TV. Willard worked Suduko puzzles and watched TV. It was a quiet afternoon.

To give an update over the past 30 days I'll begin where I left off in my last post.

• On February 23 we had a Red Hat Outing to Surprise, AZ. We had a wonderful luncheon at The China Buffet then headed over to a Flea Market. I bought a new hat. We only had about 16 attend, but of course, we had a lot of fun and some good laughs.



• We were invited to a gathering in an RV park in Brenda, AZ to play music. Judy, Lynn, Deb, Randy, Judy, Don, and the Whites live over there now. Several from Stanton were there for a pot luck lunch. We entertained for about 30 minutes. The food was good, the company enjoyable, and we love sharing our music.



• Janice and Dean from the Escapees Class of 2005 came to visit. They were staying at North Ranch. Willard told them the history of Stanton and took them on a tour. It was good to see them again. We briefly met them at Rend Lake in IL in Sept. of 2005. Hope they keep in touch and that we see them again on the road. They're a nice couple to get to know better.



• Janice and Dean, another couple in the Escapees Class of 2005 were staying at North Ranch and came out for a visit. We hadn't seen them since Rend Lake either. We sure enjoyed their visit. Hope to meet up with them again.



• We made a quick trip to St. George, UT to take care of some family business. Thought we would be there for at least a couple of weeks. But, we took care of our business and came back to Stanton in about a week. Of course, we lost our spot by the flag pole, but we really like our site north of town. We've talked about trying to park here next year. On the way home we spent the night in Mesquite and I won $1046 at a Poker Machine. I also played in a Poker Tournament. Didn't do too bad, but didn't win any money.



• We had a wonderful visit with Dan in St. George and got to see all his kids and Anna. They seem to be doing just fine. Here is a picture of his new home. He loves it and it is a nice place for the kids to visit. Fishing is nearby and they can use the pool at Western Horizon in Harrisburg. Plus it is only 15 minutes to his work at Pace Trailers.


**********


• On March 14 we had our last Red Hat activity for the season. We had a wonderful luncheon over at Debbie's Place. Diane cooked and served the most delicious Taco Salad and chocolate cake. We had about 30 red hatters attend. Judy B. and Judy Y. joined us from Brenda. Our North Ranch gals were there. And we were honored by having a Queen Mum from Ontario, Canada visit us. She said after being with our group, she needed to go home and perk her ladies up. We do have a good time at all of our activities. BJ says she will serve as Queen Mum next year. We plan on crowning her in October.



• On Saturday, March 17 Willard and I went to North Ranch to their annual yard sales. Then we met Bill and Karen over at the fire station in Congress for a Corned Beef and Cabbage lunch. Karen and I helped serve the meals and kept the tables clean. The boys ate and ran. It was fun working with the ladies from North Ranch, Congress, and Brenda. But, I was sure tired when we were told we could leave.



• We attended a party over at Alice's Rig on Wed. It was a lot of fun. I'm sure going to miss everyone when we leave next week. Hope they all come back next year.



• Willard and I took our instruments over to the Opera House to practice. While we were playing about 5 or 6 people showed up and we played for about an hour. They must have enjoyed it because they stayed until we couldn't play another note. But, we really enjoyed playing for a group. Maybe we will play at the pot luck dinner tomorrow night.

Our Recent Adventures

It was cold, wet, exciting, exhilerating, and miserable all at the same time. That was last Monday. A group of us (12 crazy rock hounds) ignored the threatening sky as we loaded up our ATVs to go gather Burro Creek Purple Agate in Burro Creek which is about 8 miles east of Nothing, AZ out in the middle of the desert on a primitive road. About 3 miles in we unloaded our ATVs to travel down a wash and on to the "road" and into Burro Creek to find the unique agate. It turned out to be a nice day up until we stopped to eat our lunch before we headed back to our vehicles. Then all HAIL broke loose! Rain, sleet, and hail followed us the entire 5 miles. Most of us were cold and soaked to the bone as we loaded our ATVs in order to wind our way back to the highway and on to camp some 40 miles away. Charlie and Janice were the only dry ones, for they were in their coveted jeep. It was a trip we will always remember.

Today several of our Red Hat members prepared lunch for a jeep tour group that was visiting Stanton. Another group parked in visitor's parking (right behind our motor home) and saw Willard out panning his concentrates. They came over and started asking questions. Willard ended up giving them the history of Stanton and explaining what we do here.

On February 6 we celebrated Ben's B-Day in camp. Ben is now 91 years old. He's been living at Stanton for about 30 years. Since we have known him, he has been the caretaker of all the plants in camp (cacti gardens, oleanders, irises, Palo Verde trees, ever green trees, etc). He also arranges and rearranges rocks in the gardens and to frame given areas. Our camp band provided the entertainment as we enjoyed his birthday cake and icecream. We had 6 members. Willard, Ken, Millie, and Hollywood Don took turns singing and we all played guitars. I played bass guitar. It was a lot of fun.

I went to Prescott for my last fiddle lesson this year. Now it is practice, practice, practice.

We had lunch with Dee and Don, a couple we met in a park at Mt. Pleasant, UT this summer. They are staying in an RV park on HWY 60. After lunch we wandered around the vendors at Gold Miner's Day in Wickenburg.

I can't believe February is almost over and that we will be moving on in about 4 more weeks.

States /Provinces We've Visited

We have been truly "Breakin' Wind" across the USA and Western Canada. We love this lifestyle.

February 2 Update

Well, Richard says I need to update. So I'm attempting to do so. We had a very busy and interesting January. We went on two ATV trips, had my birthday party, and had two Red Hat Activities (see below).

Terry and Dale (class of 05) came out to visit us. It was great touching base with them. We met them at a 2005 rally at Rend Lake in Illinoise the summer of 2005. There were so many there we just remembered seeing them at a pot luck dinner at Richard's site. We took them on a tour of Stanton and Willard told them about the history of the area. I hope we meet up with them again.

Willard and I made a demo CD at a studio in Prescott. It has 10 songs on it. What a great experience. We've made copies for friends and family, but our main purpose was to have something for RV park managers to listen to when we ask if we can entertain at their park, as we travel around the country this spring and summer.

Our friends Mary and Allen left for east Texas yesterday. That's where they live. We hope to meet up with them again this summer in Georgia at the LDMA camp near Cleveland. We had them over for a Chicken and Spaghetti dinner before they left. I'll miss them.

Our Red Hatters had a Scrapbooking Party. We had about 30 attend. Most scrapbooked, some crocheted, others just sat around and talked. I do digital scrapbooking, so I just admired all the great creations and visited.

Mark came by twice this month. He is trying to get his Airstream moved up to the lot he bought several years ago. He finally has electricity and sewer. He will have to haul water until he has a well dug. We had him over for several meals. He is always fun to have visit. Todd came with him the second visit. His girlfriend came with him the first visit. Unfortunately, they spent most of the time working on his lot. We plan on going by to see him in DeWitt, Michigan this summer.

Shopping on the Road

Karen and I missed the Schwan's man when he was in camp, so we stopped him on his way out and our way back to camp. And we did our shopping on the road. I bought ice-cream and Chicken and Rice Bowls for supper. I love this lifestyle!

Red Hat Outing in Peeples Valley

The Stanton Red Hat Goldminers celebrated life at a luncheon at The Drifters Bar and Grill in Peeples Valley, AZ. We had about 30 wonderful redhatters attend. We ate, gave out door prizes, and just enjoyed each other's company. It is just great associating with such fine women. All are young at heart and adventurous.

Surprise Birthday Party

Karen and Bill planned a surprise birthday party for me in the camp kitchen. It was great being surrounded by friends on my 66th birthday. Bill made icecream and we had a chocolate cake. We'll find any reason to celebrate!

An ATV trip to find Crested SaguaroCacti

This is Lynn and Willard on our hike to the first Crested Saguaro. The Saguaro in the background are kind we see all around the Stanton Area. There were about 10 of us on this trip.

Crested Seguaro Cacti

This is only one of five that we have discovered near Stanton.

Closeup of the rare Crested Saguaro Cacti

This is a closeup of the cactus.

Another view of our river trip.

I keep forgetting to post my pictures backwards. So you will have to go to the next post to get more information. This a picture of the wash we traveled to. It was a cloudy day and jackets were required, but that didn't stop this Stanton bunch. We make this trip each year. This was the largest group so far. We enjoyed hot dogs, potato salad, chips and dip, fruit, cookies, and delicious brownies. Some hiked to the top of the canyon only to find an ATV trail and some old mine shafts.

ATV trip to Hassayampa River

A group of us from Stanton (about 17 ATVs and/or couples) took off on a 32 mile round trip to the Hassayampa River between Stanton and Wickenburg. We traveled in washes and primative roads and stopped on the river side for a weiner roast. Oh what fun. But, we were sure tired when we got back to camp.

Near Stanton Camp

Saguaro Cactus near Stanton Camp.

Happy New Year

Whow! What a year in 2006. It went so fast I could hardly catch my breath between activities and experiences. Now is the time to look forward, but before I do that I want to catch you up on the activities and experiences we've had since my last posting.

At Stanton we had a GPAA outing. That's where hundreds of gold prospectors come to participate in a common dig and learn more about prospecting for gold. Vendors set up their tents and sold everything from jewelry to equipment. The Stanton Red Hat Gold Miners had a yard sale and made about $60.00. The camp served food, had a campfire one night, held an auction, had a raffle, and shared the gold. We did have some vandalism and one kid stole some gold, but it was recovered and the vandals were caught, thank goodness.

New Year's Eve was great! After the Melodrama of Charlie Stanton in the Opera House, we moved back the benches and had a dance to Karaoke music. Willard sang several songs and we danced to many more. We gave each other a great big kiss at midnight and wished all of those around us a Happy New Year. After a few more dances, we went home and fell into bed for a good night's sleep thankful that we'd survived another year!!!!!

We went on an ATV trip with a group to see the rare Crested Saguaro Cacti Judy and Lynn had discovered. It was a short hike to see the first one and we could drive our quads up to another one quite easily. We viewed the albino cactus from afar. After taking pictures, we took the back road back to camp. It turned out to be an exciting adventure. Later that day a group of us road our ATVs up to Jeannie's and Jon's to sing Happy Birthday to Jeannie. She seemed so pleased. It was a good day.

Hollywood, Willard and I played for the camp one afternoon. And Ken, George, Willard and I jammed another afternoon. It is so much fun playing with a group, even if we are just learning. We all benefit from those jam sessions.

On Tuesday we went to Prescott and had a Demo CD recorded. It was so much fun and a real learning experience. Spike was wonderful to us. He helped us to relax and didn't judge us. He just said that we should learn from the experience and from listening to the CD and come back next year ready to make another one. I can't wait.

Mark and Alexa came from Michigan for a few days. It was good to see Mark again and meet Alexa. They seemed happy together. We had them over for dinner Wed. night. It was a treat. Now they are headed back to DeWitt, Michigan where Alexa works in the postoffice. Mark said he would try to get back soon to work on the house he is building up on the hill above Tom's place.

I've been helping Allen with his computer problems. Thank goodness, I've been able to solve his problems. I have a love/hate relationship with my own computer. But, I'm able to figure out most dilemmas. My background is working with Macintosh, but I've been able to transfer most of my knowledge to a PC since retiring.

Greg came over today to help me select some pendants for some stones Jeannie gave me last year. They should make nice gifts.

Today I've got to wash clothes...again. Willard made bread again. I cooked a pot of beans and cornbread. They were sure good. Tonight we are going out to eat with some friends at the Mine Shaft in Wickenburg. Life is good.

Reindeer Duster

This is a picture of Duster waiting for the Light Parade to start.

Christmas Eve 2006

We returned from Houston last Sunday. It was a long hard trip (2400 miles round trip). On Saturday we drove 900 miles, from Johnson City to Casa Grande. I hope we never have to do that again. Willard's brother recovered from his double pneumonia and went home on Monday. He still has health challanges, but he is doing much better. We stayed with Barbara and Harrel in Alvin and really appreciated their hospitality. I got to see my sister and have a good old hamburger and malt at the Sonic while we "talked about nothing" (as mother used to say).

It was good to be back at Stanton. Monday and Tuesday was really cold (it even spit some snow), so we didn't get out much. On Wed. we went to Prescott to do some shopping. On Friday we had our Red Hat Tea. About 35 attended. It was a wonderful party. Saturday night were had a delicious Pre-Christmas dinner at Bill and Karen's along with Judy and Don, Judy's daughter, Janice and Charlie. It was a lovely evening.

On Sunday we had a pot-luck lunch at Janice's and Charlie's space. About 14 attended. The food was great as usual. That evening we had our light parade. About 20 ATV's participated. We paraded throughout the park. It was so much fun. We even dressed Duster up like a reindeer. He rode in the back of our ATV. After the parade, we had hot chocolate, wassail, and cookies in the Opra House. What a great time we have at Stanton thanks to so many wonderful people in camp.

We're on our way to Houston

We are in Ft. Stockton, TX on our way to Houston. Willard's brother had a heart attack and is now on one of those breathing machines. He's stopped breathing on his own. We thought we should be there, so he packed up some clothes and headed out in our truck last night. Bill and Karen, wonderful friends of ours in Stanton Camp, volunteered to take care of Duster and Worth while we are gone. That took a big load off of our minds.

Because of this unexpected trip, we are missing three Christmas parties. Our Red Hat group went to Prescott today for a Christmas lunch and tonight we were supposed to play for our Gem and Mineral Club parts. Guess they will have to use CDs for their music or have someone else entertain. Last night we missed the GPAA party. We were to play for them too along with Mary, Hollywood Don, Don G., and Ken. I'm kinda in the dumps because we seem to be missing all the fun.

But, family matters to us so much. Right now our place is with them. Some hard decisions must be made and it helps to have people that love you standing by your side. That's why we are driving 1200 miles in two days to be there for them (and for us). Anyway, right now we are so tired. We must go to bed early for we are only half way there.

You Mean It's Only 21 Days Until Christmas?

It is amazing how time flys when you are enjoying such a full life. I'll try to recap our past month here in Stanton.

• The Red Hat cookbook is finished and in publication. It should be ready by Dec. 12.
• I won $200 playing live poker at Prescott (3-6)
• We bought a fiddle and I'm learning to play it. I have a lesson tomorrow in Prescott
• We have been preparing Christmas Songs for two Christmas parties we will be playing at (the GPAA and Gem and Rock Club parties)
• It's been cold and windy as a cold front has moved across the country this past week. The water in our hose froze one night. The tent across the road blew somewhere. They had to get a new one.
• Our Red Hat group went to Aguila for lunch at Big Mama's, afterwhich we shopped at the farmer's market.
• Jeanie gave us a small breadmaker (a loaf just big enough for 4 good slices) Willard is the breadmaker and does a great job. No more bought bread for us
• I put up our Christmas tree and started decorating outside the Motorhome.
• Dan, Anna and 6 of our grandkids came for Thanksgiving. They stayed 3 days. We enjoyed their visit so much. They rode the ATV, prospected for gold and found some, rode the ATV, had a weiner roast, rode the ATV, played music, attended the Gem and Mineral Show in Wickenburg, rode the ATV, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was the highlight of the Fall.
• Don and Dee, a couple we met at a campground this past summer in Mt. Pleasent, UT, stopped by for a nice visit. They are camped just south of Wickenburg.
• We started Line Dancing in camp. It is so much fun and good exercise
• I've watercolored four paintings with Stanton as my subjects. Perhaps I can sell them or give them as gifts. Don't know what else to do with them. I'm running out of room for paintings in my Sea Breeze.
• I finished two more children's stories an am awaiting my critique from my instructor. I hope I get published by next year.
• Our camp is full (about 200 rigs and tents). Visitors come almost daily to take pictures and walk around the ghost town. Too bad they can't visit the Opera House for it is under construction (a remodel). I can't wait until it's finished so we can start Bingo again, and eat our Pot Luck meals inside. Hope it's ready for the New Year's party.
• The Red Hatters had a PJ Party over at Debbie's Place. We had so much fun: lots of food, talking, and some line dancing. It was a good thing.
• I finished the Red Hat Newsletter. I need to distribute it sometime today or tomorrow.
• Willard has really gotten interested in working jigsaw puzzles. He sits in the screen room for hours each afternoon. It's relaxing for him. They drive me nuts! Each to his own.

Worth is wanting some petting, so I guess I'll pet him awhile, then take him for a roll in the dirt. Duster is asleep. Willard is working on a puzzle. Life is good.

You Mean It's Already November 7?

I can't believe time is passing so fast. We have been in Stanton for over a month. Unbelievable! Things that have been happening during the past month: (1) Lois (see last post) went back to California. I enjoyed visiting with her. (2) We started having Pot Lucks again on Friday nights. Willard and I played for the first one. Hollywood Don played his Johnny Cash songs, too. I was really nervous. (3) We started Bingo again. Willard called the numbers when Carol was out of camp. We won enough to play the next game. (4) The Opera house is closed while it is being remodeled. We are having to stop Bingo and have outside Pot Luck dinners for awhile. (5) We bought a new mattress. It is soooo comfortable. (6) Our Red Hats went to the Ranch House up in Yarnell for brunch. Some rode their ATVs. About 20 attended. It was fun getting together again. (7) Mary and Allan arrived. I went over and looked at all the jewelry she has made. It was impressive. We wire-wrapped several pieces. I sure needed a review and she has become an expert. Yesterday, we went to Burrow Creek to look for purple fire agat for Allan to make cabs from, then Mary will wire-wrap them. It was a jeep trip I'll never forget. This morning I was so sore I could hardly get out of bed. (8) Debbie had a yard sale. Willard sold a dry washer he bought in Blue Bucket this summer. It was at a price he couldn't refuse (even though he didn't really need another one). Anyway, he sold it at the yard sale for what he paid for it. (9) I sold my A clarinet on Ebay for $700. I still have my B flat clarinet. (10) We bought a fiddle to try to play. Hope to get in a few lessons just to know how to hold it correctly and get a good start. (11) We've had several jam sessions in our screen room out back. Don, Hollywood, and George have been jamming with us some. I still like it when Willard and I play together though. (12) I made flyers for Mary's Jewelry business, the Camp Art Club, and for our Red Hat Outing next week. (13) Today we had a meeting over at Jeanie's to finalize the Red Hat Cookbook. What busy lives we lead......now I've got to wash the clothes and fix supper. That never ends!

Update

Today Bill and Karen reminded me that I had not updated my Blog. So, here goes...
So much has happened during the past 12 days. The camp is filling up with many of our Stanton friends and some new ones. One new friend is an 84 year old lady who wandered into camp late one evening almost two weeks ago. I met her as I was walking in the late evening. Lois was walking with her cane toward her car. I stopped to talk with her. She arrived in camp after the office was closed and planned on sleeping in her car. She would rent a rig in the morning. I told some friends about her and Kent volunteered to disturb the managers and asking if she could rent a rig after hours. Of course, they helped her to settle in for the night. I checked in on her the next morning and she adopted me immediately. Since then, we have shared our life stories. Her's is a lot more interesting. I have been spellbound by some of her stories. I hope I am as alert and full of life as she is when I'm her age. She is quite the inspiration.

The other night I played Texas Hold'em. There were about 11 of us playing. I ended up winning the tournament. Last night, I was the first one out. That's the way poker is, but win or lose it is a lot of fun. I don't take it too seriously. It gets me out of the motorhome for awhile, Willard can watch whatever he wants on TV, and I've made a lot of new friends. We don't play for much money, it's just considered recreation.

I finally finished my non-fiction article and sent it to my instructor. She made a few suggestions. I had several sentences in the passive voice, which I changed on my rewrite. She is facinated by the idea that Willard prospects for gold and wants me to write a really fresh article about it. That's what I'm working on now.

Sunday morning Bill, Karen, Willard and I rode up to the Ranch House in Yarnell (about 5 miles up a primative rode) on our ATVs for breakfast. Then on the way back to camp we decided to follow an ATV trail. It was a little rough, but we found two abandoned gold mines. Of course, we didn't go into them, but it was a great find.

Today we rode with Bill and Karen to Prescott. I had to have my Bass guitar repaired and shop for a few needed items. Willard had an eye exam for new glasses and, of course, we had to have lunch at the Chinese Buffet. While shopping at Wal-mart Willard found a screenroom. We bought it. Now we have a new room to enjoy.

The weather has been great: cool nights and warm days.

We're Back in Stanton

We arrived in Stanton last Monday. It was fun traveling with Bill and Karen. The road into Stanton was really rough, but that's to be expected on a primative road. Several weeks ago there was a lot of needed rain, but it washed out part of the road. Our motorhome took a beating through that wash. Now, we are parked for the winter. We are in the same site as last year (across the road from the flag pole). I washed clothes and hung them out to dry. We have to wash with cold water and there are no dryers here. About once a month I take the clothes to the laundrymat in Congress.

Willard dry washed Wednesday morning and came home with some gold, as usual. This morning Bill and Willard rode their ATV's to look over some new claims. They felt really good about prospecting the area. Willard says he will use his metal detector more this year.

We went to Prescott yesterday to shop and to visit Don and Penny, who are camp hosts at a state park in the area. It was so good to see them again. Today we had Bill and Karen over for supper. We ate outside, but the flys were so bad, I was wishing we had eaten inside the rig. Afterward we played a game then sat around and talked well into the night.

It was a good day. Dan called and brought us up to date on his challenging life. Willard called Joey and talked football. And I finished my non-fiction assignment. Tomorrow I have to rent a postoffice box so that I can send for children's magazines and study the kinds of articles they like to print. Hopefully, they will print some of my work. My instructor says I should expect lots of rejections before I sell an article. I'm bracing myself for that.