Quartzsite Cruiser

No you didn't misread the question. Someone asked how we handled the walker on the plane getting to the ship. Several of us were nice enough to answer the question.

We've seen people use thie walker up to the plane and have it stored in the cargo hold. We're pretty sure they will bring the walkers up to the plane when theynstart unloading the luggage. Maybe someone who's flown with their walker will step in with more advice.

Terry, I've looked at the Mormon records a little. I might try them some time. It's interesting see who's in the family tree, but I'm not into serious reseach like one of our neighbors. Right now, I'm just trying to find out as much as possible before the six month membership expires early in July. Then, I'll wait until there is another membership sail. Lenda

I did find one verifiable ancestor, King James IV of Scotland. My side are descendants of his illegitimate son however. Lenda

I wish I could help you, but we were in Arizona when we cruised on Koningsdam, so we drove to San Diego. If you gate check the walker, it is loaded into the plane from the jet way at the plane from what we've seen. We have a bag for the walker, but I don't think it's much protection for the walker in the cargo hold. A hard sided case checked with the bags at check-in would be the best protection, and I think it would not be part of the luggage allowance. In that case, you could request wheelchair assistance in both airports, or a ride in one of the electric carts I've seen in some airports. My best advice would be to check withnthe airline.

I know, and in this case, I think I needed about 10 pounds. 🤣 I've learned to trust some of the other genealogy sites, especially if they differ from the ones Ancestry members have. I also check any photos on Google since someone used George Washington's picture for an ancestor who lived in the 1500s. In other words, trust but verify. Lenda

Good afternoon. I've come to the conclusion that some of the people also working on my grandmother's maternal ancestors either don't pay attention to the evidence, want to have someone famous as an ancestor whether or not they are, or are just plain idiots. As with a lot of families, there are cousins marrying cousins, and a lot of misinformation about people who lived in the 1400s through the 1600s, if not later. I just spent several hours untangling two lines where their grandchildren or great grand children married. Somehow, a couple of them had different ancestors in the same general line. I may not be 100 percent correct, but this is the way it will stay using the best evidence I could find. BTW, it's the line that insists we are directly descended from George Washington. The line split when two brothers married into that family and their sons were cousins not half brothers. I can't help thinking if it can be this hard in some cases with the internet, how difficult it must have been when a lot of this family trees were first researched. I think I'm going to rest my brain for the rest of the day. At least, here we can order sweet tea or unsweetened. Not long ago, I was accidently served sweet tea, and boy was it sweet. Penny, I'm glad you made it on the ship early, and congratulations on the upgrade. Ann, I'm happy you are getting much needed rain, and I hope they are also getting rain up island. Sandi, that is what I use. The last time I used it, it was with the 2 ounce bottle. When I checked the bottle this year, it was a solid block. The shutters can come off, but the things that hold them to the siding tend to break easily, and I don't want to chance it. Some of the shutters are easy to reach, it's the ones that I need a ladder to treat that are the problem. Usually, DH will hold the ladder, but right not that's still not possible. I'll figure out something that will work. At least, the shutters are solid, not louvered. Your mail box looks great. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny and breezy central Texas. It is 82F with a predicted high of 94F. I had planned to use the recolor on the shutters today, but since rain is predicted for this afternoon, that project will wait until tomorrow. Of course, now that I have postponed the project, it probably won't rain. 😁 Right now, I'm not a totally happy camper. Somehow, I accidently deleted half of my post; then the other half just disappeared. When I finally got this posted, I found the first paragraph was missing. We still have some ball point pens, but I prefer the ones with gel ink. I use some herbs and spices when cooking. Iced tea day is my day, since I usually have iced tea with dinner and when eating out. Growing up in west Texas, iced tea was a staple. On our one P&O cruise, it was interesting to watch the dining room stewards trying to make iced tea. The first couple of attempts were pouring a pot of hot tea into a glass with two ice cubes. By the time we left Australia, our assistant steward knew how to make iced tea as he'd worked for the US consul in Goa. Each night there were two large beer glasses full of ice and iced tea waiting for us on the table. It was amazing how many people stopped to aske us what we were drinking. The Maya Angelou quote is very true. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I would like to try the wine, but not at that price. We have not been to Lembar, Lombok. While the Equal Pay Act helped, there are still too many reports of men making more for the same job than women. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you air quality is better today. @Heartgrove Jack, that is good news that Sue's echocardiogram was negative. I hope the heart monitor offers some answers, and that whatever the cause of the fast heart beats is an easy fix. @marshhawk Annie, I hope you are able to carve some "me" time out of your work schedule. @kazu Jacqui, I'm sorry the smoke has reached your area. I hope today's dog walk is better for you and Ivan. @ger_77 Gerry, I remember those pen dispensers and that the pens like so many early ball point pens leaked and left globs of ink on the paper. @lindaler Linda, I'm happy you are enjoying Mobile. Please keep us posted on your activities when you have time. @JazzyV Vanessa, I hope your congestion clears up soon. Oh no, on the wrong birth year on the plaque honoring BFF's Dad. Lenda

I hope you have a wonderful day today and many more happy birthdays. Lenda

@Nickelpenny Penning I hope you have a great cruise. Lenda

DH and I don't think there would be a problem on any of the islands in French Polynesia. We have been to all the islands and they are fairly developed. To give you an idea, check out the Fleet Report and Daily for yesterday, June 8. Raitea was the featured port, and several people posted pictures of the island.

All I can say is that last year my DH used his walker just like the one pictured twice on the Koningsdam tenders. The crew were very good helping on and off the tenders and helping with the walker. A lot depends on how easily the user can mannouver getting on and off the tenders, and how rough the sea is. An added advantage is since it folds up, it is not really in the way on the ship either in public venues or in the cabin.

Mary Kay, thank you for the update. I'm glad the surgery went well and was quick. I hope the recovery and healing gpes quicklyntoo. That is good news that your hip has healed well and you only need an injection for your knee. I'm sorry about the refrigerator. When we replaced our refrigerator a few years ago, after some research, we decided a Samsung refrigerator was not what we should buy. I'm so very sorry about your half sister's medical situation, and I hope the spots on her lung can be treated successfully. Lenda

I'm sorry you have been sick the past week, and hope you feel better soon. I loved the meme. More than 30 years ago, DH used a laser for our cats to chase. About two years after he discovered they like chasing the red dot, he also discovered someone had gotten a patent for using a laser dot for cats to chase. Gerry, I'm sorry you are getting more smoke and that it's bothering your eyes. I hope they are better soon. Lenda

Good afternoon. It turned out to be another long morning doing yard work, but it is done. I got out a little later than planned, but that did not make a difference. Because of yesterday's rain and the heavy dew, I had to wait after I trimmed the grass to start mowing. Even then, it was heavy and wet enough to need to be cleared out from the mower before I could finish the yard. I used the time between trimming the grass and mowing to do a little trimming of dead branches on the Silverado sage. I also finally had a chance to spray the weed killer again after mowing since it was not windy earlier. I'm not holding my breath that the weed killer will kill the weeds I want killed. It didn't do that good a job with the first two applications. Since it is not supposed to harm the Bermuda grass, I took a chance and made the spray double strength. 🤞 Jacqui, I'm glad you went head and paid for your cruise and two tours. Annie, beginning in 2025, Texas will no longer require inspections of cars. The metropolitan areas will still require an emissions test. The Dallas Morning News had an editorial critical of the new law. It questioned if car owners could be trusted to keep their cars in good condition by asking if people had seen the way Texans drive. 😁 Gerry, our condolences to your friend and her family on the loss of her son. It is hard to lose a child, but especially hard so soon after losing a spouse. Please wish Noriko a HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY for us. Welcome to the Fleet/Daily and thank you for the recipe. I hope we will see you here often. Vanessa, I'm sorry you are coughing again. Wearing a mask outside as Roy @rafinmd suggested should help. How nice of the park department to put up a plaque in your BFF's Dad's memory. Graham, Korcula is a miniature Dubrovnik, and since not many ships visit, it also does not have the crowds. I like it better because it is not crowded, and I really like it better than Split. Annie, I'm glad you slept all night in your bed. That should be a big help in getting enough rest. Some how this posted while I was still writing it. And for once, it was not because the cursor was on the submit reply button when I used the mouse. In fact, I wasn't even touching the mouse. Lenda

I would love to go back to Korcula. It is such a nice port to explore on your own. Korcula as seen from the Prinsendam in 2016.. The old walled town. You can either enter the walled town by climbing steep steps or by walking around the outside of the wall until you come to an easier entrance. One of the narrow and steep passages to reach the center of the walled town. Cafes lined the walk around the outside of the wall. DH inspecting part of the wall where a column was separating from the wall. One of the many plazas in the town One of the churches in the old town A small chapel Another narrow street down to the promenade The area outside the easier steps Part of the wall and tower from two angles The small boat harbor The Prinsendam waiting for our return We enjoyed our day exploring this picturesque port. It is like Dubrovnik on a smaller scale. It has all the old world charm without the crush of too many tourists. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny and calm central Texas. It is 68F and heading to 93F this afternoon. I'm early since I'm trying to get outside and trim and mow the grass before it gets too hot. The down side of starting this early is that it is humid so, I may have to wait for the dew to dry. The weather app say it's 98% humidity with a dew point of 68F. However, the humidity will go down as the temperatures climb. We got a surprise rain last night. On the radar when it first started raining, it looked like it would be a quick, passing shower, but the thunder storm keep building into a nice enough rain that I turned off the sprinkler. Today, I will celebrate Writer's Rights day. I'm one of the oddballs who is not a fan of Donald Duck or strawberry rhubarb pie. The Abraham Lincoln quote is very true. We'll pass on the meal since salmon collars will be hard to get in central Texas, and we'll pass on the drink. The wine sounds interesting, and I've never heard of orange wine before. We were fortunate to stop in Korcula in 2016 on Prinsendam. The unfortunate part of the stop was Korcula was added to the itinerary when the Black Sea cruise was canceled after the attempted coup in Turkey. We were able to stop in some small ports that are not often visited after the Black Sea was canceled. I also didn't realize that Donald Duck was almost 90 years old. @Cruzin Terri Terri, good luck with your packing and think layers for northern Europe. @superoma Eva, congratulations on the quick sale of your DF's house, and at a price higher than the asking price. @kochleffel Paul, I'm glad the air quality is improving. I hope that means the wildfires are beginning to be under control. @dfishDebbie, enjoy your family weekend at the lake. Terry, I'm glad for everyone's sake, especially Tana, that your air has improved. I hope the doctors can come up with a good plan to fight your DH's cancer. @Nickelpenny Penny, it's good the air has improved and you are able to enjoy your visit with your friend. Safe travels tomorrow. @0106 Tina, thanks for information about orange wines. @cunnorl Charlene, I'm glad you are improving everyday, but sorry it's still no golfing for another month. @RMLincoln Maureen, I'm glad you have made such good progress in resolving the banking issues. Lenda

Good afternoon. I've spent the last few hours tracking down more ancestors on Ancestry.com. Again, I've run into other descendants who want to claim famous people as ancestors when it's really someone else. I came across one who not only claimed (again) to be descended from George Washington, but added he was also added a distant great grand father of President Obama. Technically, we are descended from Washington's great grand father, but our ancestor was his grandfather's other son. Anyway, that makes finding the correct ancestor a challenge. Today, in the same line of ancestors, the correct one was James Stewart, First Earl of Scotland, the illegitimate son of King James IV and half brother to Queen Mary. Of course, someone claimed King James V as the true ancestor. Thanks to Google, I found the correct ones. Yes, he was the son of King James IV, and his mistress, Janet Kennedy, who while apparently married, was the mistress of several men. I had always figured, one of us if not both would have an ancestor that was illegitimate, just never figured it would be the son of a king. Don't worry, I'm not claiming any titles or asking for special treatment. 🤣 Who knows what surprises tomorrow will bring. Ann, I'm surprised the biopsy results are not in. I hope they show the surgeon got everything. Vanessa, I hope your eye is better tomorrow. I remember seeing directions for making such a filter when Covid first started spreading. Debbie, I'm sorry they missed sanding one side of the house. I'd let them know soon so you have it on record. Terry, I'm sorry the tumor is so aggressive and has be staged as 4a. I hope the upcoming surgery and chemo will get rid of it and your DH will recover quickly. Lenda

@marshhawk Annie, these are the pictures I posted on June 5, 2022, of our day in Messina. They should give you an idea of the city, and help you decide what you want to do the day you are in port. We have been to Messina three times. The first time in 2002 on Noordam III, we did what was called "A Drive to Mt. Etna", and since it was raining, that was pretty much what we did. It cleared just enough for a few minutes for us to see the crater. The second and third visits were on the Prinsendam in 2017. The first of those, we went to Taormina. The second visit in 2017, we decided to stay in town. We walked to the cathedral and bell tower and then took the Ho-Ho. We climbed the tower, which was interesting, so some of the pictures were taken inside the tower. These are some pictures of Messina from the bell tower. The Prinsendam looks so small next to the MSC mega ship. These are either from the Ho-Ho or from our walk back from the bell tower to the ship. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the noon show at the bell tower since the Ho-Ho left just before it started. We'd been warned to be out of the tower before noon if we valued our hearing. This is the plaza in front of the cathedral and tower. The main altar in the cathedral. A couple of street scenes. There was another picture Church of the Annunciation of the Catalans posted earlier. It was very old, but I don't remember when it was built, but over the centuries, the church became lower than street level. Inside, it was a fairly simple church. Lenda

I posted this on May 29, 2022. Looking back through my pictures, I found a few from our last cruise that stopped at Raiatea. The island is not often included in cruises to French Polynesia from US ports. We have been there when we have taken cruises from Papeete. In 2004, we did b2b cruises on Tahitian Princess. The first included the Cook Islands and the second stopped at a couple of islands east of Tahiti. Both cruises called at Raiatea. On November 29, 2004, the weather in Raiatea was not the best. We rented a car and drove around the island. These are a few pictures from our drive. We stopped at a hotel that had over the water cabins. Someday, I would like to spend a few days at one. It would be nice to just walk out of your room and jump in the water to snorkel. On December 11, 2004, IIRC, we did a snorkeling tour. These pictures were taken from the boat. Walking around town, we saw quite a few shops decorated for Christmas. They mainly had aluminum trees, and frankly, the did look a little out of place in that tropical setting. Lenda

Good morning from a mostly sunny, calm central Texas. It is currently 74F and will reach about 85F today. I should be out mowing the grass this morning since tomorrow is supposed to be warmer with a high of 95F. However, I will tackle that job tomorrow morning before it gets too hot. At least, tomorrow, it will just be mowing, trimming and spraying weed killer if it's not too windy. I treasure my two best friends, and I'm lucky one of them lives next door. Like Jacqui, @kazu my poison is wine, either red or white from a bottle or a box. World Ocean day is one for the Dailyites to celebrate, and I think the world is finally beginning to realize that our oceans are not a dumping ground for all sorts of waste. An interesting quote from our friend unknown. I think it is true in some respects but not all. We will pass on the meal, drink and wine. We have been to Raiatea at least twice, but only once in the digital age. I'll look for my pictures in a few minutes. Mickey Mantle was a great ball player. My mother was a huge baseball fan, we followed Mickey and Roger Maris chasing Babe Ruth's home run record. We still rooted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. @kazu Jacqui, I'm glad you got some time away from the paperwork and spend it in the garden. I'm glad your neighbor has a new stent and is recovering nicely. @ottahand7 Nancy, enjoy your day driving through the country. Wow, on seeing the wolf in your yard. @smi Terry, I'm very sorry that the report from the surgeon was bad news. I hope your DH can have the second surgery soon, and begin the chemotherapy soon. Sending positive thoughts for an easy time with the chemo and a great outcome. The teenager is showing signs of maturity when he gets up early and thinks of sparing you being outside walking the dogs. Tana and the rest of the family have a good reason to be proud. @Nickelpenny Penny, I'm sorry your visit with your friend has been hampered by the smoke. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I am amazed at how much paperwork is required to settle your DBIL's estate and how it is dragging on so long. As for the type of clothes to take, my advice is to think layers. The Baltic can be cool or it can be hot in July. The further north you go in Norway, the cooler it will be, plus there is always a chance of rain. @ger_77 Gerry, I hope you have a great visit with your godson. @HeartgroveJack, I hope the heart monitor will give you and Sue some answers and a treatment plan, which hopefully will be an easy plan. @summer slope Dixie, I'm sorry you are having a minor health problem, and sending positive thoughts for a quick recovery. @Crazy For Cats Jake, the background check requirement all of a sudden is puzzling. Did they give you a reason for the change? Lenda

Good evening. We're just relaxing and watching Dr. Pol tonight. It was very nice of you to take treats to the vets and their staff. Annie, we have been to Messina at least three times, but only stayed in Messina the last time in 2019 on Veendam. We walked from the pier to the cathedral, and we were able to climb up in the bell tower. We were warned to be back on ground level before noon when the bells would ring. They are extremely loud if you are close to them. We didn't stay to watch the clock figures move when the bells chimed. Since the Ho-Ho was boarding, we got on it to see more of the city. After the Ho-Ho, we slowly made our way back to the ship. I'll repost my pictures from that day tomorrow when I'm back on the computer. Maureen, I'm glad you are making progress, and that the account is still able to take deposits. @cruzn single Mary Kay, wishing you the best for your surgery tomorrow and for a quick recovery. Lenda

I finally got a chance to take my walk about noon, but by then, I had to take the short loop. There was no breeze and the sun was already intense. I have to remember to walk a lot earlier in the future. Otherwise, I'm slowly catching up on bills and things like that. Then, I have to put all the things I got at Sam's yesterday away. Brenda, I'm sorry you are having to cancel so many trips and cruises. I hope under the circumstances HAL will be as kind to you as BA has been. Thank you for sharing your great pictures. Carolyn, thank you for your pictures. We've enjoyed two visits to Taormina. Another advantage of DIY versus a tour is you don't get stuck in a place you'd not visit on your own, or too long in a place that does not need that much time. Vanessa, I know what you mean about your back. I normally don't have a problem with mine, but leaning over to trim the bushes is something my back does not like, and it lets me know. To top it off, the bushes I trimmed last Friday are already showing new leaves -- the nerve of those bushes. 😁 The couple who bought the house across the street only bought it this winter. I think they were being pressured by their kids to move closer, but I don't know why the wife doesn't want to live here. As a whole, we're not a bad group of people. That's great news about HAL reversing the charge and applying the credits to made the final payment on your cruise. Lenda

Good morning from a mostly sunny central Texas where we have a light north breeze, 1mph. It is currently 79F with a predicted high of 89F. I think summer has arrived early this year. It will be in the 90s starting tomorrow with high of 100F or more Sunday, and then again next Wednesday and continuing through the foreseeable future which is June 21. If possible, I'll gladly trade some of our heat for some of the cool weather up north. As usual, Rich @richwmn had me at chocolate ice cream. We always have some chocolate ice cream and even some other varieties that have a chocolate component in the freezer. Tailor's are a dying breed except on BHBs. We still have at least one if not more VCRs. And I'll go one even better. We still have the original Sony Betamax camera and player in the attic along with all the VHS camcorders. Add to that, we have a laser disc player and discs. Unfortunately, while the player works, it won't switch to side two. Some of these just might be worth something some day. 😉 I laughed at today's quote. I think we'll pass on the meal. For me, tacos and seafood just don't seem to go together. However, if I had them, I'd use a different cheese than Feta. We'll pass on the drink, and might try the wine if we're ever back in NZ. We have been to Sicily at least six times, but have never been to Catania. The closest we came was a stop in Naxos. I was surprised by today's day in history. I thought The Vatican had been sovereign state longer than it has been. There has been quite a lot of activity across the street since the new owners are making some major renovations on the house. The one DH and I think might be a mistake is taking out the shower and installing a bathtub. The bathroom in that house is not large and the new tub didn't look big enough for stretching out to enjoy a good soaking. After the previous owner died, his daughter replaced all the carpet in the house. The new owners are removing some of the carpet since they had carpeted the entire house including the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. We asked our neighbor who's best friend is the new owner when they were going to be able to move in. It turns out, the wife decided she can't live here after all, so they will be selling the house when they are finished with the renovations. Vanessa, @JazzyV thanks for including DH on the celebration list. Sandi, @StLouisCruisers I'm sorry your tummy is bothering you again. I hope you will think about seeing your doctor to find out what is going on recently. I enjoyed seeing your pictures from Catania. It looks like a nice place to wander around. Jacqui, @kazu Ivan isn't the only dog to blend in with the furniture. Our granddog Ginnie was just about the same color and the couch in Quartzsite and almost got lost in the couch. Ivan certainly knows how to relax. Terry, @smitty34877 I hope the poor air quality doesn't cause Tana any problems. I also hope the aide was not too late today. Your getaway to the Cape next month sounds like a great way to have fun and recharge. Terri, @Cruzin Terri I'm sorry about the PMR flare-up and hope you are feeling better soon. Maureen, @RMLincoln I don't know about Medicare, but most insurance has a 30 day grace period before canceling a policy. That may help you some, but it is still a mess when you have to make such big changes in a short period of time. Penny, @Nickelpenny enjoy your visit on Long Island. I agree about the drivers in NY and NJ. When we lived in NJ, Delaware and PA in the 70s and 80s, the drivers were bad enough, but when we went back in 2012, the drivers in NJ and DE had gotten worse, or at least it seemed so. We've found there are a lot more crazy drivers everywhere lately. DH used to like to drive the motorhome, but lately all the fun has disappeared because of the drivers and all the big rigs on the highways. Bon Voyage @OceanSounds beginning tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise. Lenda

Looking good. I can't wait to see it with the trim painted. Lenda