Quartzsite Cruiser

Hello. I finally finished outside and had time to put everything away in the outside cabinets. I wasn't sure if I'd feel like doing that chore tomorrow. It didn't take nearly as long as it did to empty them. I rearranged things, so I figure I'll be hunting for some things later. I'm glad all that is behind me for awhile, except the grass, which just keeps growing and growing. 😁 @Denise T I hope you can manage to stay awake on the train tomorrow. The scenery between Anchorage and Whittier along Turnagain Arm is amazing. I also hope you have great weather for the train ride. BTW, if possible side on the right side of the train, which will put you on the water sidemwith views across to the Kenai Peninsula. @grapau27 Graham, I remember when we were on Oriana in 2000, the crew presented a lady who was celebrating her 100th birthday with a telegram from the Queen wishing her a Happy Birthday. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad you are feeling good today. @Cruising-along Carolyn, DH and I remember the bus in Rarotonga was their local bus. We also remember getting off on the other side of the island. Since that was more than 18 years ago, we don't remember if we paid for one loop around the island or paid each time we boarded. Things might be different after all these years, but I sort of doubt it. As far as the Riesling, here and in Arizona and California we have only seen it with corks. @SusieKIslandGirl It’s always a sad day when a cruise ends . I'm glad you had a great cruise with good weather. Enjoy your four days in Amsterdam. @ocean sounds It’s good therenithere is speed train just in case. It's time to go fix dinner. Lenda

Good afternoon. The yard is finished, and I'm taking a break before washing the cars. Today. I finally mowed and trimmed part of the very back of the lot that is really part of the utility right-of-way that we're supposed to keep meat. I'd been waiting for the bluebonnets to dry and go to seed. I harvested about half the seeds, and will keep them in a paper bag until fall when I'll spread them in a slightly different area. The rest will follow nature's course and hopefully, will mean even more bluebonnets next spring. 🫰 Gerry, it sounds like ypu will have a fun evening catching up with your friends. Jake, I'm glad you are safely home and had a good time. I enjoyed following along with you live from. Brenda, what a nice surprise. I hope your flight is not affected by the strike. I guess you could take a train if necessary. Carolyn, we've been in the motorhome in Colorado when the cottonwood fluff was flying. It looked like snow, and even got stuck in the windows. Another good medium Riesling but a little sweeter is Hogue. DH likes when I get it since it has a screw top. 🤣 Ironically, when we got Château St. Michelle on Koningsdam, it had a screw top, but not on the ones in the stores around here. We now have a battery operated corkscrew. Well, it's time to get back to work. It's not too bad in tje shade with the slight breeze blowing. Lenda

@Denise T Safe travels today. @Nickelpenny Penny, enjoy your first full day of retirement. As I mentioned, we were in Rarotonga on Tahitian Princess in 2004. We took the bus around the island. These pictures are from our bus ride. We spent some time on the far side of the island at a beach. Back in town, we walked around and made a big purchase of a Styrofoam cooler for our cabin, which I wonderful steward keep filled. Lenda

Good morning from a calm and partly cloudy central Texas. It is currently 66F and will be about 84F this afternoon. I'll be heading outside as early as possible to mow and trim the yard before it gets too warm and there are still some shady areas in the yard. Afterwards, I'll be washing the cars so we can put the car covers back on the two we don't drive often. Old time player pianos have always fascinated me. We added a modern day player to our piano about 30 years ago. It uses 3 1/2 inch floppy disks. Remember them? DH made some with music he downloaded from the internet. I'll be using a lot of sun screen while I'm doing the yard work. The original cellophane tape was good, but the modern tape is better. Zhuangzi quote is true, and like Jacqui @kazu I thought of "dust to dust" when I read it. We'll pass on the meal, but I enjoy the Thai spring rolls on BHBs. The drink is good, and the Riesling sounds nice with a decent price. However, my Chateau St. Michelle Riesling costs less, so I'll stick with it. Chateau St. Michelle makes a dry Riesling, a late harvest Riesling which is sweet, and one in the middle which I like. It is slightly dry with just a hint of the sweet. We visited Rarotonga in 2004 on Tahitian Princess. I'll look for my pictures in a few minutes. The evacuation of Dunkirk was a great undertaking using both military and civilian watercraft to get the trapped soldiers out of Dunkirk. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope you are feeling better this morning, but that must have been scary for your DH and DS too. I'll add my advice to see your doctor when you get home. @superoma Eva, I'm glad lawyer said if needed he could push probate through quickly. Hopefully, the bank won't require probate. Just remember that you and your DS need to take care of yourselves and don't overdo. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad you had help getting the dock in place. I hope you can get the pump working and don't have to make a special trip into town for parts. @dfish Debbie, I'm glad you are more comfortable today. Lenda

Good evening after another long day, but it was worth it. The siding and port are now clean, at least for a while. Everything is back in place, and I only need to put everything back in the storage cabinets. Tomorrow should be an easier day. All I need to do is mow and trim the grass plus wash the cars. After that, I should have some easy days. Karen, I'm glad your DH is continuing to make good progress. Terri, even though it was a busy day, things are looking better with a good report on your DH, the dryer working and the cleaning lady coming tomorrow. Edi, it's good you will be able to go on your cruise. I'm sorry you are facing a more invasive surgery, but I like your attitude. Debbie, I hope you are more comfortable by now. Lenda

@Nickelpenny Penny, I hope you have a happy last day at work. Enjoy your retirement. Lenda

Good morning from a mostly sunny central Texas. It 71F and heading to 84F this afternoon. At least, I'll be working in the port out of the sun this afternoon. Wishing all who celebrate a good Shavuot. I was never good at making and flying paper airplanes. Sally K. Ride was an amazing woman. Our DDs elementary school was named for her. My mother was a natural red head with thick auburn hair. I always loved listening to George Burns. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine. We have not been to Aqaba or Petra. That port was on the two world cruises that were canceled. The Model T definitely change the car world by allowing the average family to purchase one. And you could get it in any color as long as it was black, according to Henry Ford. Eva, I hope all goes well today with your dad's estate. I also hope you can avoid probate. Jake, thanks for the information about Starlink and the Mariner drink cards. I'm sorry that Fluff has passed. I'm glad she was comfortable her last days, and was with the person she loved when she passed. Annie, I'm glad you enjoyed Vancouver and Victoria, but sorry about the rain. Lenda

Good evening after a very long day. The outside of the house is basically clean. I just have to get more house wash. The top rows of siding are 15 to19 feet high. The pressure washer even with an extension on the wand doesn't reach the area well enough to get it clean, and I didn't have enough house wash to get some areas as clean as I wanted. I'll finish the last bit of siding tomorrow and the restof the port floor. Hopefully, I'll be able to get everything put back in place tomorrow too. I understand how you feel. All our stops at Gibraltar were on BHBs that are no longer in the fleet. I hope your recovery is going well. Debbie, I'm glad they got all the tumor and that it did not look suspicious. DH can relate to being across from the nurses station. After three nights in ICU, he was looking forward to a good night's sleep in a private, room. He wasn't counting on being across from the nurse's station. Debbie, I'll celebtate the good news that the cortisol levels are normal. Sleep well in your own bed, and take it easy while healing. Sandi, I figured not posting pictures was intentional. I posted your comments so everyone would know what happend. For us, if we skipped Gibraltar going into the Mediterranean, we stopped at Ceuta, Spanish Morocco. Susan, you've earned a rest. Paul, thanks for another great lesson about a Jewish frstival. Lenda

@ger_77 🎂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION DAY! 🍷 Lenda

I looked for Sandi's @StLouisCruisers pictures from Gibraltar, but could not find them. I went through the March 31, 2022, Daily three times to be sure, and evidently she did post her pictures. This is what she did post about Gibraltar that day. I can hardly believe it but today is the first time we have Gibraltar listed on the port of the day spreadsheet! Seems like we had it already but nope! Due to the types of cruises we've taken, we've stopped in Gibraltar at least 8 times. That port has probably only been outnumbered by Rome (Civitavecchia)! I think I'll wait and let you all post your favorite photos of Gibraltar. Enjoy the hunt! My guess is that she either decided not to post pictures since there we quite a few Dailyites who shared their pictures, or she forgot she had not posted any pictures. @dfish Debbie, I hope you had a restful as possible night and are released from the hospital today. @Denise T I hope today and tomorrow pass quickly for you, and that you have a great time on your cruise. @GTVCRUISER I'll happily celebrate National Wine Day, and I do almost every day. @superoma Eva, I hope yesterday wasn't too difficult and that you and the family found comfort yesterday. Thank you for keeping the lists updated especially these last few days. @Nickelpenny Just today and tomorrow to get through before you are retired. Lenda

We have been to Gibraltar five times, and sailed past the rock at least twice. Our first visit was in 2002 on Noordam III. The other visits were on Prinsendam in 2008, 2016 and 2017, and our final time was on Veendam in 2019. These pictures are from our 2002 visit. In addition to going up on the rock, we also visited the Roman baths, but I couldn't find pictures of the baths. Sailing in to the port Looking down at the airport The Noordam and P & O Oriana at the dock The main street and square in the walled city These mext pictures are from 2008 In 2016 we rode a city bus out to the lighthouse. In 2017 and 2019, we were in Gibraltar on Sunday when most shops were closed and there were fewer tourists. These are from 2017. In 2019, the streets almost felt deserted. A small chapel Uncrowded streets Lenda

Good morning from a mostly clear and calm central Texas. It is 67F with a high in the low 80s. It will be a good day for finishing power washing the house. An interesting collection of days. We should be aware of missing children every day. I occasionally brown bagged it when I worked. I'm not sure what towel day is. I like the optimism of Babe Ruth's quote. I think I'd like the third recipe that Tina @0106 found for us. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds nice. Too bad it's elusive and pricey. JFK set a lofty goal which the US reached when he said he wanted to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. We have been to Gibraltar several times, but it has only been the port of the day once. It was the port on Thursday, March 31, 2022, and here is the link to Rich's @richwmn Fleet/Daily for that day. I'll post my pictures and Sandi's @StLouisCruisers pictures from that day in a couple of minutes. Lenda

Add me to the list of those who have been enjoying reading about your adventures on the NS. I've enjoyed all the pictures from the various ports and especially the latest ones of the towel creatures. The crew out did themselves this time.

Gerry, thank you letting us know that Debbie's surgery went well. I hope she has a comfortable night. Lenda

Good afternoon. As usual, our weather has changed. It is now mostly sunny and 82F, and our rain chances have dropped to almost nothing. It was a busy morning getting the storage cabinets in the port empty so I can move them and pressure wash the rest of the house and the concrete in the port. DH and I also went through two cardboard boxes (not wine) that had seen better days. DH threw a fair amount of stuff out, and we got everything left in three smaller plastic containers that stack. Unless our weather changes again, most of tomorrow will be spent washing a motorhome and washing the house after moving all the vehicles out of the port. Our driveway will look like a used car lot.. The concrete will take another day, then part of a day to put things back in place. It will be worth it in the end, at least for a while. I was sorry to learn that Tina Turner had died. RIP Paul, I'm glad you are sleeping better. It will take time though to get over being tired. Vanessa, I'm glad you are finally get over your illness. I hope your ears unclog before Sunday. Annie, I hope you get more hours selling, not fund raising, soon. Sorry you have some of the smoke from Canada. A few nights this week, I smelled smoke that smelled like wet smoke. I'm not sure if it was from the fires up north, or from someone nearby burning trash after they thought everyone had gone to bed. 👏 🎆 🥂🍾 Terri, that was nice of them to give you money and a cookbook for your having to wait so long for the dryer. Sandi, I'll take care of Thursday and Tuesday or when ever. Thursday will be a long day for you both. Safe travels. Just let me know if it will be Tuesday or later. Paul, at least you are making progress. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas. It is cloudy, windy and 68F with a high of 79F later. We've had rain overnight the past two nights, and they are calling for heavy rain this afternoon. I think we are getting the rain because I turned on the sprinkler Monday night, but only watered the front yard. Not much going on today. I might try to do some organizing outside today before it rains. When we were in junior high school several of us bought cheap tiaras to wear to dances. DH and I both like escargot, but they don't like me. I'm an only child, but DH has two brothers who called yesterday. Today's quote is another funny line from George Carlin. I hope the forces of evil become confused on the way to all Dailyites' houses. The roasted cabbage sounds good, and I may try it someday. I'd like a Tequila Sunrise, but will have to wait until we're on a BHB again. The wine sounds lovely, but they must be very proud of it with the price. We have not been to Agadir, although we have been to Morocco four times. We visited Tetouan twice and Casablanca twice. The first time in Casablanca we took a transfer to Marrakesh and walked around the town. The second time in Casablanca, we took a tour that included Casablanca and Rabat. @dfish Debbie, think about you as you undergo your surgery. Sending positive thoughts for a uneventful and speedy recovery. @superoma Eva, we are thinking of you, your sister and the rest of the family on this difficult day. @richwmn Rich, thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures from Agadir. @grapau27 Graham, thank you for the explanation of tiara day and escargot. @mamaofami Carol, you've had an eventful time lately. I'm happy the second cataract surgery went well. I hope the computer is behaving now. Sorry about the blowout. Those potholes can cause a lot of problems. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you are doing well, and hope Tana can have more good days than not so good days. What a sweet picture of your DB with his first grandchild. @kazu Jacqui, I'll add "and maybe wine" to the last meme. 🍷 @Mtn2Sea Robert, thanks for adding your pictures from today's port. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I enjoyed your pictures too. Thank you. @rafinmd Roy, the book American Sirens sounds interesting. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad the pump and refrigerator started right up, but a big NO on the black flies. Lenda

@Heartgrove WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACK! Lenda

I'm so sorry about your cousin's devastating diagnosis. Our thoughts are with you and your entire family. Sending positive thoughts for a peaceful passing and comfort for his loved ones. Lenda

Sandi, I'll take care of the travel days then. My guess is you will be traveling Thursday and Friday. Correct me if I'm wrong. Just let me know what days younwill be traveling back to Georgia. Debbie, I'm glad you got an decent time. I hope the after effects of the gas are not too uncomfortable. Lenda

Sandi, no problem. I'll start posting the links Thursday, and will continue through the day after you get home. That should give you a chance to recover from the drive home and get settled again. Sorry your neighbors trip was a bust. These things happen with older motorhomes though. Lenda

Good afternoon from a partly cloudy but still comfortable central Texas. I don't know what went wrong this morning, but somehow I got the house cleaned in five hours including a breakfast break. 🤣 It usually takes at least six hours, but everything that needed to be done, plus a couple of extra items, were done. I'm not taking bets that this will be the new norm though. 😉 We're celebrating later this afternoon with happy hour with our neighbors. 🍷 Maybe more than one. 🍷 Paul, I'm glad the bronchitis and sinusitis have improved, but sorry the sleeping hasn't. I hope you can get some sleep so you're not exhausted. Terri, the treat of losing money after a sale is a great motivator. Good for you. I hope all goes well with the delivery tomorrow. Annie, I'm sorry you got sick on your cruise. I'm am very happy that you had a good time and like HAL enough to want to sail on BHBs again. I wish HAL would offer the 14 day cruise during the summer months when the passes are open and the typhoons have not headed toward Kodiak. Even once in early June, Thompson pass road was opened, but the rest area at the summit was still pretty much covered by snow. Ann, I'm glad Pat is feeling much better now that the antibiotics have started working, and hope the stiff neck is short lived. I hope you can catch up with the Air Tag someday. Maybe you'll have to book another cruise on the Rotterdam. If only the tag could talk, what a tale it would have to tell. Brenda, seeing sea turtles in the ocean is an experience not to be missed. We did a live-aboard out of Grand Cayman about 30 years ago. While every one else was diving, I was snorkeling off Cayman Brac, and a sea turtle swam below me. I was the only one on the boat to see it. Tina, thanks for the information about making riced cauliflower. I think I'll just pick some up at the store if I need it. Marcia, I'm glad you managed a few hours of sleep. I hope tonight is a lot better for sleeping. Eva, you and your family will be in our thoughts tomorrow as you say goodbye to your DF. I'm glad we have been able to help you the past few days, and remember, we're here no matter what, even for venting. Isn't that a contradiction of terms. Welcome to the Fleet/Daily. We hope you will join us often. Lenda

We have been to Half Moon Cay several times, but the visits were before the cabanas and the bar with the lound music. They were also before digital pictures. We were supposed to have a day there in 2017 at the end of the Prinsendam TA, but it was too windy and rough for her to anchor, so Nieuw Amsterdam had the place to itself. Here are a few pictures of the island taken from the Prinsendam. Lenda

A very early good morning from a sunny central Texas. It is 66F with a predicted high of 84F. Today will be spent cleaning house, only I hope to be finished by early afternoon if nothing happens to slow me down. If we see a penny, we will pick it up for good luck. DH likes salt water taffy, but we don't get it very often. Does anyone remember Laffy Taffy when we were kids or am I dating myself? I will definitely celebrate world turtle day. We should do everything to protect turtles and tortoises. The quote is interesting, and I understood it to mean we each have to live our own lives. Tina @0106 I appreciate the explanation of the quote. We'll pass on the meal, drink and the wine today. We have been to Half Moon Cay several times in the pre-digital age, but not since 2001 when we began cruising in other areas of the world. We were supposed to stop there in 2017 on Prinsendam with Roy @rafinmd, but it was too windy for the ship to anchor and without azipods she could not stay in place. Thank you Rich @richwmn for reminding us that the German republic was recreated on this day in 1949, @dobiemom Marcia, I'm sorry you could not sleep last night. I hope tonight is better. @superoma Eva, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for continuing with the lists. @dfish Debbie, sending good and positive thoughts for a successful surgery tomottor. Below are a couple of pictures of tortoises. The first is a desert tortoise we came across in the middle of a back road near our place in Quartzsite. The second are giant tortoises at a hotel in the Seychelles. We found they liked to be scratched and rubbed on their necks under their chins. One even followed me to the gate wanting more attention. I was surprised he could move a fast as he did. Lenda

Terri, thats good news, but it does make you wonder. Lenda

Good afternoon from a mostly sunny and warm central Texas. When we got back from Waco, the thermometer read 85F and there is just a whiff of a breeze every so often. Shopping at W-M this week was better than last week as they had everything on the list except one -- DH's cardbordeaux. What a first world problem. He still has one unopened box though, so it's not a crisis yet. Susan, welcome home from the dog show. I'm glad you decided you are up to the Grand Australia cruise next year. Carolyn, I'm glad the party was a success and not too loud. I hope the appointment for the Botox went well. That is good news about Fluff. Sandi, I'm glad you are doing better this afternoon. I hope the improvement continues. I guess Google Maps only show the major roads in Norway. Here are some pictures of the road between Hellesylt and Geiranger, and a town we passed through where I think we had lunch at a hotel. While we didn't see much of Geiranger, it was worth missing it to see part of the "interior" of Norway. Mary Kay, I'm sorry you are having sore places on your head. I hope you do book a cruise to Norway. Even if you can't get to today's port, the country and scenery is outstanding, but expensive. Lenda