Quartzsite Cruiser

Good afternoon. It is still partly sunny and 85F. The sun made it hot during my walk this morning to get the mail. Not an exciting day, I just caught up on bills and banking. Roy, that is good news there was no sign of infection and that the swelling is going down. Susan, be careful during the storm and dealing with the white stuff. Glad you canceled the board meeting. Maureen, safe travels the next three days as you head to Ft. Lauderdale. Also, safe flights for your family on Friday. Lorraine, that was a good idea to hire someone to clean so you don't stress your other hand. Carolyn, I hope the vet can help clear up Captain Soot's conjunctivitis. Paul, I'm glad your are feeling better today and got a good night's sleep. I hope the others who go sick from the salad are doing better. Lenda

Good morning from a mostly sunny central Texas. It will be another warm day today, but rain is on the way for tonight and into tomorrow morning early. We'll still be in the 80sF (87 today) and 70sF until Friday when cooler temperatures and more rain come through. The winds will also be between 10 and 20 mph for several days. Pancakes may or may not be on the menu tonight for Mardi Gras. I've never had my cards read, but do have a few special greeting cards saved. English is my mother language, and except for pig Latin, I have only picked up a very little Spanish. I think my second year Spanish teacher passed me just so he would not have to teach me another year. 🤣 John Cleese's quote is very true. Flank steak recipes will be filed for another day. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds nice. Once when we were in St. Thomas in the pre-digital age, we took the ferry to St. John. We rented a car and drove around most of the island, seeing many of the abandoned sugar mills. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope you sleep better tonight and in the future. Thank you for your pictures. @summer slope Thank you for your pictures of St. John. @rafinmd Roy, I hope your podiatrist appointment goes well, and that you sleep better tonight. @Mr. Boston Safe travels to San Juan tomorrow. @dfish Debbie, I hope all your tests come out normal. Thank you for your Dad's marinade recipe. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the insurance paper work is finally ready to send off. I also hope you get to your therapy session and back home before the bad weather arrives tomorrow. @ottahand7 Nancy, thank you for the clarification of the trashiest town. I agree about Rio, especially the area around the port. Thanks for sharing your friends pictures of Carnival. @ger_77 Gerry, I hope you can get into see the dentist soon. The new computer will surprise you with the speed. @aliaschief Bruce, thanks for the laughs today. @marshhawk Annie, I guess the cards were correct in you case. @JazzyV Vanessa, good luck on tomorrow's stress test. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm happy you got a good night's sleep. Lenda

Sandi, we were relieved the next year to find Prinsendam back in Amsterdam. However, docking in IJmuiden gave us a chance to see part of The Netherlands we would not have seen otherwise. Ann , that was quick! Terri, I'm sorry about the traffic delays, but glad you arrived home safely. I'm doubly sorry your bathroom isn't finished. I'm sure in the end, it will be worth the wait. Paul, I hope you feel better in the morning. Lenda

On August 23, 2016, the Prinsendam again docked in IJmuiden. That day, we decided to take the shuttle to Haarlem, where we walked around. We stayed around the main area where the shuttle dropped us off. The cathedral. We tried to go in the cathedral, but in spite of being told it would be open, we couldn't find an unlocked door. We walked over to the main shopping area, then headed back to the shuttle pick up point. Haarlem is a nice city, but it was mainly a place to go to get off the ship for a few hours. Lenda

Our next stop was Edam, a very nice town. We did a walking tour of the town before reaching the central square. There were bridges all along the canal for boats heading to open water. Some of the houses along the canal A quiet residential street and some of the many gardens. Busier streets When we reached the central square, we found we were very lucky to be there on a Wednesday in summer. They recreate the Edam Market from the past on Wednesday during the summer. A local church Part of the floor in the church Lenda

Good afternoon from a cloudy central Texas. It looks like the sun is trying to make another appearance, and it is now 74F. Joy, enjoy your sea days, especially now that the door is quiet. When we were on Koningsdam, we found we received a prompt response when we sent a message via the Navigator. Susan, I found it interesting, but time consuming going through all the old newspapers and paperwork my father saved. I'm also eyeing the 2024 Grand Australia/New Zealand cruise, but we are holding off booking anything for a few more months while DH recovers. Mary Kay, be careful on the wet roads. My picks for the winner of the Daytona were also eliminated by wrecks. IIRC, on the last lap, all but the three or four front runners were in a wreck. Sometimes just have to have fun with the kids or the furry kids instead of getting anything accomplished. Cute picture of the kitty and the puzzle. Ann, that is an interesting box. I hope all the pre-opt tests for Pat and the phone appointments with your family doctor go well. I have some pictures of our tour on August 8, 2016, to see the windmills in The Netherlands and to Edam. Earlier, I said we'd been to Gouda, but it was Edam, which is just next to Volendam. The windmills were between Amsterdam and Edam, so we got to see a lot of the Dutch countryside. I'm going to post the pictures of Edam in a separate post, or this one would be too long. Arriving at De Zaansche Molen, the windmill museum on the River Zaan. Before we toured the windmills, we saw a demonstration about how the Dutch wooden shoes are made. I have a pair of wooden shoes my mother bought in The Netherlands on a tour of Europe with the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboy band in about 1930. I also have her authentic Dutch hat. Of course, there was an opportunity to buy some wooden shoes along with other souvenirs. Houses near the windmills More windmills on the Zaan. We got to go in one of the working windmills, Paintmill de Kat, the world's only paint making windmill. In stead of grinding grain, he was making powder pigment. DH climbed the steep ladder to the upper level, but I stayed downstairs. The grinding wheels are a little blurred because they were turning. Lenda

Here are some pictures of Ijmuiden on our first and last time there. We saw part of the town on our way to and from the port, but it was too far to walk into town the last time we docked there. The port as we sailed toward the Baltic. The port area on a sunnier day. Across the street from the cruise terminal are some very tall sand dunes. During WWII the Germans built a series of bunkers/gun emplacements in the dunes after they invaded The Netherlands. The gangway being removed in preparation to sail down the west coast of Europe and to the Mediterrean. Views of the port and the beaches as we sailed. One of the DFDS ferries Graham @grapau27 mentioned. As ports go, Ijmuiden is not the greatest. 😁 Lenda

Good morning from a partly cloudy central Texas. It is supposed to be 83F today. The plan was to clean out the flower beds and spray the weed killer, but that changed when I saw the forecast. We are supposed to have fairly high winds this week. Blowing leaves from the flower beds and spraying strong weed killer don't work well in wind. We'll celebrate President's day, but probably won't have cherry pie. I don't remember the last time I baked a cherry pie since there are other pies we like better. If I go outside at noon and yell hoodie hoo, it will just confirm our neighbor's impression that I'm a little nuts. I like today's quote. We'll pass on the meal, ramen noodles, but might make the birria someday. We'll also pass on the drink and the wine. We have had the pleasure(?) to dock in Ijmuiden four times on b2b2b2b... cruises. The first time, we embarked the Prinsendam, and the other three days were turn around days. We wanted to take the ship's transfer to Amsterdam because taking the train could have been dicey. The transfer was the most expensive tour to Amsterdam, and it was canceled every time for lack of passengers wanting to take the transfer. In stead, we took a tour to see the windmills at Volendam and to Gouda one day, and the transfer to Haarlem another day. The last time, we walked across the road from the port to the sand dunes. I'll post some pictures in a little while. @Erehwon I was glad to see your post yesterday to know that you are safe. I'm sorry about the devastation and loss of life from the cyclone and the earthquake. @kazu Jacqui, I hope you can get the paperwork finished today. I love the memes. @RMLincoln Great news that DS's passport arrived. Now, everyone can relax and enjoy the cruise. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad you house is all right. We've had some late night UPS deliveries very close to the 9pm deadline. I'm sorry you found Santos trashy. It was a nice, clean town when we were there in 2015, and we enjoyed a city tour we picked up in the port terminal. I hope your cruise friend and the other passenger are comfortable and improving. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad your numbness finally disappeared. @rafinmd Roy, I'm glad you slept better. I think it would be appropriate for Vanessa @JazzyV to add Jimmy Carter to rotation or even the care list. Vanessa, I agree with you about putting Jimmy Carter on the care list. Many people did not agree with his politics, but admired the way he lived his post-Presidency years, and all the good works he did during those years. @dfish Debbie, I hope the weather forecasters were over zealous in their rain and snow predictions. @Cruzin Terri Terri, safe travels today, and I hope the drive today is easier than yesterday with all the traffic around Daytona. @ger_77 Gerry, I hope the search for the new computer is successful today. @marshhawk Annie, it sounds like you'll have a busy time in Vancouver before your cruise. We didn't watch the entire Daytona 500, but did watch the last 20 laps or so. That was a wild ending. Lenda

Good afternoon from a dreary, but warm central Texas. It is 72F, and I plan to take a long walk around the neighborhood in a few minutes. It has been a busy day with laundry and other chores. I also worked on pictures while the laundry was getting done. Debbie, I'm so very happy your are glad you make the decision to move, and that your are happy in your new home. Terry, I admire Tana for trying to do one more thing even with all the ups and downs of her illness. I'd say she is a fighter. Gerry, I'm sorry about your tooth. I had a tooth break on New Year's Day a few years ago, but since it didn't hurt, I waited until I got back to Texas in April to get it fixed and to get a crown to hold the rest of the too together. If if had been painful, I would have headed to Mexico to get it fixed. I just like my dentist a lot. Welcome home Sandi. I'm glad you had a safe trip and were not involved in any of the wrecks. Sandi, thanks for catching that yesterday's port had been the port of the day before. I tried every combination except just Ishigaki. When I used Ishigaki Island, there were more than 3000 posts shown, and most of them were posts with the word island only. That early in the morning, I didn't want to wade through that many posts. It looks like I should have dug deeper. Carolyn, I hope that the nephrologist can help you, and that you don't have to cut out all the things your like. Maybe just eat them less often. Karen, I'm sorry your DH's roommate did not make it. Our condolences to his daughter and family. It sounds like your DH is making good progress, and going to the dining room should help his morale too. I hope he is able to come home soon. Susan, good luck with the major clean, and take it slow and easy. Sue, I saw the article about the former Veendam and Maasdam, and I looked at the cruise line's website, Besides renewing his passport, your DS will need a lot of money. Those cruises aren't cheep. Debbie, I found that once I start painting, I find more that needs painting. After 2023 years in this house, there is a lot that needs painting, but with very high ceilings, I'm not going to tackle it. BTW, do we need to send you to Messy Painters Anonymous? 😁 😉 Lenda.

For some reason, I thought of the Dailyites, and especially Jacqui @kazu, when I saw this wine glass on sale on Amazon. 😉 I think there are days when we could all use a glass like this. Lenda

Graham, Sandi disembarked her cruise yesterday and they had a long drive home. I imagine they are busy getting settled back in at home today. Lenda

Good morning from a slightly warmer, 44F, but cloudy central Texas. It is supposed to be 63F today and 81F tomorrow and Tuesday. 🤞 As usual, you had me at chocolate, and chocolate mint is great. Iwo Jima was a turning point in the war in the Pacific in WWII. I'll salute all the women veterans. Today's quote is interesting. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I like St. Michelle Riesling, but have not had the Eroica Riesling. Zanzibar has been the port of the day twice. Sadly, we have not been there. It was on a booked cruise in 2004, but we canceled the cruise when two of the main ports were canceled and a couple of not so good ports substituted. Hopefully, we will get there one day. Here are the links to Rich's @richwmn posts for Sunday, July 1, 2021, and Saturday, June 11, 2022. I look forward to seeing pictures of the port. @ottahand7 Nancy, that's sad about your neighbor's house. I hope your house is all right. @AncientWanderer Enjoy your day of R&R. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the insurance claim goes smoothly. The one time I had to file a claim, it went smoothly since I had everything documented extensively. @grapau27 Graham, our condolences to Sarah on the death of her friend, and our thoughts are with her, you and Pauline, and the friend's family. Our thoughts are also with Jimmy Carter and his family. As others have said, no matter your politics, President Carter was a good example of a gentleman and someone who thought of and did for others. In honor of Iwo Jima Day, here are some of pictures from our sail around Iwo Jima. We were not allowed to land since another cruise ship was there that day, and only one is allowed to dock each day. These pictures were taken in 2005 on Pacific Princess cruise of the Islands of the Pacific Theater in WWII. There were several WWII veterans on board including an retired Admiral, and there was a wreath ceremony. BTW, everything in the wreath was biodegradable. Mount Suribachi The Japanese installation The wreath ceremony The Admiral, who was a dive bomber pilot in WWII, followed by other veterans Lenda

I have enjoyed seeing everyone's whale pictures today. I decided to add a few of my own. We've done whale watching tours in Juneau, Sitka and Ice Strait Point, and these are a combination from all our tours. These first pictures are from Icy Strait Point/Hoonah. In 2010,on the Amsterdam, there was an older male whale who stayed in the bay year round. He learned to bubble feed by himself. This is Fredrico (Freddy) as he surfaced. When we went out into the open water that year we saw quite a few humpbacks. In 2015, on Statendam, the humpbacks weren't bubble feeding but feeding near the surface off Icy Strait Point. Our boat captain tried to maintain the correct distance from the whales, but they were not following the rules. This one surfaced almost under the boat. Whale watching in Sitka, also in 2010, was a bust as far as humpback whales were concerned. We saw a pod of orcas, and a raft of these cuties. I couldn't resist adding them to the whale pictures since sea otters are my favorite marine creature. Our first whale watching trip in Juneau was pretty much a scenic cruise as all the whales were in Icy Strait Point. In 2018 on Coral Princess, we were luckier, and saw quite a few humpback whales and orcas. I was lucky to get this picture of the fluke as the whale dived. A little while later, I got a picture of an orca's fluke as it dived. If your whale watching trips are a bust, there is this statue of a humpback whale breeching near the bridge to Douglas Island in Juneau. Lenda

Good afternoon. Our day started sunny, but by 9:30 the clouds had moved in along with the wind. The thermometer says it's 50F, but when I went outside a little while ago, it still felt like it was in the 30s. This morning, I ran to the store to pick up a prescription for DH and our free covid tests. The pharmacy at the grocery store was out of tests, but the stand alone pharmacy on the way home had plenty in stock, and I came home with 16 boxes of tests. Gerry, I think Covid did change how some funerals are conducted. Several of our neighbors here have opted to forgo a formal service. Some of the families have had casual gatherings to celebrate their loved one's life instead. Debbie, I agree with you that this is a special place, and we all respect each one and the boundaries we've set. Annie, I'm glad you will be working on the Arizona Opera campaign again. Sue, that is good news that your friends in NZ are all safe. Great pictures of you and your nephew along with the rest of the women and the dog. Susan, are you marking off the days on the calendar between now and May 6. Hope you find the perfect cruise for next January and February. I hope you get rid of that bug soon and start feeing better. Ray, that is great news that your leg is healed. Thanks for the information about the location of today's port. Debbie, that is a nice lamb and much better than the old one. I hope your DH's eye problem can be handled until he has the stent put in place, and that you stay healthy until then. Eva, enjoy the twins birthday party. Lenda

@Seasick Sailor and @57redbird 🛳️ 🎈 BON VOYAGE! 🥂 🍾 I hope you both have a wonderful cruise visiting some amazing ports. Lenda

Good morning from a cold, 30F, central Texas where the sun is just beginning to rise. It appears that today is the first time for Ishigakijima Island, Sakishima-Yaeyama, Japan Okin as the port of the day. It is one of those Japanese ports we have not visited. Batteries are a very useful part of our lives now. Whales are amazing creatures who need our protection. Of course, I'll celebrate Drink Wine Day -- actually will celebrate it just about 365 days a year. I like all versions of today's quote that were presented. We'll pass on the meal since we are having Korean beef short ribs tonight. We'll pass on the drink, but I'd like t try the wine. @richwmn Rich, thanks for catching the missing part of the quote. @puppycanducruise Beautiful orchid. @Cruzin Terri Terri, enjoy your last sea day, and safe travels tomorrow and Monday. Hope you arrive home to a brand new bathroom. @kazu Jacqui, I'm glad you got your errand run yesterday and were home before the mess started. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm sorry your tours were canceled. Sometimes there is a shuttle from the port into town in Rio. Lenda

Right now there are not many doctors who use the new method. It is still spinal fusion, but uses polymer "zip ties" or fixation device instead of the metal screws and rods. The ties are put in place using the Karma device. Full recovery still takes about a year either way. You might want to look up Karma MIS system. Still, you will need to decide what is best for you and your condition. Lenda

I'm sorry you might be facing back surgery. There are now two types of back surgery, one which uses the traditional rods abd metal screws, and a newer one that is less invasive and uses polymer zip ties instead. Both take a long recovery time. You would need to decide what is best for you. I just wanted you to know the options so you could decide which is best for you. Debbie, just being outside to sit and read is restorative. After forgetting to say rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit on November 1, and November starting as a bad month, I'm not taking chances. At midnight on New Year's Eve, before I wished DH Happy New Year, I said rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit. I just hope I don't forget again. Annie, I'm happy all the cats are where they should be. Lenda

Roy @rafinmd or anyone interested in ferries or Alaska, the Science channel had an interesting program tonight. The first half of Alaska Mega Machines was about the Alaska Marine Highway ferry Tustumena, and fhe second half is about the Dalton Highway, the haul road to Prudhoe Bay. If you are interested and missed it, it will probably be repeated. Lenda

Even though it was still windy and partly cloudy, I got a long walk in this afternoon. It feels good to be able to get outside even for a little while. If you need more time to unwind, just let me know. Save travels home tomorrow. Debbie, it seems you had another lucky day. Absolutely a beautiful sunset, Brenda. Edi, changes in itinerary happen, and how we feel depends on the ports involved. However, we have learned to enjoy any port for what it has to offer. Lorraine, I'm happy you got a new cast, and that it is better than the last one. It helps to get a tech who knows what they are doing. Lenda

Gerry, I'm glad you both are able to take your friend to the memorial service and to support her. Yeah, on the quick delivery of your new passport. Sandi, while it's nice that Princess is resuming some of the traditions, it seems they are a good way to spread sickness. BTW, I'll take care of the links to the port of the day tomorrow and Sunday to give you time to get home and get settled. If you need more time before resuming your role on the Daily, just let me know. Love the towel art. Roy, I'm sorry you are still having problems sleeping through the night. DH has been having trouble getting to sleep until early morning. I think it may have something to do with the recovery process. Graham, thanks for the explanation of national public science day. Maybe more people will realize science is beneficial to us. Annie, I hope the food helps settle your tummy. Thank you, Graham. We were very lucky to have such great weather that day. The next time, it was too windy to safely dock. Vanessa, thanks for posting the link to check the expiration dates on the test kits. I checked them in late December, but I think the the dates have been extended again. Thanks, also for you nice comments on the pictures. Karen, I think taking cookies to your DH's caregivers is more than a random act of kindness. While I didn't bake cookies to take in everyday, I did take Christmas cookies the last full day of DH's rehab to thank all the people who took care of him, and encouraged him, not just the nurses and the therapists who worked with him. Lenda

I discovered this morning that I had posted pictures of Scrabster previously, but evidently not all of them on November 18, 2021. I'm not sure when I did post them, but here are a few more from our day in Scrabster on August 8, 2017, on Prinsendam. The church we visited was the Canisbay Church of Scotland. This is their graveyard. The interior of the church is very simple. The plaque partly visible in the picture is by the pew where the Queen Mother always sat. King Charles always sat on the back row. We could not tour Castle Mey because Charles was in residence. A few more pictures of John O'Groats, and we were lucky to have a wonderful sunny day. A couple more pictures of Dunnet Head. Here are a few pictures I took from the Prinsendam or the area around the dock, which was a ways from town. Holborn Head Lighthouse near the port. Lenda

We were on the Koningsdam in Puerto Vallarta on November 18, 2021, but I did manage to post some pictures of Scrabster. This is the view from the ship. The previous picture is all I took of the town. Once back from our tour, we decided not to go into the town. This is the church the Queen Mother attended when she was at Castle Mey. She sat towards the back of the church. I don't remember the name of the church. Just a couple of pictures of John O'Groats, a tourist spot on one point of land. Dunnet Head, the northern most point in Scotland. The southern most point is Land's End in Wales. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny but cold central Texas. It's 31F but with the 8 mph wind it feels like 23F. It's supposed to warm 50F this afternoon, so maybe I'll get my walk in today. It was just too darn cold yesterday. Random acts of kindness and national caregivers day should be celebrated everyday. I try to do acts of kindness whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'm not sure what national public science day is. Mother Teresa was a very wise woman, and today's quote proves that again. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I'd like to try the wine, but it is a bit pricey. We have been to Scrabster once in 2017 on Prinsendam, and the captain tried to stop there again when we missed another port but it was too windy to dock. It was the port of the day on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Here is the link to Rich's @richwmn post for that day. @ottahand7 Nancy, enjoy your day in Santos, and thanks for the pictures. I hope there are not many cases of Covid on board. Stay well and safe. @marshhawk Annie, I hope you feel better soon. @dfish Debbie, I hope the roads are plowed by the time you need to leave for the gym. @kazu Jacqui, I hope you can make your appointment before it gets icy. @mamaofami Carol, I'm glad you got good results from your doctors visit and that you have a day for your cataract surgery. @Lady Hudson Katherine, enjoy your lunch with your former cleaning lady, and that's a nice act of kindness. @Cruzin Terri Enjoy your last two sea days. @smitty34877 Terry, be careful walking the dogs around all that work. @cruising sister I hope you can get the cast replaced today. @kochleffel Paul, there is a law in Phoenix, and maybe all of Arizona against shooting into the air. It was passed after a young girl as killed by such a bullet. Lenda

Ann, sorry your DH will have to have surgery next month. Can you cancel the HIA if your can go on the cruise? Interesting about the owls. The only animal that fell down our chimney was one of our very curious cats. She wasn't hurt, but was black instead of ginger when we rescued her. Roy, all the forms doctors require are getting absurd. One I have to fill out every year, and I asked why. They said in case anything changed. Couldn't the just ask if anything has changed? Terri, sorry you couldn't get the original appointment for your convenience, instead of having to cater the the doctor. Rich, you have to know how to play their games. It seems Dish goes up every time we turn around, but with the motorhome we can't cut the cable. Lenda