Quartzsite Cruiser

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

I've always suspected this was the case. 🤣 Lenda

The wind arrived before I could run my errands, but I survived. It is 41F, but the 21 mph north wind is making it feel like 32F. Now that I'm home, I don't plan on leaving the house again today. I even skipped my walk and drove to the mailbox. At least, I walked through two grocery stores, so that should count for something or is that wishful thinking? 😄 Vanessa, I hope the insurance agent can lower your premiums. It's very nice that you are helping BFF with going through his DD DF's house. Welcome home. Annie, I like you idea of setting a day aside to be together without work or doctor's appointments. Fortunately, our doctors allow the spouse to come in with the patient. I'm glad Fern is out of the coma, and I hope the doctor's figure out what caused her to faint and can fix it. I'm also glad her sister is taking care of the cat. Graham, that's a stunning photo. We saw the northern lights in North Pole Alaska in September in 1996. Photos, no matter how stunning, don't do them justice. BTW, for those who want to see the northern lights, September through winter seems to be the best time to see them. Sadly, most cruises that go very far north start around the summer solstice and through August. That is when the sun is up for long days, and 24 hours for part of that time. That makes seeing the northern lights extremely difficult, if not impossible. Lorraine, ouch on the tech ended the cast on the incision. Is there something soft you can put between the cast and the incision until the cast is redone? Lenda

We were back in Bacelona in 2002 on the Noordam III. These are some pictures of Park Guell designed by Antoni Gaudi. It is named for Gaudi's patron, Eusebi Guell. In the name, park is in English as Gaudi admired the English city gardens. The entrance to the park. The flat area in one pictture is on top of the area above the columns. As the park followed nature, there are no straight lines in the park. Gaudi's famous lizaard guarding the entrance steps. The flat area Looking down at the city and the buildings flanking the entrance. Noordam III from a long distance. We tried to revisit the park in 2019 when we were on the Veendam. At the park, we were told all that day's tickets were sold. We needed to have purchased tickets online at least the day before. We just looked around the area near the park then took a city bus back toward town. We were glad we had seen Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia on early visits when there were not as many tourists. Lenda

In September 2001, we took the train from Sitges into Barcelona, and then took the Ho-Ho to see the town. All these pictures were taken by DH as he had the digital camera, and they show how uncrowded Barcelona was in the two weeks following 9/11. A couple of pictures from the Ho-Ho. The second one is a bocce ball tournament. We had no trouble getting into La Sagrada Familia then, and pretty much had the place to ourselves, except for the workmen. Even walking around the Gothic quarter and the Rambles was not a problem. Our last visits to Barcelona were on the Veendam in 2019, and the same areas were very crowded. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas where our few days of warm weather ended about midnight. It will be in the 40sF today and tomorrow, but 80F by Sunday or Monday. It's also cloudy and windy, but we missed the big storm that moved through Texas. I hope those in it's path remain safe. Before I go any further, Barcelona has been the port of the day at least twice, Saturday, October 23, 2021, and Saturday, March 19, 2022. Here are the links to Rich's @richwmn posts for those days. It's amazing how many times Barcelona comes up in the Fleet/Daily. I try to do favors for grouches, but I don't know too many. We still use satellite tv but not cable because of the motorhome. It's difficult to stream when you're parked in the boonies without internet or cell phone service. The O Henry quote is interesting, but I don't agree with it. The meal looks good, and the wine sounds nice, but it's too $$$$. We'll pass on the drink. We have been to Barcelona many times as a port and as the embarkation port for our first European/TA cruise in 2001. @ottahand7 Nancy, Santos is a nice small city, and was home to Pele and the Pele Museum. If you don't have a tour booked, you can get a nice on in the port terminal. @grapau27 Graham, I'm sorry you and Pauline have raspy coughs, but glad you tested negative again. @rafinmd Roy, I'm glad to see your sleep is beginning to get a little better. I hope the CT scan shows good results. @kazu Jacqui, I wouldn't call you a grouch, but maybe "happiness challenged" right now. 😉 @0106 Thanks for the pictures from Barcelona. @aliaschief Bruce, welcome home. Once I post my pictures and Sandi's @StLouisCruisers pictures, I'm off to run errands before it gets too windy. They are predicting 20-30 mph winds with gusts to 40-52 mph. In case you're wondering, I did not find any pictures from Sandi except one of her family who joined them in Barcelona on a cruise. Lenda

Good afternoon. The clouds have been coming and going, and it is windy. It is a good day to do some more research on Ancestry. After all the talk the other day about HEB, I discovered that some of DH's ancestors come from a town in the south named Butts. 🤣 I hope you can get the Botox issue with the insurance company straightened out. Susan, you have a really nice neighbor who not only cleared off your care and shoveled a path for you, but cleared an area for the dogs. Karen, that must have been very upsetting for both of you. So glad the nursing staff looked after you once the roommate was on his way to the hospital. Debbie, your new doctor seems good and glad he will make the case for removing the adrenal tumor too. Lorraine, I smiled at the mental picture of you getting helped into the truck. I can sympathize since DSIL has a very tall vehicle that I almost needed a boost to get in. I'm glad you are determined to be a good patient so you can go on your May trip. Thank you for sharing your niece's story, and I hope she gets a job soon. It's good that you could help her with the situation at the old job. Paul, I'm glad you are feeling better, but please continue to rest when needed. Lenda

Good morning from a partly sunny central Texas where t is currently 48F. This will be the last warm day for a couple of days, but it wouldn't be too bad if the predicted wind would miss us. Semarang, Java, Indonesia, has been the port of the day twice. Below are the links to Rich's posts for December 3, 2021, and August 8 2022. Unfortunatley, we have not been to Java, but only to Bali. I'll celebrate singles day in honor of all our Dailyites who are single whether by choice or circumstance. Susan B Anthony, as Jacqui @kazu said, did a lot for women. I'll skip gum drop day. Today's quote from Chevy Chase is true, but goldfish are quieter. 😉 The meal sounds good, but tomorrow night we'll be having shrimp gumbo using the recipe from the Zuider Zee restaurants that were open decades ago. We'll pass on the drink, but would love to try the wine even if it's pricey. @Seasick Sailor Joy, wishing you and Allen safe travels today, and many, many hugs from your little nephew. @cat shepard Ann, I loved the cat meme. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the elbow pain eases as you do your therapy. How nice of your neighbors to bring you flowers. I loved the story about planting the tulips, and the story about the actress. @Lady Hudson Katherine, what a sweet and thoughtful gesture by your DH to get flowers for his caretaker. I'd say he is a keeper. @rafinmd Roy, I'm glad you slept well, at least, until 3 am. @ger_77 Gerry, you weren't alone waiting on CC to finish their update. That is a beautiful card with a lovely thought. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm sorry Tana had a few bad moments yesterday. I hope her morale improves quickly. @kochleffel Paul, thanks for the great information on Susan B Anthony. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I hope the announcements about using the hand sanitizers are more from precaution than an outbreak of illness. @Sharon in AZ Sharon, I hope you and your family were not in the evacuation area after that horrible accident on I-10 yesterday. Getting into Tucson from the east will be a challenge while they clean up the road. Lenda

Great picture, Vanessa. Roy, I hope you don't gave to wait three weeks for answers. Vanessa, beautiful flowers. I agree, he's a keeper. A wise decision. Safe travels for you and Allen tomorrow. Jacqui, maybe I should have said wineries. 🤣 Ann, great pictures in both posts. Thank you for sharing. Lenda

At least, the end results don't reflect the mess getting there. 😉 Lenda

Good afternoon from a sunny central Texas. The weather turned out better than predicted, and the wind is not being felt near DH's grill. That means tonight's dinner will be a ribeye split between us, plus what ever we decide to add. Today, I turned into a messy baker. Making the cake wasn't too messy, but the icing is another story. There was powdered sugar and cocoa powder over much of the kitchen and me. While the icing is setting, I'm letting the butter for the icing for the decoration soften. My always reliable cake pans have let me down the last two times I've used them. Part of the cakes stuck to the bottom of the pan, so I needed to "glue" the layers back together with icing. These pans have been around for decades, and I guess it's time to let them go. So I ordered new pans as a Valentine present to me. Graham, I'm glad the doctor got all the cancer in December. Thanks for the information. It's good to know that some of my parts might still help others. Jacqui, I'm glad your therapy session went well, and that the therapist was please with what you've done on your own. With your determination (an a few bottles of wine), you should make good progress. Karen, I'm glad your DH is doing so well. I hope he is able to come home soon. Terry, I'm glad you got a good report from the surgeon. Carolyn, I'm glad the ultrasound didn't show any surprises, just what you expected. I wish what you expected had been better though. Roy, I'm sorry you didn't get any answers, just more tests. Hopefully, the tests will give you some answers. Lenda