Quartzsite Cruiser

A little late, but I just noticed Teacher Appreciation Week began today. I appreciate most of the hard working, dedicated teachers I had and the DDs had. However, there were a very rare few that should never have gone into teaching. Maureen, I'm glad that DH's eye is better with less inflammation. I'm sure between the doctor you're seeing in NJ and the surgeon, you will get the best advice on how to proceed. Lenda Lenda

The yard is done, and I also finally had time to wash the patio furniture that sat outside all winter. Now, once it dries, I can get the cushions out of the storeroom, and begin enjoying sitting outside reading on nice days. A lot will depend if and when it stops raining, how much time I will have to enjoy sitting outside. While it was not that hot, and was cloudy and windy, it was still not the most comfortable day for mowing. The humidity made me think I was back near the Gulf Coast. I much prefer dry heat having grown up in west Texas. At least, the yard looks good for another week or so. Ray, when has the government ever made sense? A couple more acronyms: IFFC = If I remember correctly and IMHO = In my humble opinion. Sometimes, you just have to make a guess from the context of the post. Sometimes, I Google the acronym now that the CC list is history. Sandi, I'm glad you reached home safely and without too much traffic. I'll try to pay better attention in the mornings and post the links if you haven't posted by the time I get on the FR/D. Jacqui, I hope the mega dose of antibiotic knocks out the infection quickly, and that the foot feels 100% better soon. In the meantime, just rest and heal. Lenda

Good afternoon. It's windy and cloudy with no chance of rain until overnight. I decided to take advantage of no rain and will be heading out to mow the yard. Hopefully, I can get a couple of other things done too. I will gladly celebrate nurses day. We've met some wonderful nurses over the past two years. Congratulations to the Stars, even though I don't follow hockey. My mother was the hockey fan in the family. Welcome home, Colin and Ellen. @Overhead Fred Welcome home, Fred and Mitzi. Maureen, I hope all goes well at Richard's appointment, and that the doctor is pleased with the recovery. Lenda

Pennie, congratulations on the impressive weight loss. Oh no, Vanessa. I hope BFF's ankle isn't broken. I'm glad you were able to drive and to get him to the ER. Lenda

Unfortunately, I am not able to repost Sandi's @StLouisCruisers pictures for her since they have disappeared from her post on January 10, 2023. We have been to Bar Harbor seven times by cruise ship, and once by land in 1974 when we tent camped in Acadia National Park. In 2004, we did a roundtrip NYC to Montreal and back on the old Regal Princess, with two stops in Bar Harbor. The rest of our visits were on the Veendam in 2013 with two b2b 14-day cruises out of Boston. In 2019, Bar Harbor was our last stop before Boston on Veendam's TA. We took Oli's Trolley tour of Acadia. In 2013, I booked two other tours before we left. One was a whale watching tour that is best forgotten. It was so rough, no one left their seats. We should not have left the dock, and even the whales were smart enough to go someplace else. We got vouchers for a free whale watching trip to be used with in three years. We were back two weeks later, but decided to pass. That was one day I did not take any pictures. On a brighter note, the previous time, we'd booked a tour on the Lulu Lobster Boat, and that was fantastic. We learned a lot about lobsters, Maine and wildlife. Plus, as the pictures show, it was a sunny, calm day. Pictures as we sailed back to the dock. Just a few pictures of our walks around this very pretty town. In 2004, this boat was returning from a tour as our ship was getting ready to sail. Lenda

Now, I'll finish the post was started when I realized Sandi @StLouisCruisers was on the road before she was able to post the links to previous days Bar Harbor was our port of the day. Not only was Joseph Brackett a member of the Shakers, he was an American composer and song writer, and the most famous song attributed to him is "Simple Gifts". We don't diet here, but by changing the way I serve our meals (most times) and some of the food we are eating, I managed to lose about 20 pounds and have kept them off for almost two years. No homework here since we graduated, but to paraphrase Shakespeare, housework by any other name is still housework. An interesting quote by Plato, and after four years reading the daily, I realize there are some on here who are fighting harder battles. That helps put things in perspective. We'll pass on the meal (kale) and the drink. I would try the wine if it was offered. We have visited Bar Harbor several times on cruises and once on a camping trip in, I think, 1974. Today in 1626 was an interesting day in Dutch and American history, but maybe not such a good day for the Native Americans. @dfish Debbie, I hope your allergies aren't too bad today. I am looking forward to seeing pictures of your quilt when it is finished. @StLouisCruisers I hope Sandi has a safe trip home, and does not encounter heavy traffic around Atlanta. @ger_77 Gerry, sorry about the damage the voles did to your yard. I hope your DH's plan works next winter. @kazu Jacqui, I'm glad the nurse wanted to make a house call, and you could get an appointment today. I hope the doctor finds the problem and your foot is better soon. Lenda

Good morning from another cloudy day in central Texas. It is 72F with a predicted high of 82F, and 100% humidity with a dew point of 72F. Rain is predicted for late afternoon, and then none tonight or tomorrow. Maybe the yard will be dry enough to mow tomorrow afternoon before the rain returns Wednesday. Before I go any further, Bar Harbor has been our port of the day twice before, on July 4, 2021 and January 10, 2023. The links are listed below for anyone who would like to share their pictures that were posted previously. Lenda

@StLouisCruisers Sandi, I don't know where my mind is today. Please congratulate Morgan on her graduation. Lenda

Joy, I forgot to answer your questions about Japan. I was just looking at that cruise, and it said visas are required for some nationalities. We have never needed a visa to visit Japan, but our last visit was in 2018. Usually, HAL will list the visas you will need when you check-in for the cruise on line. We've never gotten special shots for Japan either. There is a travel clinic in Austin that our DD uses when she is traveling to exotic places. They seem to know which shots are needed for which country. Sorry, but I don't know the name of the clinic or where it is located. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas. I sound like a broken record since it's still cloudy and soggy, but no rain is predicted until later today. But, the weather forecast around here is merely a suggestion. We had quite a sound and light show last night with a lot of thunder and lightning that lasted for several hours. We also received 2.31 inches of rain according to the weather station rain gauge, and eyeballing the old fashioned rain gauge from a distance, it looks like about 2.5 inches. There is now a river flood warning for the area. Since our lake is a flood control lake, I expect to see the water level has risen during the past week. At this rate, the beaches and picnic areas near the shoreline will be flooded. It is currently 67F with a predicted high of 78F and more rain overnight. I hope we don't have to dig out the snorkels and masks. 😁 Cartoonists deserve a day, and we should all be aware of childhood strokes. I'll also celebrate Chanel No. 5 since that is the scent I wear, which I buy at duty free shops. Cinco de Mayo is a bigger celebration in Texas than in Mexico. The Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quote is a little heavy for early in the morning. I'm glad Debbie @dfish decided to skip Eleanor and instead give us fajitas for dinner. I'm not sure if that will be on our table tonight since we had them last week, and chicken nachos Friday night. BTW, the chicken nachos started out to be the queso chicken from several months ago. I wanted to used boneless, skinless thighs instead of breasts, and by the time I trimmed all the fat off the thighs, they were in pieces. I cut them in bite size pieces, and added all the other ingredients. We served them on tortilla chips with sour cream and guacamole, and the were surprisingly tasty but messy. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds like one I'd try, and with a decent price. We have not been to Exmouth, Australia. The 1891 opening of what is now Carnegie Hall was a good day for music lovers. @grapau27 Graham, thank you for giving us the history of Cinco de Mayo. Even many Texans mistakenly think it's Mexico's independence day. @misrad4 We agree that it was a thrilling finish to the Kentucky Derby. I don't remember ever seeing so many horses in the lead that close to the finish line. @aliaschief Bruce, please be careful in the rough seas. @kazu Welcome home, Jacqui. I'm glad Ivan did well and it's always nice when someone else thinks our fur babies are good boys and girls. I'm sorry your foot gave you problems on the cruise, and I hope you can see the doctor soon. I hope all your wonderful memories of DD DH help ease the sadness of today. @VMax1700 Hope you have a safe and smooth flight today, Colin. Thanks for the picture of the beautiful flowers. @Seasick Sailor Joy, that's a great picture of you and Allen. The party sounds like fun. @ottahand7 Congratulations on the win yesterday, but sorry John lost. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you had so much help yesterday, and will have help today. Please take it easy, and I hope the neck and shoulder are better soon. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm sorry you are not sleeping as well in your bed, but glad the recliner is an option. Give BFF a big hug for taking such good care of you these past two weeks. @ger_77 Gerry, I hope Ollie is doing well, and I'm glad she has you and your DH to help. Good luck with the electronics. Lenda

@YourWorldWithBill Have a great time on your cruise. Lenda

@Heartgrove Hope you and Sue have a wonderful, relaxing cruise. Lenda

Jacqui, i enjoyed your live from very much. By now, I hope you are safely home.

Rich, thanks again for letting us tag along on your cruise. Safe travels today. Enjoy your stay in Ottawa., and have a safe flight home on the 9th.

Debbie, I remember you mentioning using the hula hoe, and I'm glad you like it. It makes it easy to get most of the weeds out of the rocks in Quartzsite. One wouldn't work here because of the mulch and plants in our two small flower beds. Fortunately, they don't take long to weed, even when we've been gone for months. It also wouldn't work in the grass where most of the weeds are. Lenda

Carolyn, that is good news they finally caught the zebra, and she seems to be in good shape. Sandi, your post was gone by the time I got to The Daily, but from what others said, and having lived in the south and south Texas, roaches were my guess. I'm glad you found a suitable hotel and got a refund for the unused nights. Once when older DD was still using a crib, we found roaches all over our hotel room including the crib. Even though it was late at night, we immediately checked out and moved down the road to a better hotel. Lenda

Good morning from another wet day in central Texas. It is 69F with a predicted high of 78F. According to the weather app, our rain is supposed to start about 1 pm, but the driveway and road are wet. In any case, it will be a wet weekend continuing into Monday morning. We will be watching the Kentucky Derby, but it's still not the same as being at the racetrack. Firefighters deserve our support and respect for risking their lives to protect people and property. I guess business brokers deserve a day. I'm not sure I respect chickens, but they are interesting. Here are some chickens on the north shore of Oahu. An interesting quote from Oscar Wilde. We'll pass on the meal. The drink sounds refreshing, and I would try the wine if offered. We have not been to Klaipeda, Lithuania. The Iron Lady was a remarkable woman. @VMax1700 Colin, I hope you and Ellen enjoy your last day on Nieuw Statendam. @aliaschief Bruce, thanks for the pictures from Port Louis, Mauritius. I hope we can visit there someday. @marshhawk Annie, I hope the new job goes well and you have a lot of sales. @kochleffel Paul, DH and I have been talking about the Kent State shootings this week. We just hope that with the new protests there is not a repeat of that horrible day. @grapau27 Graham, thank you for the explanation about business brokers. I had never heard about them until this morning. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad you arrived home safely. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope the host calls back soon and the problem is solved quickly. @durangoscots Susan, I'm glad you are beginning to feel better. @NextOne Edi, thanks for the picture. Most of the heavy rain and flooding is in southeast Texas. The pictures of the flooding on the news were taken between Conroe and The Woodlands, which is about 30 to 40 miles north of Houston on I-45. The San Jacinto River always floods in that area during heavy rains, but this year the flooding seems worse. I've never seen pictures of a semi and trailer being swept way. Also, the underpasses in Houston will be flooded. Our area about 45 miles north of Waco is basically just soggy. Our lake is a flood control lake, so the Brazos River won't flood too badly as it goes through Waco. Lenda

Rich, thank you for taking us along on your long cruise. BTW, Kristen was the CD on Koningsdam when the Daily Four were on board. She is very easy to talk to. Safe travels home.

Sharon, glad you made it to Waco without incident. Sounds like you had a busy day. Lenda

Good afternoon from a cloudy and windy central Texas. So far, we have not had any more rain. Last night's rain was only 0.17inches. This afternoon got a way from me. First, the latest batch of prescriptions and refills was ready at W-M. Also, we finally got the other car back yesterday, and I needed to get it registered. When I got home, DH wanted to take the car out to see how it's running now, and it is running better than it has in years. He was also told a while ago they had tires for the car at W-M in Cleburne, we headed up there. If you guessed they didn't have the tires, you are correct. Next on the agenda for the car is having the windshield replaced since it's been cracked for years. They will be here on May 15 between 8 and 5. I hope the antibiotics will help Houdini, and he will gain back some of the weight he's lost. Vanessa, I'm glad you enjoyed the dinner out last night. I hope this time you are more comfortable sleeping in your bed. We got the email and are passing too. I've never really liked the EFFY designs which I think are overpriced. Thanks for the picture of Morgan and her apartment. She's done a good job with it in such a short time. Safe travels to Denver and then to your DD's new home tomorrow. Annie, I hope you and your DH enjoy the concert tonight. I imagine they would have canceled if they thought it was unsafe. Jane, I'm sorry your were not a candidate for the TMVR procedure. I hope you will be able to have the valvuloplasty, and then enjoy better health. It's nice of you to treat your DBIL and his family to dinner. Lenda

Spectacular sunset. Thanks for the pictures, Bruce. Gerry, safe travels home. Glad the getaway was so much fun. Congratulations on the A1C numbers. Don't blame you for foregoing the carrot cake. Lenda Lenda

On another visit to Marseille, we wanted to take the boat out to tour the Chateau D'If, but unfortunately, it was closed for repairs. Instead, we took the boat to Les Iles and wandered around for a while. I thought the name of the boat was very appropriate, Edmond Dantes. We got a close up view of the Chateau D'If on the way back to the Vieux Port. And this stunning view of Notre-Dame de la Garde as we cruised into the Vieux Port. Just a few pictures from our day in Marseille in 2019. We took the Ho-Ho, and then walked in the area that was several blocks back from the Vieux Port. The area in front of the Vieux Port that used to be an open area. Different scenes of Marseille Lenda

We were in Marseille five times from 2001 through 2008, with a sixth stop in 2019. All but the first time, were on a BHB, Noordam III, Prinsendam and Veendam. In 2001 we were there on Golden Princess on her inaugural TA. The change in the area around the Vieux Port between 2008 and 2019 was unbelievable, and the number of people was also a big change. I am glad we were there before it got really crowded. In 2001, we went to Arles and Les Baux, but I don't have any pictures of Les Baux that really show the place. These pictures are from Arles, where we stopped at an Roman amphitheater.. There are pictures of the town from the top of the amphitheater. On one stop in 2002, we went to Aix-en-Provence. I found these pictures taken when we were in Les Baux. They don't show the town but the surrounding area from Les Baux. It is another very old walled town on top of a tall hill. Our lunch that day was duck a l'orange, and it was the best I've ever eaten. Lenda

Good morning from a partly cloudy and cooler central Texas. It is currently 65F with a predicted high of 79F. It looks like we won't have any rain during the day, but it will return this evening and last through Monday morning if the prediction holds. We had some rain overnight, but I don't know how much yet. We also had quite a lightning and thunder show last night. I'm not sure what we'll be doing today. I try not to have lumpy rugs or two wear two different colored shoes, which I've done once that I remember. Special-abled pets deserve a day everyday. However, as Dr. Pol says, they don't know they are disabled. An interesting quote today from J. K. Rowling, but I don't completely agree with it. Debbie, @dfish you can have my carrot cake. I've had it before and liked it, but I very much prefer chocolate cake. We'll pass on the drink, but would like to try the wine if it weren't for the price. We have been to Marseille many times beginning in 2001 on Princess and mostly on BHBs. Another good day in literary history with Margaret Mitchell winning the Pulitzer Prize for Gone With the Wind in 1937. I've enjoyed both the book and the movie. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope you get a better night's sleep tonight. @1ANGELCAT I hope the vet can help Houdini today, and I'm glad he is eating a little. @dfish Debbie, I'm glad the test shots are still working, but I'm sorry your neck is not causing problems. @Heartgrove Safe travels today and tomorrow, Jack. @marshhawk Annie, hugs to you and Chuck. I forgot to mention that yesterday when you said you like your big boss except he didn't like cats, I thought of my favorite line from "Some Like It Hot", "Nobody's perfect." Lenda

Maureen, thanks for asking. We have no flooding where we live. Our little community sits on a bluff and set back from a lake. I'm glad Plan B is working. Lenda