Quartzsite Cruiser

Good morning from a very cloudy central Texas with a very light breeze. It is currently 49F and if the sun comes out this afternoon, we may reach 60F. Hugs are always nice and appreciated. Some one liners can be very funny, but others can be classified as groaners. With a metal roof and no trees in the yard, I can enjoy watching the squirrels running around, but not appreciate them. When we lived in The Woodlands, we had problems with squirrels getting in the attic, and we could hear them running around overhead. Moth balls would work for a few weeks, and DH would patch the hole they gnawed in the house to access the attic. There was a huge pine tree that was too close to the house, but as the name of the development implies, they loved their trees. In order to remove any tree with a diameter larger than four inches, you had to get permission from the HOA. The Ralph Waldo Emerson quote is very true, and hard to achieve. Today's meal sounds good, and I think that will be on the menu tonight. However, I think I'll use my pressure cooker recipe instead of one of the pan recipes. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine would be nice with the chicken cacciatore. Instead, I guess it will be cardbordeaux Pinot Noir. We have been to Cannes at least four times, but it was never the port. The first time was on Golden Princess's inaugural TA in 2001 when we took a tour to Nice and Cannes since it was our first time in Europe. In 2002 on Nordam III, we took the train to Cannes twice from Monaco, and in 2004, again on Noordam III, we rented a car in St. Tropez and drove to Cannes. Two visits were during the Film Festival, but since we were there mid-day, all the stars were still asleep. I'll look for my pictures in a few minutes. @cunnorl Charlene, I hope you had a good round of golf. The kite and balloon festive sounds like fun. @Lady Hudson Katherine, when we lived in SE PA near Newark, DE, in the early 1980s, we only had one really big snow in five winters. Otherwise, we'd a nice snow that would be gone in a week or two. The snow was just enough for the DDs to have fun, but not too much for us to have to shovel and plow a lot. In 1983, we got 33" of snow, and DH, the DDs and our neighbor had a blast building a snowman, that the two men turned into a well build snow woman. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I also like the small, old European towns, but it's nice to see some of the cities too. Thanks for your pictures. @mamaofami Carol, I hope you find your glasses soon. Could you have left them somewhere when you were out? @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad everyone liked the casserole last night. I had planned to post my results with the changes, but I blue bubbled you because I misread your post, and it wasn't until late last night I saw you mentioned the beef and pasta recipes from a few days earlier. 😁 Could you share your vegetarian enchilada recipe? I hope Tana gets over her cough soon, and that the nurse says her oxygen levels are good. @kazu Jacqui, I hope your neighbor can take you to the store today. I was wondering if you had cancel for any reason insurance for the cruise. If so, it might be possible to make the payment and wait until closer to the sailing to see how your elbow is healing. @Heartgrove Jack, safe travels tomorrow, and 🎈 🛳️ BON VOYAGE! 🥂 🍾 For anyone who's interested, here is my chicken cacciatore recipe for the pressure cooker. CHICKEN CACCIATORE ½ T olive oil ½ cup dry white wine 1 chicken, cut up 1 can diced tomatoes 1 med. onion, cut in wedges 1 T large capers, drained 1 med. red bell pepper, thin strips ½ t salt 1 med. green pepper, thin strips ½ t ground black pepper 8 oz. white mushrooms, in wedges 4 cloves garlic 2 T chopped fresh rosemary or 2 t dried rosemary 1 T chopped fresh oregano or 1 t dried oregano Preheat the pressure cooker over medium heat and swirl in the oil if your pressure cooker has a sauté feature. Otherwise, brown the chicken on the stove. In batches, brown all pieces of chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and add the onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and garlic to the cooker. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute more, stirring to dislodge any browned bits on the bottom of the cooker. Return chicken to cooker. Add the tomatoes, capers, rosemary, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cover, lock and bring to low pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat to stabilize pressure and cook for 15 minutes. (If cooker will only work at high pressure, cook for 12 minutes.) Lower the pressure by a quick-release method. Carefully remove the cover. Lenda

Good evening. Our partly sunny day turned into a heavily overcast day by early afternoon, and the wind picked up too. I was glad I got my walk in this morning while there was still some sun. The problem with cloudy days is our house stays dark, and we have to have the lights on. Joy, it seems like you had a go9d time in port today. I'm sorry you got the cruise hack, and I hope you got over it soon. It's ironic because, we took the Statendam from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale to board a cruise that went around the horn to Los Angeles. That was the 49 day cruise on Ruby Princess that Sandi and Dennis @StLouisCruiserswere on, but we didn't meet on the ship. Ray, that's good the boot can be putmto good use and help someone in need. Vanessa, I'm glad you could get seen earlier and that everything looked okay. I hope the GI PA has something that can help. Glad there was minimal trouble with the veins. Annie, congratulations on the even bigger sale today. Lenda

In 2007 when we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, they had a penguin habitat. I think it might also have been black footed African penguins. They sure look the same. Carolyn, Patricia's condition does not sound good, but I hope they can bring her out of the coma, and I also hope the damage is not as serious as it looks on the MRI. It's a truly said situation for the entire family, but especially her kids. I hope it doesn't take to long for your DH to begin feeling better after the last treatment Tuesday. I wonder if we were on the Statendam PC cruise in 2015 at the same time. We were on her from January 14 through 29 as an easy way to get from the west coast to Ft. Lauderdale for another cruise. Jacqui, I can only imagine what your arm looks like. After two surgeries, the procedure to remove the embolism, an ER visit with all their blood tests and iv's and five weeks in rehab with periodic blood tests, both DH's arms and hands were more bruises than normal skin. Being on blood thinners after the embolism didn't help either. I thought about getting a t-shirt that said "I didn't do that". Graham, when we were on Oriana, one tablemate had Stilton every night. It was never on the cheese tray they brought around, but the wheel was on it's own tray with aluminum foil covering most of it. When the waiters presented the wheel to him, whoever was sitting next to him leaned as far away as possible to try to avoid the pungent smell of the cheese. That was enough to keep the rest of us, including his wife, from even thinking about trying it. Lenda

Susan, sometimes it's a mistake to open a draw that you haven't opened in a long time. 🤣 Maybe that's why some drawers are called junk drawers. 😉 Thanks for the pictures of the penguins. We've never made it out to see the king penguins and the rock hoppers. Did you book the helicopter on your own before you left or on the pier? Terry, I'm glad my hints could help. Once you have everything chopped, diced and prepped, it is an easy dish to make. Ann, I remember the long walk in the PV terminal from the Koningsdam cruises. I learned which turns not to take as they lengthened the walk. You can certainly get your daily walk in just walking through the terminal to leave and to come back. In 2020, you had to go through the terminal and along the road to get to the local market in the port area. At least, they had made a walkway from the gates of the dock to the market by 2021. It looked like the new terminal had hurt the market and some of the businesses across the streets. I liked it when the ship docked at the No. 3 dock, and we could use that gate. It was also closer and easier to walk to W-M. @marshhawk I forgot to congratulate you on the big sale earlier. Hope you find more people with deep pockets. Lenda

We have visited Puerto Vallarta at least 14 times on several cruise lines but mostly on BHBs. I have tried to find pictures that are different, but there is at least one repeat. I'll start with pictures of the Malecon Los Arcos at the end of the Malecon The end of the Malecon on the land side And of course these guys Statues on the Malecon Some sand carvings on the beach. All that work, and it gets washed away at high tide. The small market area near the pier. The area around dock 3 and the gate where it is easy to reach Wal-Mart and the mall. A small bull ring across from the gate by dock 3 The Mall Looking across from dock 3 to dock 1 and the new cruise terminal in the day time and at night. Lenda

For breakfast and lunch, you should be fine just wearing what you would wear during the day. Lenda

Good morning from a cold (for us, chilly for those in the north, and balmy for those in or near the frozen tundra) central Texas. It is partly sunny, 40F, and fortunately with no wind. Our predicted high is supposed to be 56F. It could be worse. I think DH has had buttercrunch, but I'll pass. We both like cheese, but sorry Graham @grapau27 but not Stilton. Penguins are interesting birds and deserve our help with their environment. I think Jerry Seinfeld nailed having at two year old. I always said having dogs was like having a two year old, but without the whining when it was time to go back inside. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine today. I still don't know what we'll be having tonight. We have been to Puerto Vallarta more times than I can remember, and eight times since January 2020. I'll look for the pictures I posted last October. @smitty34877 Terry, I made the Mexican beef and rice dish last night and it was a hit. I made the last one on Debbie's @dfish list, but with a couple of changes. I wanted one that cooked the rice in the dish, and that one along with the first one did that. Yesterday, I could not find the packaged taco seasoning at the store, and forgot to look in the Mexican food section. I found a taco seasoning recipe on All Recipes, and it worked well. To get the 1.25 ounces of seasoning, I doubled the recipe. In addition to the Rotel, I added a small can of diced green chilis, both undrained. Since the seasoning used quite a bit of salt, I omitted the salt in the recipe and the fresh cilantro. Also, I went with a four cheese Mexican blend for the topping. I knew there would be leftovers, so we added sour cream to our servings, and it helped tame the red pepper flakes for me. We had the avocado on the side and omitted the diced tomato. I'm still trying to figure out a vegetarian version without using tofu. Two things I noticed. It took a little longer for the cheese to melt, and like lasagna, it needs to rest a bit before serving. @ottahand7 Thank you for your pictures from La Serena. @mamaofami Carol, I'm sorry your wonderful doctor is moving too far away for monthly drives. @smitty34877 Terry, that is good news that DSIL cleaned the alarms, and they were all quiet last night. @aliaschief Bruce, happy you got a good report from the cardiologist. @Colorado Klutch Welcome to the Fleet/Daily, which is a very friendly, supportive place. I hope we see you often. Yes, I also think the BHBs are beautiful. @Mr. Boston I'm glad your boss was happy with your retirement announcement. @marshhawk Annie, I hope Neko does not have a tumor, and that the meds help. I think I followed what you were saying about the bosses, but I don't see how anyone keeps things straight with that system. We do anytime dining, and often book a specialty restaurant on embarkation night to avoid the usual hassles. On the Koningsdam last spring, while we had open seating, they gave us a fixed table at 6pm which worked well. We are almost never up when the MDR is open for breakfast, and the lido works well for breakfast. There are a lot of choices in the Lido, too, just no fresh squeezed orange juice. We're still keeping Patricia, Jacqui, Sarah, Tana, and Kathi in our thoughts. Lenda

Carolyn, I'm so sorry about the devastating news about Patricia. I was hoping the doctors were wrong and for better news. Patricia, her family, the extended family including you and your DH are in our thoughts. (((HUGS))) Lenda

I'm glad your family made it safely to Bangkok even if it was a delayed arrival. Phuket is a lovely resort area, and they should find a lot to entertain the boys. I like your rug too. So many of the ones I saw were to "busy" for me. I like more tailored things. Love the before and after pictures of Ephesus. Rich, glad you are enjoying a lazy sea day, and that all is going well. I have enjoyed following along on your live from thread. Carolyn, how horrible for your "niece" and her family. Sending positive thoughts for the best possible outcome to a very bad situation. Lenda

I looked back through my pictures of Ephesus and found a few that appear to be different or slightly different from those that have been posted. Several were taken near the upper entrance. Between our first visit in 2008 on Prinsendam and our second visit in 2019 on Veendam, a board walk was added over some of the rough ground. That made walking much easier. These were taken near the upper entrance, and show the small amphitheater. I'm not sure what these were for or exactly where they are in Ephesus. Walking down the slope toward the Library, and you can see the countryside in the background of two of the pictures. Lenda

This is the rug we bought in Kusadasii in 2008. Lenda

Kusadasi is an easy town to walk around unless you decide to climb up to the flag and statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk which a friend did. We're not that adventurous. While the vendors in the different stores and stalls wanted to sell us something, they were not as pushy as those in many places, especially if you took a minute to talk with them. And many bargained, which is always good. The fortress at the entrance to the harbor The statue of Ataturk, the founder of the modern, secular republic of Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. He became the first president of Turkey in 1923 and held the office until his death in 1938. He was given the honorific Ataturk by the Turkish parliament in 1934. The title Ataturk means "Father of the Turks". The new cruise terminal and a dance troupe greeting us. Truth in advertising is good, and this was not the only store that had similar signs. Scenes from our walks around town The mosque, which is located in an area near the port and surrounded by shopping streets. You have to really look for the street that leads to the mosque. The main street in front of the port, with shopping and restaurants A friendly merchant A pretty fountain near the entrance to the port arcade with many more shops, and where you can get private tours. Lenda

We have been to Kusadasi and Ephesus three times on BHBs. Two maybe three visits on the Prinsendam in 2016 were canceled along with the Black Sea cruise after the coup attempt in Turkey. On our three visits we have been to Mary's House once, and Ephesus twice. The third time we just walked around Kusadasi. After our tours to Ephesus we were dropped at the rug store, but politely skipped the demonstration. We did buy a small rug on the first time there. It is hanging on the wall in the livingroom in Quartzsite. I'm going to post my pictures from Mary's house and Ephesus here, and the ones from Kusadasi in another post. We went in Mary's house, but were not allowed to take pictures. I think it was because a priest was preparing to say Mass. Mary's House Some of the people on our tour filling their vials with water from the fountain. The wishing wall And of course, the shopping opportunity A different take on Ephesus -- some of the locals enjoying a nice day or looking for a belly rub Lenda

Good morning from sunny and windy central Texas. It is currently 51F, but the north wind makes it seem even colder. For some reason the computer is say it's 70F, and I'd like to know where the computer thinks it is. We both like popcorn and will have it occasionally. I also generally buy frozen food, but keep a stock of tin cans of things that can't be frozen easily. I celebrate the new friends I've made on the Daily, and the new ones that join us. The quote is pretty accurate. We'll skip the meal and the wine. A Hurricane would be nice, but only one. We have been to Kusadasi three times on BHBs. I'll look for the pictures I posted in a few minutes. @kazu Jacqui, I'm glad the orthopedist visit went well, but ouch about the cast. I hope it can come off in three weeks, or that the replacement cast is smaller. I also hope the cast helps with the pain. BTW, I'm not sure if an electric can opener would be easier now, since it generally takes two hands to operate an electric one. It is a small world, and you were lucky the nurse had worked with Jose, and took good care of you. @ottahand7 Nancy, thanks for the pictures from the Ballestas Islands. @mamaofami Carol, sorry about the FB hack. I was hacked last spring with weird messages sent to friends. We found out that Messenger can be a big problem with FB hacking. I removed the Messenger app and no long use Messenger. @cruising sister Welcome to the Fleet/Daily, and I hope you will visit us again. Thanks for the information about multiple myeloma. I hope @Scrapnana Kathi will have as good an outcome as your friend did. @smitty34877 Terry, we've had the smoke detectors in Quartzsite go off in the middle of the night, and it's worse since they are connected and if one goes off, all go off. It turned out in our case there was a moth in the unit. @Mr. Boston Congratulations on setting your retirement date, and getting the process started. @marshhawk Annie, I hope DH's eye surgery goes well, and it is scheduled for the early part of February. Lenda

A very late good afternoon from a sunny and windy central Texas. We got rain this morning, but not enough to measure. Our temperature was in the low 70s when I walked up to the mailbox. After a long day, the house is clean, and I only have one small load of towels left to fold. It's been quite a while since I used my Thesaurus. Now, I just go to Google. My parents and grandparents read Winnie the Pooh to me when I was young, and we read it to the DDs. I remember when older DD was about 2 or 3 stopping in a store Disney World where she picked up a stuffed Winnie the Pooh, hugged it tightly, and said, "Pooh, I love you." Hard hearted parents didn't buy it, but she got Winnie the Pooh for Christmas shortly afterwards, and I think it is still in the attic. Younger DD wanted Tigger. In honor of gourmet coffee day, DH had a gourmet coffee he made in the Nespresso. I do not drink coffee, but love the smell of fresh ground coffee and fresh brewed regular coffee, just hot the taste. I like the E. M. Forster quote, and when you are on a ship, you need to be flexible and enjoy whatever happens. The meal sounds good, but I'll save it for another night. Tonight, it will either be hot dogs or chili dogs, a real gourmet supper. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds nice but again pricey. We were in Monterey in the fall of 2000 when we took the train from Texas to Chicago, to Oakland and back to Texas. We spent two days in Oakland and drove to Monterey and did the 17 Mile Drive. That was before digital pictures though. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I hope you had a great day in St. Maarten. @0106 Tina, good news on booking the cruise even if the deposit was not $1. @cat shepard Ann, your alternative wine sounds nice, and the price is good too. I'll add one more thing to the first meme. I felt good when I could get off the floor twice today. 🤣 No, I didn't fall, but had to get down to scrub part of the bathroom floor and clean the baseboards. @kazu Jacqui, your new doctor sounds like a keeper, and a lot like our PCP here. I'm glad she could get you in to see the orthopedist today. I hope that appointment went well. @smitty34877 Terry, the best news is that Tana is interested in the recipes and feels like eating today. It's good that you have healed enough to be able to physically assist her again. @aliaschief Bruce, I always enjoy the Q&A's with the ship officers. Hope the echocardiogram shows everything is as it should be. @Heartgrove Jack, congratulations on bringing the A1C numbers down. @marshhawk Annie, I hope your DH gets a good report from the othamologist today. @durangoscots Susan, you also have some very nice neighbors. I hope the sun melted the black ice. @Cruising-along Carolyn, wishing your DD, DSIL and the grandsons a safe flight today. Thanks for the pictures from Monterey. @JazzyV Vanessa, not only insurance for drugs, but all insurance is weird. DH spent a couple of hours trying to sort out the motorhome insurance, and mainly trying to get into their web site since it has changed but no one sent a message about the change. @ottahand7 Nancy, what good luck that you were in Lima before the protestors got there. Coquimbo/La Serena is an interesting port. @Vict0riann Ann, hope you feel better soon and that the cold and colitis flare up are history. @grapau27 Graham, I'm glad Sarah has an appointment next week, but wish it could have been this week. Lenda

Debbie, that's good news. BTW, I buy the small "baby" carrots -- no resemblance to the bent carrot commercial. Lenda

Good afternoon. After my walk around our community with a stop at the mIlbox, I decided to take advantage of our last nice day for awhile and sit outside. It's nice to be out in the virtually leaf free port. Tomorrow, I'm faced with house cleaning. Carolyn, I hope your DH does not have a bad time after today’s treatment. I imagine he's looking forward to next week when the last one is behind him. Ann, I'm glad you are feeling better today, but I'm sorry about the nosebleed and the colitis flare up. Vanessa, I hope the upper endoscopy and the blood tests will give you some answers about the stomach issues, and that they are easily solved. Debbie, with medical issues, I'm not sure if even the doctors know if a test is approved by the FDA in certain circumstances. In our case, our lack of knowledge was to our benefit. You might want to see how your insurance handles such cases. Things can be so complicated it's impossible for a patient to know what's what. Sandi, I don't envy you in this situation. It's a difficult choice on what to do, but I think Fred @Overhead Fred had some sound advice. Bruce, thanks for adding your pictures of Tonga. Lenda

Good morning from a partly sunny central Texas. Right now there is no wind and it's 59F going to 76F today. Then, we drop back into the 50s and 60s for the next ten days. We also have a chance for some needed rain overnight, but that can change before the rain is supposed to start. I had just finished writing this post when POOF! no post, and no way to retrieve it. 😒 Since I didn't make any resolutions, there are none to ditch. Any I might have made would have been ditched before now. Kid inventors can come up with some amazing things. We have a kid inventor in the extended Daily family. Carol's @mamaofami grandson has developed and patented an app. There may be a bootlegger or two in our family trees. The first lady who took care of my mother when she was diagnosed with MS was a bootlegger. My father had to post her bail once. 😁 The Ralph Waldo Emerson quote is true, but I would like a long life too. We'll pass on the meal since DH is not fond of lamb. I like the lamb chops on BHBs, but the leg of lamb on Prinsendam was over cooked, dry and chewy. We'll also pass on the drink and the wine. Tonga is still on the bucket list. @ottahand7 Nancy, thanks for your great pictures of the Ballestas Islands and the Candelabra. @aliaschief Bruce, I guess the cliché about all good things ending is true. Hope you have safe and uneventful flights home. @grapau27 Graham, I'm glad Sarah is resting at home and the painkillers are helping. I hope she gets the call soon for the injections. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, you do have a dilemma. You might think about talking with or writing to the relative before the cruise to say you will be busy with previous plans so won't have time to be with them. It might avoid a scene on the ship. @smitty34877 Terri, that is great news that Tana is looking and feeling a little better, and that everyone had a good night's sleep. "Listen" to the dogs about Tana's condition. Dogs seem to have a sixth sense. @kazu Jacqui, I hope your appointment goes well and the doctor can help with the pain. Please let us know how it goes. @cat shepard Ann, it always amazes me when it is warmer in Alaska than in the lower 48. @cunnorl Charlene, thanks for your wonderful pictures of Tonga. @dfish Debbie, I like your suggestion to Sandi @StLouisCruisers. DH had some charges denied recently due to no FDA approval. Medicare said that since he did not know beforehand they were not approved, he would not have to pay for them. Our supplemental insurance also was not billed for those charges. @rafinmd Roy, I can relate to unexpected cold in Florida. On one spring break visit to Orlando, we had to buy sweatshirts when a cold front blew through the state. 🥶 @richwmn Rich, thanks for checking in. Glad to know you are enjoying your cruise and keeping busy even if it's keeping busy doing nothing. I hope @Scrapnana Kathi has a treatment plan and is on the way to regaining her health. 🤞 that this does not go POOF! Lenda

The weather this afternoon couldn't have been nicer. It was sunny with a light breeze and about 76F. I took my almost daily walk around the neighborhood with a stop at the cluster mailbox. When I got home, I tackled the leaves in the port, and got most of them bagged. I think that is the worst of the leaves for this year since our across the street neighbor's tree is bare and it looks like all the leaves have blown out of his yard. Sandi, Hiroshima is a nice town with prettty gardens. Once you get away from the port and get to the downtown area, it is an easy to walk city. Brenda, thank you for sharing your pictures. Bruno, that's nice you have a hold on the Alaska cruise. That should be an easy cruise for you and DD to do. I had not heard of Klawock, but we've looked into taking a boat to Prince of Wales Island from Ketchikan. Unfortunately, the ferry schedule doesn't work with the times in port. Lenda

Graham, I hope to have many more cruise photos in the future. DH's recovery is going well, with progress just about everyday. However, it will still take awhile and not be too quick. It takes the bones in the spine about 10 months more or less to full fuse together. Lenda

Thank you. We have been to 139 countries on six of the seven continents, and have flown over Antarctica. We are now looking for cruises that have new ports, and new countries are a bonus. There are still places in the middle east, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Australia and New Zealand we want to visit. Also, places in Europe that are inland and not near a port, are on the bucket list. Our fathers waited to travel until they retired, and then their health became a problem shortly afterwards. They told us to travel while we were young and healthy, and we took their advice. Hopefully, our traveling days are not over, just on hold for a while. Lenda

Our first visit to Hiroshima was in 2000 on a cruise from Vancouver, I think, to Osaka on the old Regal Princess. Unfortunately, all my pictures are pre-digital. That day, we took the tram from the dock to the Peace Park with the skeleton of the A Bomb Dome, the only building left standing after the bomb was dropped as a reminder of the terrible destructive power of the atomic bomb. We also visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, in addition to wandering through the Peace Park. Our second visit was on Coral Princess in 2018, where we docked at the new cruise terminal further from town. We took the free shuttle to the train station, and the train to the Peace Park. We had planned to basically do what we had done 18 years earlier, but the couple with us had other ideas. After seeing the A Bomb Dome, we headed to Hiroshima Castle. Two views of the A Bomb Dome and two plaques about the dropping of the first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. A section of the river by the Peace Park and part of the park. On our walk to Hiroshima Castle to passed this small area and the locomotive. A nice area on our walk Our first sighting of Hiroshima Castle Two of the many gates to the castle Hiroshima Castle is quite imposing. That day, none of us had the desire to climb the many steps in the Castle, so we wandered through the grounds. The view of Hiroshima from the grounds. On of the main roads in Hiroshima, and a small street with more local shops. DH found some sake to take back to the ship. The train back to the shuttle pick up spot. Some of the vendors in the port terminal. They had a little bit of everything, and the fruit and vegetables looked wonderful. Lenda

A late good morning from a cloudy, but not very breezy central Texas. It is currently 60F with a predicted high of 81F. Last night was one of those nights I couldn't get to sleep until after 2:30 am, so I slept a little later, and then had some chores to do. I appreciate dragons and hope one day to see them on Komodo Island. That was supposed to be later this year, but we had to cancel the cruise. National Nothing Day sounds nice, but maybe another day. Martin Luther King Jr. did a lot to bring about racial equality, but we still have a long way to go to fulfill his dream. I have seen the Will Rogers quote before, and I often agree with it. Chicken Marsala sounds good, and I'm going between the first and third recipe. We'll pass on the drink, and would love to try the wine, but only if someone else is paying for it. We have been to Hiroshima twice, and both times were on Princess ships. I'll go through my pictures in a few minutes. @grapau27 Graham, thanks for the explanation of Nothing Day. I hope Sarah is remaining comfortable while she awaits the injections. @ottahand7 Nancy, thank you for the pictures of the medical evacuation. I hope the patient is doing well in the hospital on shore, and will be able to return home soon. @cunnorl Charlene, I hope the dermatologist doesn't find anything new or that if he does, it is minor. @smitty34877 Terri, I'm sorry Tana had another rough night. It must be scary not only for her, but for everyone in the house. I hope the nurse's visit can bring her some relief. I agree that our pets have a sixth sense when we're not feeling well or are upset or sad. Keeping Tana, and the family in our thoughts. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm sorry about the tv. I hope the insurance company will cover the cost of the replacement since the tv was working when it was stored. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thanks for sharing the pictures of the damage. You were indeed fortunate last Thursday to escape injury and/or damage. @durangoscots Susan, I'm happy you prepared last week to be able to stay home this week. Take care. Lenda

Good afternoon from a very windy central Texas. The wind is about 23 mph and our sunny skies have disappeared. Depending on the source, it is either 67F or 70F, but when I went outside, it was comfortable if you didn't mind the wind. There are several big piles of leaves in various parts of the port with more under the vehicles. Terri, I'm very sorry that Tana seems to have another case of pneumonia. I hope the hospice nurse was able to help her. Those nurses do a very difficult job that many could not do. I hope you are getting some rest this afternoon. Joy, how nice of the Hotel Director to request the same table on the Koningsdam for you. Sue, I'm sorry your are having so much shoulder pain and are unable to sleep in your bed. I'm also sorry you will have to cancel your London trip and that you are facing a complete shoulder replacement. Annie, I looked at the itinerary for your cruise, and it does have more sea days than the older 14 day Alaska cruises. Fortunately, I can avoid the Lido, but if there is nothing I'm interested in, I will sit and read instead of getting some exercise done. Graham, our condolences to you, Pauline, Father David and the congregation of the church on the passing of the shop manager. Ann, I'm sorry you have a cold, but glad that you are testing negative. Hope the next test is also negative, and that you can get over the cold soon. Ann, I love the pictures of Pat with the horse. They seemed to have a real bond. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny and breezy central Texas where it is currently 49F. We are under a wind advisory from 10 am until 6 pm with winds between 20 and 30 mph and gusts above 30 mph. Our high today is predicted to reach 76F. With the predicted winds, I doubt if I'll be getting the leaves out of the port. I'll wait and see what the wind does to them and how many more leaves are blown into the port. I like bagels but don't have them often, and I wear a hat sometimes. The best day to celebrate is Humanitarian Day. They do great work around the world. Today's quote is an interesting one which I like, but I'm not sure if I agree with it totally. We'll pass on the meal since a good steak doesn't need anything else. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds nice but a bit pricey. We have not been to Tokushima, and I hope someone has some pictures of the port to share. @Crazy For Cats Jake, I hope the new insulation helps keep the heating bills down. We are beginning to suspect they did not insulate this house as well as they should have, and they maybe even did not insulate parts of it. @aliaschief Bruce, thanks for all your information on Azamara. @ottahand7 Nancy, thank you for the wonderful pictures from your tour. @Cruzin Terri Terri, welcome home. Since you're finally home, I bet the rest of the work will go quickly and not seem so bad. @marshhawk Annie, I'm not sure how many sea days you will have on your Alaska cruise, but there is so much to see and do in the various ports, you might want a relaxing sea day without much activity. FIY, we find the tap water in the bathroom to be good enough for pill taking. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the miserable weather is gone by Tuesday, and that the roads are good on Tuesday. Lenda