Quartzsite Cruiser

Debbie, I'm glad you made it in time to see the eclipse. I'm not surprised about the traffic. Thanks for finding some variations on the egg muffins. Lenda

An early good morning from central Texas. The rain started last night with a very heavy rain that dumped 0.19 inches in a very, very short time. It is not raining now, but will pick up again about mid-morning if the weather app is correct. Our best chance of rain is about 11am and noon, with a 100% chance of rain. It is currently 66F with a predicted high of 71F. I think I'll take advantage of the cooler weather and make a pizza tonight for dinner. The main things on the agenda are a visit to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned, and DH's CT scan to check how well the shunt is working. My appointment was scheduled for 9am, but last week they asked if I could come in at 8am, and I said yes. What was I thinking? At least, it will be out of the way earlier, and the hygienist shouldn't be running behind at 8 am. 😉 I was wondering what Jenkins Ear Day was about. Thank you, Graham @grapau27 for giving us the answer. As a circus elephant, I'm not sure how good a life Jumbo had, but he deserves a day. I have a few antiques that I inherited and that mean a lot to me. The Saint Augustine quote is very true. Didn't we have broccoli and cheese egg muffins a few weeks ago as the meal? We'll pass on the meal and the wine. Riesling is my go to white wine, but I'm not sure if today's Riesling is not a bit too sweet. We have been to Denali several times, beginning in 1992 on our first trip to Alaska when we drove the Alaska Highway on its 50th anniversary. We camped in the park for three of the five sunny days they had in 1996. All my Denali pictures are pre-digital. My only picture of Denali is of the mountain. Denali. It was taken on an exceptionally clear day in 2015, from the deck of a lodge near Talkeetna. Interesting day in history when in 1768 John Hancock stood up the the British Customs Officers. @MISTER 67 I'm glad your cold is better, and that you can play golf tomorrow. @Overhead Fred Fred, thanks for the great pictures from your anniversary dinner. Good to see everyone having a good time. @aliaschief Bruce, thanks for the pictures from Sabang. After seeing the pictures of the meat market, I probably would have become a vegetarian for the day. @smitty34877 Terry, using a colander and white paper was a different but good way to see the eclipse. Lenda

@ger_77 Have a wonderful day on your anniversary, Gerry and Maurice, with many more anniversaries in your future. Lenda

@luvteaching Karen, I hope you have a Happy Birthday today, and that the day isn't too difficult for you. HUGS! Lenda

Sandi, I'm sorry Linda had such a disappointing day today. I know here we were getting warnings about heavy traffic due to the eclipse. The Texas Department of Transportation even banned large trucks from I-35 in this part of the state and around the DFW area. Jane, I'm sorry you are still light headed and still having some balance issues. I'm glad you are going to ask you BIL to go with you to your appointment Wednesday, Please, if your symptoms worsen before the appointment, call 911 and get to the ER. Lenda

We had some good views of the eclipse, but as it progressed the high thin clouds got thicker. We could still see the eclipse, but you could tell the difference in the pictures DH's telescopes took as it progressed. Totality was amazing as it went almost totally dark when totality was reached. Then when the first edge of the sun peeked out, it brightened up instantly. We could see some planets during totality. Roy, I hope the tests and the consult show there is nothing serious happening. Lenda

Good afternoon after a busy morning. Our skies are clearing for a while and then clouding up some. The eclipse started here a few minutes ago, and the cloud layer is thin enough that DH's three (yes, three) telescopes are getting good images. Totality will in a bit over an hour and will last about 4 minutes, give or take a few seconds. After the heavy cloud cover early this morning, we are lucky to see the eclipse. Could it be that DH has on his eclipse t-shirt that I found last week at W-M? Karen, I'm glad your DS could spend time with you and brighten your mood. That is not the best way to see an eclipse. Susan, I'm glad the dogs were happy to see you and are settled in at home. Thank you, Graham. Lenda

Darwin was a port on our 2002 Volendam Asia Pacific Explorer Cruise. We were there on October 30, and the hot, humid season had not started then. We did not look at the town, but as per our usual port day, we rented a car and explored the surrounding area. Giant termite mounds were along the highway. DH, who is 6'1" stood next to it, and it towered over his head. Our first stop was a nature/animal preserve, that could have been in one of the national parks near Darwin. These are some of the local residents. On the way back to Darwin, we detoured to take a river cruise to see the jumping crocodiles. Our final stop that day was the Mindil Beach Sunset Market. It was the last night of the market until the next April. There were all types of crafts, clothing, food, and even didgeridoos for sale. As we walked around, we sampled kangaroo (which isn't bad, but does not taste like chicken) and crocodile, which tastes somewhat like alligator. DH bought a didgeridoo, which the vendor promised he'd ship to our house in Texas, since we couldn't haul it back on the plane. DH's comment when we left, was that we may have wasted our money. When we walked in the house after the cruise, the didgeridoo was on the couch. Let's just say, he can make a noise with it. A few scenes of the sunset market. Mindil Beach A local band to entertain the shoppers. Another local group to enjoy as we reboarded the Volendam. At dinner that night, kangaroo was on the menu. No one wanted to order it, but after we told them we'd tasted it at the market, the table decided to order one kangaroo dinner and share it between the six of us. The cruise was during the time the LA port locked the longshoremen out, so the Volendam could not get the containers of food that were sitting on the LA dock shipped to the various ports. The HD, F&B manager, and executive chef went shopping in most of our ports around Asia and Australia. We had good, and interesting things show up on the menu. We heard that our food did not go to waste, but went to the Veendam. Upon our arrival in LA the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the longshoremen were working, but were protesting the lockout by unloading the ship one piece of luggage at a time by hand. We could not get off the ship until well after 1 pm., so the executive chef and the Lido cooks quickly fixed a modified lunch for everyone. Needless to say, just about all the passengers missed their flights. We did get out that day, as the ticket agent at LAX did not want extra passengers the next day. The adventures of travelling are not for the faint of heart, but do make travelling interesting. Lenda

Good morning from a very cloudy central Texas. It is currently 57F heading to a high of 81F this afternoon. It looks like the sun will attempt to make an appearance between 11 am and 3 pm, and I hope it is clearer during the eclipse. Yesterday, DH spent quite a bit of time getting his telescopes ready. Our rain will begin about 5pm and continue through Wednesday. D.A.R.E. was big in schools when the DDs were in school. We don't see much mention of the program now. I could probably draw a bird if I tried very hard. Roma Day celebrated the Romani people. An interesting quote by C. S. Lewis. We eat a lot of chicken, but we'll probably pass on today's meal, along with the drink. The wine sounds nice, but a bit pricy. We visited Darwin on October 30, 2002, while on the Asia Pacific Explorer Cruise on Volendam. I remember all the build up and excitement in 1974 to Hank Aaron's historic home run. Unfortunately, I was at a meeting the night he broke Babe Ruth's record and didn't see it. @rafinmd Roy, I hope the cardiologist visit goes well. I also hope you find time to see the eclipse. @seagarsmoker Congratulations to the Lady Gamecocks on winning the National Championship. @MISTER 67 I'm glad your cold is getting better. What an honor to caddy for Gary Player. @dfish Debbie, that is good news the stye is improving. Safe travels to Toledo to see the eclipse. I hope it is clear there. @ottahand7 Nancy, enjoy your getaway. Good luck on the presentation. @grapau27 Great video of the Rotterdam harbor, Graham. Lenda

@erewhon I hope you and your DH have a wonderful day, and many more anniversaries to celebrate. Lenda

@Overhead Fred Fred and Mitzi, wishing you a wonderful anniversary, followed by many more anniversaries. Lenda

@Norseh2o I hope you have a wonderful day today on your birthday. Lenda

@StLouisCruisers Sandi and twin Linda, I hope you both have a wonderful birthday, and many more. Lenda

Good evening. It was a long amd busy day, but the weather was good. There was a light breeze, and sun with high thin clouds. Since it seemed to be the only good day weather wise, I spent most of the day working in the yard. I got the weeds in the flower beds pulled along with the worst ones in the grass. Then, I got the grass trimmed and mowed. I was pleasantly surprised that there was quite a bit of good grass under the weeds. I didn't have time or the energy to spray the heavy duty weed killer or spread the fertilizer. I did get Roundup sprayed on the weeds that weren't in the grass, and the marigolds planted. By then it was time to put everything away. I will be sore tomorrow, but Advil, Apercreme, and wine helped with the soreness tonight. A good dinner of a great ribeye which we shared with baked potato, salad and wine helped too. DH has always coojed good steaks, but since he got an infared grill, the steaks beat anything you can order out. Karen, with an upcoming birthday and wedding anniversary a funk is understandable. You are a strong woman, and you will overcome the funk. Your DM sounds like a strong woman too. Thanks for the information. It is good to know. Jane, I hope this was a one off. If it happens again, please call 911. Don't take any unnecessary changesnwith your health. Vanessa thanks for the picture of the Dailyites. In 1961, they broke ground for the original Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. As Elizabeth @Haljo1935 said, each section represented on of the six countries whose flags have flown over Texas. They were France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States and the Confederate States of America. I remember going to Six Flags more than once when I was in high school. As more Six Flags parks opened, the one in Arrington dropped the Over Texas from there name. Lenda

Terry, I wish you could have help today and tonight. I'm glad Tana is feeling better this morning, but sorry she couldn't sleep. The teenager is amazing with his cooking and helping with housework. Teen years are stressful enough, and with the added burden of a sick mother, this must really be hard on him. Tana and the rest of the family must be very proud of the fine young man he is becoming. Jacqui, I'm sorry you are not feeling well and I hope you feel better soon, and that your pain lessens soon. Thank you for the beautiful pictures, Bruce. They brought wonderful memories of our visit to KL. Carolyn, I'm glad you had such a great time on the cruise. There is not need to apologize for missing events when you were seeing a big part of the world. Ann, glad embarkation was easy. Have a wonderful time. It's finally warmed up, so I'm going to change into yard clothes and go tackle the yard. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas where it is basically clear and not windy, It is currently 56F, and the humidity is down to 46% with a dew point of 36F. The predicted high will be 79F with clouds giving way to sun this afternoon. Once it warms up a bit, I will be out pulling weeds, trimming the grass and mowing. Tomorrow's weather is still iffy, but about the time of totality the sun could be breaking out of the clouds. That is also the time rain and isolated thunderstorms could begin. Beavers are interesting animals and good for the environment. Snail-papers day celebrates print newspapers which are an endangered but necessary form for getting information. If you Google just snail-papers, you would find they are for rolling marijuana. The Metric system is good, and I can now mentally figure out some temperatures and measurements in metric. A funny quote from a funny man who died recently. I like potato salad as a side dish, but it must have mayo, and I prefer my version of my mother's recipe. Sometimes, dishes should not be too healthy. The drink might be interesting, but I prefer a real key lime pie. We'll pass on the wine. We have not been to Costa Maya. A nice day in history for music lovers and Bach fans. @grapau27 Welcome home Graham and Pauline. I suspected you were away the last several days. Thanks for the nice pictures, and too bad about the weather. @Heartgrove Bruce, please wish Sue and her sister BON VOYAGE for us. I'm glad Sam is doing so much better. @MISTER 67 I'm sorry you have a cold, and I hope you are better soon. Lenda

@Overhead Fred Fred, I hope you and Mitzi have a great cruise. Lenda

@Vict0riann Ann and Pat, have a wonderful cruise. Lenda

You will always be welcome in Texas. We were intoduced to Tastykakes when we lived in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Tastykakes finally arrived in Texas several years ago. Now days I like their sweet rolls. Lenda

Terri, I hope your GI problems resolve soon. Have you talked to your PCP about them? Sharon, I hope you enjoy your time in Waco, and that you'll get to see some bluebonnets in person. Lenda

It turns out, I never made it out to work in the yard. With the 21mph wind and clouds, it never felt warm, and I didn't want to fight the wind. I looked at tomorrow's forecast, and while it might be a bit cooler, we should have more sun with winds of 10mph. In just the last 30 minutes or so, we are seeing some blue skies and it's brighter. The afternoon was not wasted, as I started putting things away that we dumped in the closet either before we left for Quartzsite or when we got home. Part of that was going through several storage boxes DH had. We wound up being able to consolidate some of the boxes, and have about five left over. One box is full of different chargers and charging cables, with many duplicates. In the next few days, or maybe weeks, I'm going to go through them, and hopefully can have some for here, some for the motorhome and some to keep in Quartzsite. I forgot to mention this morning that DH is a fan of Twinkies. When he saw it was Twinkies day, he went to the new dollar store down the road and bought a box. I have never been a fan of Twinkies, but do like the chocolate cupcakes and Zingers. Sharon, it is possible there will still be some bluebonnets around in May. According to a Google search they start growing in mid-March and can last until May. However, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center they last until mid to late-April. At lot depends on how hot it gets. They are found in the Bluebonnet Belt of mid to east Texas. I'm glad you liked the meme. The only time I've been stung by a bee, it was very much alive and very angry. Paul and Eva, sadly Peter Schickele died January 16 at the age of 88. I always enjoyed his P.D.Q. Bach act and music. Lenda

I was outside a little while ago to get something from the motorhome, and it will have to warm up more before I can start the yard work. The weather app says the wind is now 21mph. At least between the clouds and the wind, I shouldn't get too hot later. Ann, I'm glad you made it safely to Fort Lauderdale even with the delays and weather. Bruce, thank you for more great pictures. Vanessa, I hope you can get a nap in, since 3 1/2 hours sleep is not enough. How generous of the Department of Revenue to waive your "huge" penalty. Terri, I'm happy that Tana seems to feel less anxious, and that it helps the rest of the family to lessen their anxiety. Lovely, relaxing patio. I hope the shade helps. Gerry, you had a busy day yesterday. Enjoy your brunch with Wayne and Fran. Thank you, Elizabeth. Ennis bills itself as the Bluebonnet Capital, but we've seen just as many beautiful fields of bluebonnets all over the area. Many years ago, a neighbor gave me some of the seeds from her bluebonnets as the start of my small patch of bluebonnets. Lenda

Yesterday was a sunny, pleasant day. When we took our golf cart ride, we stopped so I could get pictures of the bluebonnets on the other side of our neighbor hood. These are in a neighbor's front yard. The field across the road from the first picture. My small but growing patch of bluebonnets. Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy and very windy, 15mph from the south, central Texas. It is currently 64F, feels like 62F with a predicted high of 77F. The humidity is 94% with a dew point of 61F. From looking at the hourly forecast, it will be humid most of the day, which after the dry desert, will take some getting used to again. However, I will be working in the yard since the chance for rain isn't great until Monday night. It will be cloudy Monday, and Tuesday the forecast is calling for heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. Naturally, that is the day I have an 8am appointment to have my teeth cleaned, and DH has an appointment for a CT scan about an hour from here. I hope the forecast changes for Tuesday. Of the three days today, Drowsy Drive Awareness is the one to focus on, while the others might be good for some people. Another interesting but sorta blah quote. The air-fryer rotisserie chicken sounds nice, but I think it would be a very tight squeeze in my air fryer, which does have a rotisserie attachment. It cooks rotisserie Cornish hens very well. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds like it's worth a try, and the price is good too. We have not been to Niigata, Japan, so I don't have any pictures to share. I'm glad George Eastman began selling his rolled film in 1889. We have used a lot of rolled film in our lifetimes. DH worked as a photographer for all the University of Texas student publications. We also took a lot of pictures of the DDs high school band and used the pictures as a fund raiser for the band. The band members could purchase pictures for $1 and we donated the money from the pictures to the Band Parents group. @Cruising-along Welcome home, Carolyn and Henry. @durangoscots Welcome home, Susan. @cruising sister Lorraine, welcome home. @Cruisercl Welcome home, Caron. @richwmn Rich, I hope you enjoy your next segment of your long cruise. @dfish Debbie, I hope the eye continues to improve. @Heartgrove Jack, that's good news all your cruises are rearranged and finalized. @marshhawk Annie, I'm glad your friends in Conyers are safe and did not have any damage from the tornado. Lenda

It turned our to be a busy morning and early afternoon. Early DH did want to head to W-M so I went to the local grocery store with a stop at the donut shop. It's been 4 1/2 months since we had good donuts. Once I was home, DH was ready to head to W-M, so we left after breakfast and after the groceries were put away. While DH was waiting for the new battery to be installed, I got most of the items that were left on the list. Mainly, it was health things and fertilizer and insecticide granules for the yard. I decided to get some more marigolds for the yard since mine did well last year. I guess I'll be doing yard work tomorrow, but it was pretty warm when we got home this afternoon. I also found an eclipse t-shirt for DH. There were three left and all in his size. When we were leaving W-M we drove over to the outlet mall, which is now basically shutdown, except for one store. There will be an eclipse watching event there this weekend and Monday. There were a lot of vendors setting up in the parking lot along with a carnival and petting zoo. We're staying home. Tina, we were in Kristiansand in 2009, and found it a nice, walkable town. IIRC, there were a few tours outside of town, but I can't say they will be any since we were on Princess at that time. Terry, I thought of you when I saw that NYC GPS meme. We lived in Dover, NJ, when DH was in the Army, and in Delaware and Pennsylvania, off and on from 1969 through 1985, and we made many trips into NYC. My first trip to NYC was as a college freshman in 1966 when a professor took a group of us there for a week to visit various media, advertising and public relations firms. However, much of the time we were on our own too. I was walking with another girl back to the hotel from a visit to The New York Times, when a man approached us to ask where we were from. He said he knew we weren't from NY because we didn't "walk like mechanics". BTW, we were staying at the Taft Hotel near Times Square because it was cheap. I think we were some of the very few people that rented rooms for a full night or longer. 😁 A few years later, when I was showing DH where we stayed, one of the "working girls" tried to pick him up in front of the hotel. You got to love NYC. I'm sorry the aide was not able to come last night, but it's better she didn't if she was sick. I hope you have help tonight. Joy, loved the pictures of the bluebonnets. They are really spectacular this year. RNB, we did have embarkation times in January. Our Pink 2 was called very early at the end of the cruise. Was it something we did or said? 😉 Tigger looks a lot like our Tom who we adopted along with his sister in 1969. He was a sweet cat. I'm glad there was no damage from the earthquake. Animals seem to sense earthquakes before the happen. Great pictures, Debbie. I loved the pictures of Sue feeding the sea gull. Lenda