Quartzsite Cruiser

Good afternoon. I'm back from being scanned and pressed. Now, I just have to wait until the radiologist reads the bone density scan and the mammogram, and sends the results. It turns out, the position for part of the bone density scan is much more uncomfortable than the mammogram, but I surprised both. It was so nice and pleasant out today, that I was able to open the top of the Smart for the drive over and back. We're planning on taking advantage of the nice weather and grilling a ribeye to share, along with baked potatoes, salad and of course, wine. Pennie, I'm so sorry there were complications with the surgery and you are flat on your back for another day. I hope you tolerate the head raising tomorrow, and will be allowed to go home on Thursday. Thanks for the information on a winery I have not heard of before. While I'm not a fan of most white wines, I'd like to try some of their reds. Vanessa, just as you were very fortunate to have BFF take care of you, he is very lucky to have you as a caregiver. I hope the echocardiogram goes well tomorrow. Lenda

Both our Kiel Canal transits and visits were on Prinsendam. The first time in 2011, we stopped in Hamburg first followed by the canal transit. In 2017, we transited the canal followed by Hamburg, where we overnighted both times. This time, it will be pictures from our two visits to Hamburg. In 2011, we had good weather as we sailed the Elbe River. We arrived in Hamburg late that afternoon. We walked over to the miniature train museum, which is huge. There are many train displays set in various cities and regions of the world. At different times, the displays are in daytime hours and then nighttime hours. First is a picture of the control room, and the second is just one of the displays. This is a canal we crossed going to the museum. The second day we took the Ho-Ho and also walked around some. This is the city hall, the interior and the central courtyard. The Saint Pauli district where The Beatles performed early in their career. The train station where we switched Ho-Ho buses. Some different views of town as we walked around. An interesting building on the waterfront Lenda

The first time we went through the Kiel Canal on Prinsendam was June 9, 2011, after an overnight in Hamburg. On August 2, 2016, again on the Prinsendam, we left the Baltic and headed to Hamburg through the Kiel Canal. The pictures are a complication from both cruises. Because the Kiel Canal cuts through a varied landscape in Germany, I have enjoyed both passages through the canal. These pictures are from 2011 as we entered the first lock, and the lock looking behind the ship. I believe this is the administrative building for the lock. A town along the canal On our first time through the canal we passed this barge with the bow of a ship being built somewhere. Further along, we passed a ship builder who looked to be building mega yachts. Besides several bridges crossing the canal there are two types of ferries. Fist a traditional ferry loading cars. Then the ferry where someone was thinking outside the box. It was a good thing the Prinsendam's mast could be laid down, or she would not have fit under the low bridges. Some locals enjoying the waters of the canal. Some of the lovely countryside along the canal. In 2011, Prinsendam had a deck barbecue featuring sausages of all types. There was also a local band to entertain us. Lenda

Good morning from a beautiful sunny day in central Texas. It is 64F and heading to 83F this afternoon. Looking at the long range forecast, Thursday will be the only rainy day, and some days we'll reach the low 90s. This morning will be busy since I will be getting my mammogram followed by a bone density test. We haven't danced the chicken dance since older DD was in her high school band. The band director was from Lake Charles, LA, and wanted everyone to do the chicken dance at all the band parties. I agree that National Decency Day should be everyday. "Stars and Stripes Forever" is a great march, and now. An interesting quote from William James. It's a trifecta today as well pass on the meal, drink and wine. We have been to Hamburg and through the Kiel Canal twice on Prinsendam. However, we have never been to Kiel. A good day in history honoring the beginning of the Lewis and Clark expedition. @Nickelpenny Pennie, I hope you are doing well after your surgery yesterday. @smitty34877 Terry, I hope you have all the help you need to take care of Tana. @marshhawk Annie, best wishes for a successful surgery for your DH. @RMLincoln Maureen, I hope your procedure goes well and there aren't any surprises. @cat shepard Ann, stay safe with all the bad weather around you. @0106 Tina, thanks for the information about Decency Day. @dfish Debbie, I'm sorry the new community center isn't offering as many classes. Lenda

@summer slope Dixie and George, I hope you have a wonderful 58th anniversary, and many more happy years to follow. Lenda

Me, too. Lenda

By going to one of apps that came with my tablet, I was able to download your picture. The quilt is lovely, Maureen, it sounds like things are slowly heading in the right direction, and the eye is healing slowly. Annie, best wishes for a good outcome tomorrow with DH's surgery. Good news about the breathing test. Keep up the good work. Lenda

Good afternoon from a still cloudy, but drier and warmer central Texas. It is currently 81F. It was a long day, but a successful one for the most part. After we finished at the imagining center in Cleburne, we drove to Ft. Worth to do a bit of shopping. Since they opened the toll road from Cleburne to Ft. Worth, it is a much easier drive to the part of town where we shop. We completely miss I-35W and I-20. 👏 Now, the "wine cellar" aka closet and storeroom is restocked except for one wine which was not available. The liquor cabinet was also replenished. Our last trip to Costco, we bought a box of their house brand Cabernet Sauvignon and found we like it better than our old cardbordeaux. Today, I picked up a case of the wine. @RMLincoln Maureen, I hope the doctor was pleased with your DH's recovery from the eye surgery. @kazu Jacqui, I hope your foot is healing, and you are experiencing less pain. Nancy, I was sorry to read your procedure was postponed and will now have to wait until next fall. Elizabeth, I hope the next eye procedure was successfully reschooled and you got through to OT with a good outcome. Vanessa, it is always good to read that you are sleeping well and getting 7 or more hours of sleep. I'm sorry your BFF's surgery was put off until Tuesday. That's a long time to wait for surgery after a fracture. Debbie, we have a couple of those switches here and in Quartzsite. Mostly, they are for a light kit on the ceiling fan if we ever install one. A couple control one part of a wall plug, which is weird to me, but then the electricians who wired the house were not the greatest. Karen, I'm glad you had some one-on-one time with your DS yesterday. Not only do we not have curbside recycling here or in Quartzsite, but there is not place to take our recycling. 😒 Maxine, I read that thread just before coming here. What a mess, but for me, I would not have been disappointed. I like the inside passage that's in Alaskan waters, but the area between Vancouver Island and the mainland has too many trees and gets old after a few hours. Sorry, about that to our Canadian Dailyites, but this west Texas girl prefers wide open spaces. Besides, many times, the ship is transiting that area at night. Carolyn, thanks for the great picture of the family. I also get the tall ones sitting in front of me. Last cruise, I left a seat between me and the next person, and there was on on the other side too. A couple asked me if I would move over, which I gladly did. It wasn't a hardship, since I wasn't behind the person blocking my view of the stage afterwards. Jane, I'm sure your DS will lave the shed as his man cave. I don't think Gaspe is on too many itineraries. Lenda

Good morning from another cloudy day in central Texas. It is 67F and the predicted high is 80F, and there is no rain in the forecast. Even better, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. Later this morning, we will head to Cleburne for a CT scan for DH so the doctor at UTSW can determine if there will be another adjustment to the shunt. We suspect there will be one. Since rain is not in the forecast, we may head on to Ft. Worth to Costco and Total Wine since we'll half way there. Welcome back, Rich. As others have mentioned, I enjoyed following along on your wonderful cruise. And a big thank you to Jacqui @kazu, Sandi @StLouisCruisers, and Roy @rafinmd for keeping the FR/D going for us. Croutons are nice in a salad or soup, and hummus is all right, but not high on my list of favorite foods. We won't be participating in frog jumping today. Even with all our rain, I have not seen any frogs or toads this year. The quote is one to remember, and we should make the most of our time in this world. Our vegetarians might like the meal, but we'll stick to beef hamburgers. DH would like the drink, and I would if they could calm down the spices. We'll pass on the wine. We have not been to Gaspe, but only sailed by it several times. 1787 those on the ships headed to Botany Bay were probably not happy about their situation. @Nickelpenny Penny, we'll be thinking about you today, and hope your surgery goes well with a good outcome. @aliaschief Bruce, thank you for your wonderful pictures of your safari. @AroundWithMAPTravels I enjoyed your pictures from Gaspe. Thank you. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you had many supportive family members around you yesterday, and great help the past few days. @cruising sister Lorraine, I hope this week is a much better week. Lenda

Great picture, Terri. Thank you for sharing it. Lenda

Thanks for sharing a beautiful picture of your lovely mother. I hope the goos memories of her make today easier. I'm sorry today holds sad memories, but it sounds like all of you were at peace with her passing. Good you were all together. Lenda

Today has been a lazy day. Not much going on except rain and more rain. I just checked outside, and it's still very wet, but the rain has stopped for now. Eyeballing the old fashioned rain gauge from the sidewalk, it looks like we've gotten about 1/2 inch of rain. Thank you, Graham. I was 26 when my mother died, and sadly, she did not live to see her granddaughters. Carolyn, sometimes hospitals seem to push patients out before there is a safe place for them to go to finish their recovery. I'm glad Amber's DH was able to get her admitted to Providence Rehab. I hope her progress continues. Graham, thanks for the interesting information about the Sunderland shipyards. Great picture of your mother, sister and you. Safe travels home Tuesday. I hope the weather cooperates, and you can get to Denver without any problems. Lenda

Good afternoon, from a very wet central Texas. So far we've received 1/3 inch of rain, and it not stopping anytime soon. There is a 9mph wind, too. I enjoyed all the pictures of the Arora Borealis. Last night, I thought there might be a slight chance since there was clear sky to the northeast about 7:30, but when I went out between 10:30 and 11 last night, it was cloudy. I could see a few faint stars in small areas between the clouds, but there was no sign of the light show. We might be too far south. However, the past two nights, I've seen lightning bugs, especially back near the row of cedar trees. I am enjoying seeing all the pictures of your mothers, and grandmothers. In honor of Mother's Day, this is my mother and me at what was probably my second Easter. Sadly, she died too young at 62 and that was 50 years ago. Bruce, thanks for the pictures from Cape Town and Namibia. I was not surprised to see all the sand since Namibia is home to the world's tallest sand dunes. I hope you see a lot of animals. Now, that is a redneck yacht! You would stay drier with it. Sharon, welcome home. I'm glad your DM is feeling better, and I hope the cough and tiring are history soon. I'm glad you enjoyed Waco and your ladies group, and that the weather did not cause any problems. Graham, I'm glad they were able to detonate the bomb safely. Brenda, thanks for the family picture, and for the pictures from Himeji. I'm sorry about the smoke and wildfires. Ann, thanks for the cute picture of Oskar. Enjoy the rest of your visit with DD. Elizabeth, please wish your brother, the older, A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY for us. Vanessa, I love that picture. I know you were adopted, but your mother reminds me of you in some of the pictures you've shared with us. I hope all goes well at perioperative clinic tomorrow and you BFF is cleared for his surgery. Lenda

Happy Mother's Day, and I hope all the mothers have a wonderful day. It is very dark and gloomy in central Texas. Our rain has just started, and it looks like it will be with us until sometime tonight. Looking at the weather radar, we could get some very heavy rains. It is 67F with a predicted high of 71F, so we will not be venturing out today. Plant health is very important to us and our planet, and I try to keep the few plants I have healthy. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system, and we've met some wonderful nurses the past few years. I used to know quite a few limericks and could write them, but not any more. Eleanor Roosevelt was very spot on with her quote. The meal sounds interesting, but only if some one else makes it. The drink might be worth a try on a BHB, and I'd like to try the wine. We have not been to Himeji, Japan. An interesting day in history when Richard I married Berengaria of Navarre in 1191. The house below is in Khirakita, Cyprus, and is believed to be where the marriage occurred. @Heartgrove Welcome home, Jack. @AncientWanderer Welcome home, Maxine. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, congratulations on to Ren and the team for the win. The Vista class ships take a day or two to get used to the layout. @marshhawk Annie, I hope the laser is working and your DH can get his surgery this week. @JazzyV Vanessa, best wishes to BFF on his surgery Friday. @smitty34877 Terry, thanks for the picture of your mother and grandmother with your DS. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm glad you are feeling better, and I agree that the restaurants are to be avoided on Mothers Day. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad the plant sale was a success. I hope all the remaining plants are sold next week. Thanks for the picture of your parents. @grapau27 Graham, thanks for the explanations. @Denise T Denise, I hope your DB and DSIL are safe from the tornados. @superoma Eva, enjoy your visit with your DD ad family. I hope your DH's eye clears up soon. @dfish Debbie, thanks for the great picture of your mother. @ger_77 Gerry, I hope the smoke has cleared from the wildfires and that the wildfires are quickly contained. @Nickelpenny Pennie, best wishes for a successful surgery tomorrow. @Seasick Sailor Joy, @LambKnuckles Lambie, and @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I hope all of you are safe from the storms and have no damage. Lenda

Annie, I'm glad you got a good night's sleep. Vanessa, I hope the Monday pre-opt visit for BFF goes well. Please be careful while doing the laundry. Thank you, Graham. ((((((HUGS!)))))) 🌈 Lenda

We visited Phuket on March 7, 2000, on P&O Oriana's world cruise. We hired a driver to show us the island, and had a very good day. The beach when we tendered ashore early that morning. Our first shopping opportunity Our driver took us to the Monkey School where we saw a demonstration of what the monkeys learn. Mainly, they teach them to climb the very tall palm trees and to throw the coconuts down. They also teach them some tricks, and even got one person from the audience to help, and I was the lucky one. The trainer tied my hands and had the monkey untie me. The driver asked if we wanted to ride an elephant, but we declined, and headed into the town of Phuket, including a stop at a very fancy jewelry store. After our tour, we returned to the beach and had a couple of cold beers on the patio of a nice hotel. This was the beach and hotel that were destroyed by the December 26, 2004, tsunami. Phuket as we sailed later that afternoon. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny central Texas where it is 63F. Unfortunately, the clouds will return this morning, and we'll reach a high of 78F. This morning, I'll make a quick run to the store since they are having a three day sale, and it's supposed to start raining tonight and most of tomorrow. I will also need to mow the yard this afternoon, even though it is sooner than I normally would. Between the rain tomorrow and appointments Monday and Tuesday, I couldn't get to it until Wednesday. By then, the grass would be really tall. I can appreciate foam rolling day and the results a root canal can provide, but not the process. We should all be aware of the diseases included in today's awareness day. A funny quote by a funny man. I would love a Cobb salad if someone made it for me. We'll pass on the drink, but would try the wine. We have been to Phuket once and enjoyed our day there. Pictures will follow shortly. @grapau27 Graham, thanks for the information on foam rolling. @MISTER 67 Safe travels to Port Everglades, George. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad you have a ride to the ship. @puppycanducruise Melanie, I'm glad you saw a hint of the northern lights through the clouds. @1ANGELCAT I'm very sorry that Houdini will be crossing the Rainbow Bridge today. He lived a long life with his loving humans. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm happy your DB and DSIL came down to help you, and that you got some much needed rest. @dfish Debbie, I'm glad you had a good display of the Northern Lights. They are amazing, and we saw them about 28 years ago in Alaska. @marshhawk Annie, I hope you are doing better today with less pain. @kazu Jacqui, I hope you are feeling better and your foot is healing. Lenda

@Niagarawine I hope your cruise is everything you want it to be, Kathi and Ray. Lenda

@MISTER 67 George, I hope you and your DW have a fabulous cruise. Lenda

@StLouisCruisers Sandi and Dennis, I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise. Lenda

Thanks for the great picture. We're too far south plus too many clouds to be able to see them. Lenda

It looks like we won't be seeing any northern lights if the make it down this far. In fact, we are supposed to have rain beginning in just a little while. It has gotten windy and cooler along with the all the clouds moving in. I still managed to get some quiet time outside with my book. Annie, I'm glad you survived the oral surgeon visit. I hope the pain goes away soon, and even if you don't want to take the heavy duty pills, OTC pain pills could help lessen the pain. Welcome to the Fleet Report/Daily. Tina, I'm sure DH has all the safety and other features on with Uber. It's just that DH usually handles the Uber account, and the Hawaii visit was the first time he had me also looking for the car. We have used them in the US and overseas with good results. Lenda

Good afternoon from an increasingly cloudy central Texas. The shrubs are trimmed and are now looking rather forlorn without a lot of green leaves. The were in dire need of trimming as they were almost hitting the house and enveloping the iris. And, I know from past experience that they will grow back too quickly. I'll have to trim them in the fall and probably once before then. Vanessa, I'm sorry you are having tummy issues. My hunch is that the stress of this week is behind the issue. I hope you are feeling better tomorrow. I'm glad that Houdini is eating and drinking the hydration liquid. I hope TT doesn't pull a disappearing act again next week. Roy, thank you for the update on Veendam, and she will always be Veendam to us. I hope she will sail again. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad you arrived safely. BTW, you could still use Uber or Lyft. DH uses Uber when we are on a cruise. All Dennis needs to do is go on line, set up an account and download the app. You set up a payment method, and then pay through that using the app, and you can also add a tip on the app. As far as going to the port, if you have a lot of luggage, you can even specify you need a larger car. Once you request a car, you will get a text telling you who is coming and what type of car he is driving. In Hawaii, we even got the license plate number. We also found Uber to be less expensive than a taxi. I think we are too far south to be able to see the northern lights tonight. We are about the same latitude as the northern part of southern Alabama. Also, the clouds are moving in which doesn't help. This afternoon, DH using his least expensive telescope got some good pictures of the sun spots that are behind this event. They are the largest sun spots in more than 100 years. In the first picture, they sun spots are the dark area about 4 o'clock on the sun. The second picture is a closer look at the sun spots. Lenda

Good morning, barely. It is now 76F, sunny and windy. After down sizing a few files, it's about time to tackle the bushes. It is also sunny, so DH has a telescope out to check the sun activity today. I have enjoyed seeing all the pictures from Sydney. @Vict0riann Ann, this is a monument to all the merchant marines who lost their lives in time of war. Lenda

On September 4, 2019, Veendam stopped in Sydney on her TA after spending the summer in Europe. That day, we did not rent a car, but walked into town. On all our previous visits we had never really looked around Sydney. It was a cool, pleasant day for wandering around. Part of the waterfront near the dock. This interesting building is the former Bank of Montreal building, and in 2019, it was a museum. The main street in town A couple of interesting murals On the way back to the pier, we passed St. George Anglican Church that was open to the public. The church was established in 1785 as the Imperial Garrison Chapel. The picture of the exterior is courtesy of @Crazy For Cats who took the picture on his recent New England/Canada cruise. While many of the large cathedrals are stunning, I like the smaller, more intimate churches. This one is no longer used on a regular basis. Neighborhood near the church The waterfront An aluminum sailboat Sydney from the ship Lenda