Sunday, June 2, 2013

Good bye to Southern Comfort Hello San Diego Bay!

Spent last nite on June 1st in Yuma Arizona, where it was 110 degrees in the shade.  I swear I will kiss the ground of my home when I arrive where it is 66 and cloudy!  Which is only about 100 more miles.
Wonderful trip, Great Memories.
Things I will not miss:
Putting Doggies on leashes and picking up dog poop
Heat last few days
Mosquitos they love me and got big bites
Casinos that took wads of money
Things I will miss
The desert sunsets
The amazing history of both Civil Rights and Civil War.  Especially Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks sites.....And some WWII.
The alligators up close
Water Aerobics
Cracker Barrel Restaurants and their salads. 
And all the different States we had never seen before, all interesting.
Most of all I will miss the fun Jim and I had as two folks who had to go thru a lot to make this happen...It was not easy everyday. But it was amazing, fun and would not have missed it for anything!
See you at the Bay this summer!


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Cameron's Reliable RV Service in Tucson Arizona

If you are ever in Tucson Arizona and need RV Repairs of any sort, I recommend Ken Cameron.  We have had an ongoing full wall slide (Fleetwood) problem since the first day we bought it seven years ago.   It has been looked at by numerous RV Repair Facilities, including the Fleetwood Headquarters in Indiana and the Riverside Office.  No one could adjust or troubleshoot our slide where it would close flush with the side of the Motorhome. 
Upon our Arrival in Tucson it broke down, and Ken was able to troubleshoot, order, repair and upgrade the Power Gear Components without hesitation.  It is not a simple task to replace these parts, and discovery of original installation defects, i.e screws into wood which had to be custom repaired were accomplished with an expertise lacking in all other "Experts" we have  had look at this problem.
It was especially interesting to watch the team effort  which includes Rachael, his wife, as they adjusted all the slide motors and computers to finalize and complete this task.  We also had them replace our full wall slide awning cover which was ripped and never really as tight fitting as it should have been.  We are very happy with that as well.  We are totally amazed at the expertise of this family owned company.  What you get is personal service, professional printed billing estimates and a smile at all times.  Plus you get reasonable pricing, no gouging at all. When you are "stranded" and have to rely on someone, we could not have asked for a more patient and kind team. They answered and adjusted our questions and needs while assuring us and explaining the technical items many times over.  All with a sense of humor In fact, Ken is a comedian of sorts and had us laughing at his "dirty" jokes. Plus we got to meet their adorable 8 year old daughter, Jasmine, she has the same sweet smile and personality of both her folks .  We are indeed happy campers! Thanks so Much Ken and Rachael

Friday, May 31, 2013

Homeward Bound 5/31/13

Well we are still in Tucson, but the parts arrived and the work on "Black Beauty" is in progress.  We hope to leave tomorrow for Yuma and then on to the "Ranch".  Have really been enjoyed water aerobics class.  Great work out!
Jim has been using the Gym as well so we both are able to lose a few inches at the very least. 
 
 
Saying So Long to all the neat ladies, the one in the white cap is 94 years old!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Jim and Mar's Mobil Animal Rescue

A little while back we found a new born baby kitty just lying in the busy parking lot of the PX.  At first we did not know what is was just this tiny thing moving around.  Upon closer inspection you can imagine my surprise to find a little kitty not even one week old.  The eyes were still closed and his mouth was opening and closing has he struggled to gain footing without success.




Of course we took him with us, the first stop was the RV camp office, were we were provided with a box and big teddy bear.  After calling all the Animal Rescue places in town it became apparent no one was able to adopt him, without putting him down.  The one "no kill" facility takes three days to process.  Well, hum we thought its ours now and named him "Tucson", so we set off to the nearest Petco to get a bottle and formula. 


You cannot feed new kitties milk it has to be formula and they must be fed every two hours..OMG, now I remember that part and I certainly did not feel so "motherly" anymore. 
 
Lucky Us! Turns out one of the employee's at the Petco had just rescued new born kitties and was willing to take on a third.  After "feeding" the little thing with the bottle for awhile I was happy to give up the whole set up, plus a little cash to this wonderful young lady. 
It will of course remain a mystery to us where he came from.  It could have been a feral cat that was transferring him somewhere, however the busy parking lot kind of makes that a little hard to believe.  Of course it is possible someone dumped him, but given the fact that he could not move really they would have had to have left him directly in the path of traffic? 
Just grateful I am not a new mom.....and "Tucson" has found a home.   

Saturday, May 18, 2013

San Xavier Del Bac Mission Near Tucson, Arizona

"The White Dove of the Desert" founded 1692 - built 1783.  One of the best preserved old Spanish Missions in the Southwest"
Well here's some pictures folks, very interesting.  I will refrain from making any comments about organized religion, because there is no denying the beauty of this church and the strong faith of those who "brought" their beliefs to this Country and the ways in which it shaped our history. 



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Museum of The Horse Soldier

Wow, this was awesome, you can see a utube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARt6GDQpPpQ
I have posted a few pics none really do justice to this place.
**The uniforms date back to I don't remember which war my history is lacking, but if you notice the "plumage" on the helmets the long ones where for the Indian scouts to cover their long hair and the emblems on them were two arrows.  The uniforms go all the way to WWII.
**Also, I guess I never really thought about the little drummer boys who gave their lives, that was touching.
They actually had horse and dog gas masks for WWI. 

**The Mule:  See this for much history: http://www.squidoo.com/army-mules

When scouting parties went out, they had to remain very quiet. The same was true of advancing forces who wanted the element of surprise in their attacks. Unfortunately, no one ever quite knew when those obstinate (aka stubborn) mules would begin to bray. The sound could be heard for miles!

In 1918, Popular Science published an article called Taking the Bray Out of the Mule. It seems there were two methods to keep mules from braying. Reportedly, the Army mules would not bray if they could not lift their tails in preparation for using that blood-curdling voice.

One method of preventing the tail lifting (and, thus, the braying) was to sever the two muscles above the tail that are used in lifting the tail. The operation was simple, required very little time, and the mule recovered very quickly. It is said that preparation for the operation took much more time than the actual procedure because the mule's hind legs had to be secured sufficiently to keep him from kicking the surgeon. Had this not been done, the surgeon would undoubtedly have had a much more severe injury than the mule. One field reporter told an incredible story of a man who was kicked into the air by a mule and landed 107 feet away!

Howdy Partner's How do You like my new outfit? This is not part of the Museum, just a ghost town next door

Young Hero's! Hope you can zoom in to read
Uniforms from two angles



Monday, May 13, 2013

Sally and Lady Doggies

They have a super dog run here, plus a beautiful enclosed area complete with Agility runs and stuff.  I try to let them off their leashes at least once a day in the open dog area, while no one is looking so they can sprint around, Sally runs circles around Lady.  Poor Lady is getting older, I am heartbroken to see that one little tooth in front is loose and going to come out.  I put off getting the cleaning for her, hoping that I could control the tarter, but looks like I made a mistake.  Will call the Vet in San Diego and see what I should do for now.  Never in my life time have I seen a dog loose a tooth.
Sally, about one year now, is still continuing to chew anything she can get her paws on.  So far this trip she has destroyed   two pair of reading glasses   one cell phone charger and I barely rescued my prescription sunglasses which now have teeth marks on them.  The biggest "sin" she has committed so far is to get up on dining room table to grab my pork rib to eat oh no cannot handle that of course! Of course we could not live without them and the joy and smiles they bring everyday outweighs any " parental responsibilities" Again pics soon of all...Will take Jim,  to chiropractor today as he is still "limping" around barely mobile, poor guy.