Getting hot.

Well if we were in MN the 100º temp we are experiencing now would be unbearable. But there is no humidity so it is tolerable, not likeable, but tolerable. hehehe

This morning we put insulated foil on our 3 south windows and the 1 east bedroom window to help block some of the sun's heat against the glass.

Monday the a/c unit was checked and found to be in very good condition. By the grace of God the a/c will keep us cool all summer long. I think we are ready for the summer heat. Well we have done what we can to make it more comfortable in our home. The pavement, concrete as well as the rocks get pretty hot in the sun so Lola will get a ride to the dog walk area so she doesn't burn her feet. With the Smart Car we don't worry about gas mileage anymore. Lola is more important anyway.

Last night we went to the Good Friday service at our new church. It was presented, by Pastor Tom and Nathan, so well that I couldn't keep the tears from flowing. It is by far the most moving Good Friday service I have ever gone to. We are looking forward to going to church each Sunday and have even agreed to go to the 9 o'clock service rather than the 11 o'clock service. Getting up early isn't such a chore when you really look forward to something.

Well time to get my feet up and rest from my Easter dinner prep. We wish all our friends and family a blessed Easter.

The new sink is in.

The new sink is in. There was a lot of sweating to get the sucker out too. It must have been glued in as well as the brackets. Mark first popped it with a hammer to loosen it but that didn’t work. So he got a chisel and a hammer to work it lose around the edges. It was stuck to tight he had to take a break have way around the edges. One spot would not release so a very small piece of the counter top broke off. We just glued it back on. 

When we went to get new sink strainers for the sink Mark thought he needed new faucets so we got that also. But when he took them out of the box, the hoses were way way smaller than what the connections under the sink were. So back in the box went the new faucets. Money saved.  The old faucets went back on. They still look and work nicely so really didn’t need to be replaced.

The drains and connections needed replacing because the new sink is deeper. That is why we wanted a new sink. The old one was barely 6 inches deep and the new one is 8 inches deep. Those two inches made a world of difference.

As with any plumbing projects Mark bumped his head multiple times and he got wet. But not as wet as most plumbing projects go for him. He, as usual, did a great job. We love our new sink.

FYI: The little skinny faucet thing on the right, is the reverse osmosis drinking water faucet. Yuma water is not very drinkable, to say the least.

Getting ready for the summer heat.

Summer in Yuma can get, no scratch that, DOES get very hot. So we are getting things ready to keep us and our home safe from the extreme heat of the sun. 

We have measured windows to put foil insulation in the windows, just like we did in the RV. We just have to purchase that and the tape to hold the insulation in place. Yesterday Mark built a covering for the a/c unit, water softener, and the propane tanks. 

Next will be a type of car port for the SmartCar. The sun really does a number on the paint of vehicles. We can see the difference from the AZ cars to the northern cars. One has rust and the other has paint peeling. Each area has its downfalls. Our truck is parked in a neighbor's car port, that is for sale and no one comes here anymore, until we have to move the truck.

Yesterday we got the new kitchen sink. The one that is in our home is barely 6 inches deep. It’s hard to fill a kettle, a bottle, wash dishes or even wash your hands. I’ll be glad to get rid of the old one. The new one is stainless steel and is 8 inches deep. the counter isn’t as deep as your standard home sink nor is it as wide so we had a hard time finding one that would fit in here. But Lowe's had one that we could order online. Oh yes, Mark is really looking forward to another plumbing job. LOL He is also going to put in larger drains since the ones in here are so terribly small that the sink takes a long time to drain. I opted to not get new faucets since there is nothing wrong with the ones already in here. The bathroom sink is also in need  of replacing. It is the ugliest earwax gold we have ever seen. But all can’t be done at once. Rich we are not.

Miss Lola has been under the weather the last few days. She eats some and drinks lots of water but all she does is sleep all day long.Today isn’t starting out much better. Maybe she thinks she is retired and can do nothing all day. hehe  Either way we will keep a close eye on her water intake and how often she goes out to go potty. Too bad dogs can’t talk, but then sometimes that is a good thing. hehehe

Looks like today the kitchen sink is going in. I was asked to empty the under the sink cabinet and all the things next to and around the sink. Let the plumbing begin………

Just a little motto....

This seems to be our motto for some time now...

A warm day in Yuma today with little breeze. I see some of the neighbors are ready to head out on their three wheel motorcycles, I forget what they are really called. They all have helmets on to protect their heads, but no one of them has protection for the rest of their body. If they hit the pavement they will all look like hamburger. Why do people not care about the slide and only think about the ride. I'll never understand that. But then I've seen first hand what not protecting all of you when riding on a motorcycle. They obviously have not seen what could happen when not covered/protected properly. And yes of course, it's their right to ride stupidly.

Now enough of my preaching.

 As I said it's a warm day, high today of 87 with a gentle breeze. No laundry to do today but as always there is some cleaning that has to get done. We do after all live in the desert where there is nothing but sand. It's so nice not to have bugs attacking you everytime you go outside, and we can even leave the doors, screens and all, wide open. So a little sand is really not that big of a deal. Lola loves being able to go out one door and in the other anytime she wants to do so. It really makes the large porch feel like another room, to the house.

Today we or I will make a trip to the bank and to WM for a few items. If I go myself it will be the first time I cross a road that I don't like to deal with. But it's better than crossing the bridge at this time. Soom many snowbirds will be leaving or most will have left. Making travel and shopping around here much more desirable. :)

Last weekend we went to the Arizona Market Place to find me some sandals for this summer. Flip flops, with the only strap being what is between your toes, just don't work anymore. They cause the tops of my feet to hurt. And after reading, I have learned that they are really bad for your toes. What do I do with all those new nice leather flip flops? Donate is a good idea. There are many many area's that take drop off donations for many good causes.

We also were looking for power lift chairs that do more than just go up and down. But none can be found here in the south. I really miss Factory Direct in Hutchinson. They have the best selection in everything. The furniture stores around here could really use Kevin Heikes to train them on what and how to run a furniture store.

Time for me to get up and get some more things done.
until next time.....
It's always an adventure.

Caravan Oasis is home

So some have asked how big the resort is we have chosen to call home. So enclosed is a map of the resort, Caravan Oasis, for those who are interested. I have placed a red Star on the lot we are in and it also gives you a good view of the parks layout and it's amenities, like Darts and Pools. And yes there are two pools. Keep in mind we are living in a Desert!

We are planning on staying here this summer. No matter how crazy you think we might be, we will be one of 8 other couples that will have the park to ourselves. And as you can see it's a Big Park

We know how hot it can and probably will get here. But we are looking at this as a new adventure. While living in Minnesota we have lived thru -30º weather with colder windchills, I have personally, during a Blizzard, walked right past Hutchinson Manufacturing building which is huge, without seeing it. Walked on the top of cars while following Hwy 7 into town. Shared Ice Fish many time driving onto the lake and if we are to give pure facts have even taken friends trolling on ice topped lakes. 

Not to mention the hot summers in MN, with humidity so high you can't breathe and mosquitoes big enough to carry off a small dog and so thick that you can't be outside in the summer either.

Now is this the same as facing the heat of a Yuma Summer. Nope, not one bit. But that is why we decided to give it a try. If it does not work so be it. But if it does ,we will be adding the results to the list of things we have accomplished.

Remember It's Always an Adventure!!

We are Yumans.

It's possible that we have settled in to a comfortable routine around here. A routine of doing just what we want when we want to do it. hehe We have spent several winters here so we got to know the area pretty well. But now with the Smart Car, Shelby, we bop around more.

Due to price gouging and the fact that Verizon ticked me off, we now have T-Mobile for seniors as our cell phone provider. The coverage isn't as good, but we don't travel all over anymore and it works here plus T-Mobile is $140 less a month. With the change, we found that my cell phone had an antenna issue. When we bought the phone we took out the extra warranty and am I glad we did. The new phone will be arriving today and with it, another one year warranty. Same day shipping is nice!!!

Yesterday we drove around looking for an affordable yet nice groomer for Lola. After 4 stops we found one that really seemed to have nice groomers and a clean atmosphere for our little girl. Who by the way is, of course, spoiled. Prices go up around here when the snowbirds are here so we are hoping that the next cut will be less money. Around here businesses take advantage of the winter visitors like MN takes advantage of the summer visitors, and everyone pays for it. So wrong in my opinion. But it is what it is.

We found a wonderful church to attend, thanks to my stylist and a friend of hers. Andrea, the friend, was a greeter that first Sunday and told us a few things. The music about blew us out of the church but had us singing even though we didn't know the songs. hehe The message from Pastor Tom was amazing. Not once did Mark need suck candy or fidget in his seat. Andrea met us after the service and asked us what we thought and introduced us to the pastor. And she also walked us to our car while she explained some things the church had to offer. We were very impressed with her discipling and the whole experience. Yes, we went back the following Sunday and plan to make StoneRidge Church our home church here in Yuma. Oh when we got to the church we were unsure of where to go, so I said to a lady by a podium that we were visitors. She greeted us warmly and gave us each a bag with a soda, straw and microwave popcorn in it. The tag on the bag read, "Pop pop, fizz fizz, oh what a great guest you iz".

This week Wednesday, some of our neighbors put together a block bbq to meet and greet. Burgers were grilled and everyone brought a covered dish to share, BYOB, and your chair and serving setting. It was great to meet more of our neighbors and everyone had a wonderful time.

We had a signal indicator issue with the SmartCar, so it's been to the shop and is scheduled to go back and get a new relay put in. All of this is covered by the shop from where we purchased the car. It should be too.

Wednesday morning I received a call from Wells Fargo saying they had my car loan. I flipped out and told the lady that I don't now or ever will do business with Wells Fargo. I promptly hung up and called the dealer very angry. I had told them NOT to go with Wells Fargo, but they had anyway. Well that forced our hand to finally get a bank here in town. Off to AEA we went to open a checking, savings account and get a car loan.

The lady we dealt with at AEA, was awesome, as were all of the employees. It was like being in Hutch at MidCountry where everyone knows me. Anita made the whole process fun, easy and we got an incredible interest rate as well. We have super great credit scores so the loan went through without a hitch even though they didn't know us from Adam and we only lived in Yuma for a month. I did learn that I need to carry our utility bill with me for awhile to prove residency until I get my drivers license changed in November. Anyway, now that we have a car registered in Arizona, a home in Arizona and a bank in Arizona, and a church in Arizona, we are officially Yumans. hehe

Guying around with a friend.

A friend/coworker of Marks spends the winter in Yuma. He contacted Mark the other day to go to a classic car show. I was asked to go along but thought it would be a good for Mark to have a "guy day" away from me.

Mark and Steve had a great time and I was told that the show was one of the best around. Lots of beautiful vehicles and from the sounds of it, darn good hot dogs and root beer floats too. To end the day the two hooligans sat at a place down the road and enjoyed a few extra large beers. hehehe I'm so glad they both had a good time and have each other to do some guy things with. Sadly Steve will be leave in June sometime. But that still gives them some time to get together again.

Today we are going to check out a new church. Tuesday when I got my haircut, my stylist told me about the churches she has gone to and a little about each of them.  A friend of hers, that I met in the salon, will be the greeter this morning. It will feel extra welcoming knowing the greeter. It is more than time to find a home church now that we are living in Yuma, and not just visiting. So we will be visiting the churches she told me about. She and I have had the same bible study books so we have often had some very nice biblical discussions.

A breezy, cool morning with bright Yuma sunshine. Today will be the cooler of the days this week. Then temps have really been a roller coaster ride this winter.

Mamma's new/used ride.

Meet our Smart car, named Shelby.