Back to nature.....

6:27 am - Sunday - May 21st - LPG&RVR - 48°, humidity 73%, wind - mph out of the northwest......partly cloudy skies today with a forecast high of 82° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I were in Telluride, CO with Glenn and Laureen......↴ 

TLE and I began our day with a walk on LPG&RVR's nature trail.  As you may recall, back when we first arrived I was assigned the duty of attaching new numbers to each of the 9 viewing stations along the 1.1 mile loop trail, and had found one of the directional arrows broken.  I brought it home, and successfully glued it back together, but had never returned it to its post.....

No, I am not holding the arrow together with electrical tape...the tape was to hold the stainless steel screw in place until I reached the post to reattach it

The arrow reattached to its post, and once again 'pointing the way'

....we reached the post to which the broken arrow would be reattached within 10 minutes at which time I screwed it back on the post.......we could have just turned around there and walked back, but decided to continue walking the loop trail.  We stopped by one of the numerous ponds on the property to take an 'usie'....

.....our favorite viewing station is Jose's View, #7, which overlooks fairways 9 and 18.....

....this is the high point on the trail.  The picture below is looking back toward the RV park....that pond you see is near the trailhead of the nature trail...

....of course, Saturday was the 3rd round of the PGA tournament.  It rained on the players most of the day, and the scores reflected that.  A majority of players were over par for the day, with only a handful posting scores under par, including Brooks Koepka, who was four under par for the day, and leads everyone at 6 under par beginning the 4th round.  There are only 9 players with scores at par, or under par....that's how hard this course is.

It was another beautiful LPG&RVR day, and perfect for sitting outside watching the PGA, and taking a nap, or two.

Thanks for stopping by!

Site bound.....

 7:46 am - Saturday - May 20th - LPG&RVR - 57° F, 52% humidity, wind 0 mph out of the west by northwest......crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 86° F.  On this date in 2012 TLE and I were camping at 'Craters of the Moon National Monument' in southern Idaho....one of my favorite Newell/trailer pictures......↴

After our whirlwind trip to Klamath Falls Thursday I was determined to spend some time watching the PGA Championship on ESPN, so for the first time this season I set up the outdoor TV for just such a purpose....

.....I began live coverage ensconced in my anti gravity chair....at some point I lost consciousness, and woke up just after 12 pm.  A nice way to spend a Friday morning.

I did spend a little productive time applying a systemic weed killer to the sprouting dandelions in the grass area next to our site.  It is an annual battle, which I won last year, but they are back, so I am trying to get an earlier start this year.

TLE likes to use the larger washing machines/dryers the park provides down in the restroom area to wash the bed sheets, so she actually left our site several times Friday, but I did not leave the site for the first time until late afternoon around 4:45 pm after the conclusion of televised coverage of the PGA.  In needed to practice putting for the upcoming putting contest on Saturday.  I've gotten to where I can putt the ball and it runs along the line I have chosen each time.  I still need to work a lot on putting each ball the same distance.  I can putt 6 balls in succession, thinking I am using the same exact stroke, but each ball goes a different distance.  I need to putt 6 balls and have them stop within a few inches, not feet, of each other....preferably near the hole....lol.  Over the hour I putted I was able to get 4, or 5 balls within 6-8 inches of each other several times.  The key to doing well in the putting contest is to put your first putt near enough to the hole that the second putt is easy.  If you make all your second putts the odds are you will win each match.  Of course, no one turns down a hole in one, of which I had several on Friday.

After returning from my putting foray I joined TLE on the 'lido deck' for a drink....the view to the west was pretty sweet.....

.....it was a pretty nice, laid back, pretty much do nothing day spent mostly within the friendly confines of our Newell encampment.....just the kind of day I wanted, and needed.

Thanks for stopping by!

Off to Oregon....

8:31 am - Friday - May 19th - LPG&RVR - 63° F, 44% humidity, wind 2 mph out of the east by northeast.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 86° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I were riding our bicycles along the Animas River in Durango, CO.....↴ 

We left on our two hour drive to Klamath Falls just before 9 am Thursday.  We've not been to Klamath Falls before, and have been told by everyone here at LPG&RVR that it is a nice town.  They do have a Walmart, and a Fred Meyers, plus many other major retailers, including a Verizon Store.  Why is a Verizon Store important to me on May 18, 2023?  Well, about a week ago I was taking a picture and noticed when I zoomed in on a subject the screen would turn white at about 3.6 X.  When I turned the phone (my, now, old Samsung S21 Ultra) over I noticed one of the lens was broken.  I didn't take a picture of the broken lens, but on my new S23 Ultra it is this one....

...at any rate I wanted to visit the Verizon Store to find out about filing an insurance claim (I had insurance on the S21), and find out my options...but I get ahead of myself.

We drove north on US-395 to Alturas where we transitioned to Highway 299 to Canby were we once again transitioned to Highway 139 north to Klamath Falls.  Traffic was light, and the drive was beautiful.  We arrived in Klamath Falls around 10:50 am where we made our first stop at the local Walmart.  TLE hasn't had a pedicure in a long time, so while I did some of the shopping, she stopped in at the nail salon to do just that....

....I think they came out rather well!

Anyway, it took about 30 minutes for the pedicure, then we finished shopping, and headed out to the car. As we were walking I spied a Verizon Store just across the parking lot, so we headed directly there.

Dakota, the very nice Verizon customer service rep, advised I could file a claim, pay the $100 deductible, and then wait for the insurer to send me a new/refurbished S21, or I could upgrade (I was eligible for an upgrade) for a few bucks more, and get a new Samsung S23 Ultra.  I've been through the insurance claim process before, which takes a few weeks, and then when you get the new phone you have to take it into a Verizon Store to get your info transferred from the old phone to the new one, which would mean another trip to Klamath Falls, or some other major city, all of which are 2-3 hours from LPG&RVR.  For me it was an easy decision....I took the upgrade.  In all it took about 30 minutes to get the process of transferring the info from the old S21 to the new S23, at which point we decided to go to lunch to give Dakota time to finish the process.

There is this cool micro brewery called The Falls Taphouse (5 stars on Yelp) about 2 miles away with alfresco dining.  They've got about 30 brews on tap, and while they do not serve food, there are three food trucks in the parking lot where you can order food.  We chose the 'Big Boy BBQ' truck.  TLE got their Crazy Pig Meal (pulled pork), and I their BCP, which was the same as TLE's but had bacon added.....both were delicious.....

.....for our brews I chose their 16 oz Peanut Butter Porter (#20), and TLE their 13 oz Vanilla Stout (#19), both of which were exceptional.....the perfect pairings for our food choices.....

The bar, where we sat, was situated between two large roll up garage doors, so it was almost like sitting outside....

....we ended up sitting inside as there were no umbrellas outside, and the sun was pretty intense....we are not direct sun light folks anymore....lol.  

After lunch we headed to Holiday Jewelers where I wanted to get a new battery for my large Nixon watch. While the watch guy was replacing the battery one of the small hands on the dial came loose, which meant it would need to be completely opened up to reattach the hand, so I ended up leaving it with them for a week to get that fixed.....we'll swing back through Klamath Falls on our way home from Redding next Thursday (smog check time) to pick it up.

Next up was a stop at Fred Meyers, and then back to the Verizon Store to pickup up my new S23 Ultra phone.  As luck would have it the phone was ready, and we were in and out in a few minutes....

....the drive back to Alturas was a breeze, with us arriving at the Holiday Market around 2:15 pm to buy another weeks supply of produce.  We didn't want to buy our produce in Oregon as that is the one thing the California port of entry folks ask about.  By the time we got back to LPG&RVR it was around 3:30 pm.

After putting away the groceries we headed out to the 'viewing deck' to consume our sunset beverages....we were still full from our big lunch, so there was no dinner.  Around 5:15 pm it began to sprinkle lightly so we headed over to the 'lower deck' to take shelter under the dining canopy.  The air was still balmy, so it was kind of cool to hear the rain on the dining canopy, but be sitting there in shorts and t-shirts after 5 pm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Maybe it it going to happen this time....

7:24 am - Thursday - May 18th - LP&RVR - 54° F, humidity 59%, wind 0 mph out of the west by southwest.....partly cloudy skies today with a forecast high of 83° F. On this date in 2014 TLE and I were beginning the first of four summers working at Tahoe Valley Campground.....took a bike ride along the south shore of Lake Tahoe......↴ 

For the first time this season TLE and I began a day taking our coffee on the 'viewing deck', sitting in the shade of the Newell viewing the hills to the west......

.....last year we would have been huddled behind the sun screen as the morning sun began to heat up the 'lido deck' far too early in the day.  Our new orientation this year gives us hours of coolness on the 'viewing deck', the 'lido deck' and the 'lower deck', and enables us to remain outside during much of the day.  The sun doesn't really hit any of our decks until late afternoon now.

After I posted yesterday's missive TLE and I began the final project for our 'lido deck'....install the new, and improved sun screen, only horizontally this time.....by extending it out horizontally from the patio awning we are able to double the shade, and push out the time when sun begins to encroach......

....it took us about an hour, but finally we were able to sit on the 'lido deck' and enjoy the late morning/early afternoon without having to move our chairs to escape the ever encroaching sun.  While I was sitting there enjoying the fruit of our labor I was thinking about how nice it would be to have a tomato and cheese sandwich.  To be clear, I have never asked TLE to make me one, but she has on occasion done so.  I turned to her and asked what was for lunch, and she says 'tomato and cheese sandwich'.....are we in tune, or what?

Lightly toasted tomato and cheese sandwich, with cottage cheese

.....with the sun screen in place TLE and whiled away the afternoon on the 'lido deck', which would not have been possible last year as it would have been too hot.  

Around 3 pm the VW was sufficiently in the shade of the large juniper tree in our site, so I decided to give her a wash....her first since we arrived. We'll be driving up to Klamath Falls, Oregon on Thursday, and there is nothing like beginning a trip in a clean car.  Klamath Falls is where TLE will have her cataract surgery sometime this summer, so we wanted to check out the town, and local hotels, plus do a little shopping.

Around 5 pm we moved back over to the viewing deck with our adult beverages courtesy TLE, and around 5:45 pm I lit the Sea-B-Que in preparation for a couple of tenderloin steaks, which were on the dinner menu for Wednesday.  TLE added a side of roasted potatoes, onions, and mushrooms to the medium rare steaks......

.....after dinner TLE wand I played Yahtzee.....TLE won the first 4 games going away, but I managed to win the 5th game, and while we were in the middle of the 6th game we got a call from Glenn (brother-in-law) and Laureen (TLE's sister)....we spent the next 40 minutes discussing our plans for traveling to Alaska next summer....yup, I think we may pull it off this time.  Glenn will turn 80 that summer, so it is kind of then, or never.  TLE, Laureen and I are the youngest of the group going.  Right now we have Glenn & Laureen, Charles (brother-in-law) and Phyllis (TLE's other sister), and Joe & Jody Kirkpatrick (friends from college) signed up for the trip.  Two Newells and two 5th wheels.  We began the discussion about the trip last summer when Charles and Phyllis came to visit us here at LPG&RVR, and it seems the interest is intensifying.

By the time we finished the phone call it was after 8 pm, and the mosquitoes were beginning make their presence known, so we headed inside for the night....by the way, I was on a roll in the 6th Yahtzee game, and had a good chance of winning, but the mosquitoes had another idea about us finishing the game.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return engagement....

 9:28 am - Wednesday - May 17th - LPG&RVR - 68° F, humidity 31%, wind 2 mph out of the northwest.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 82° F.  The view this morning on the 'viewing deck'......↴

First time taking our morning coffee on the 'viewing deck', which is why I am a little late posting my blog today

.....and on this date in 2022 TLE and I were in Sparks, NV having dinner at a local golf course with my cousin Lois, and her husband John......Lois is the daughter of my mother's brother, Bob Reynolds......↴

Tuesday was our Friday, and it was a busy day for both TLE and I.  Many lawns were mowed, including all the four employee lawns, and there was the circumnavigation of the golf course to mow the tee boxes at 3, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 18 as I do at least once per week.  This was my second time using the smaller Husqvarna (36" mowing deck) which our mechanic, Bob, recommissioned at my request for just this purpose  I can make the entire circuit in about half the time,  which gives me more time to do other things that need doing.

I only stagged four of the Yamaha gassers at the the beginning of the day as it did not look promising for a lot of golfers, but by the end of the day 13 carts had been rented, and they all came back within a 90 minute period of time.  

I usually go back to the Newell for lunch, but the special in the restaurant was a 'Smash Burger' and fries, which I could not resist, so right after TLE returned from her lunch break I ordered one, and sat on our alfresco deck to enjoy the view, and wonderful balmy air.  After the burger I headed home for a 30 minute nap, and was back on the job y 2 pm for the final 3 hour stretch of the day.  I spent the time washing and gassing up the Yamaha and Club Car gassers we rented, so they'll be ready for Walt on Wednesday.  For once all the carts were in before 5 pm, and by 5 pm they were all parked, and ready for another day.

TLE and I were home by 5:15 pm, and after I finished my hot shower we retired to the 'viewing deck' with adult beverages to watch the sun's daily, inevitable slide to the western horizon.  We were outside until almost 7 pm before we headed in for dinner....5 strips of bacon, and a fruit salad.  Normally, I get bacon on Bacon Friday (actual Friday) each week, but since our 'Friday' varies from week to week TLE has decided to give me bacon on the last day of our 4 day work week....how great is that?

We're watching a new police crime series on BritBox called 'Wallander', which is set in Sweden....very interesting.  There is seemingly no end to the number of really good, well produced, and written crime series on BritBox.

We've finished the first month of our return engagement here at LPG&RVR, and could not be happier with our decision to come back for a second season.  There is no learning curve this year, and we now know everyone by name, including those who have permanent sites.  Walt and I have happily continued on with our division of labor.  There are things he prefers to do, and the same for me, so it is a perfect job sharing situation.  Everything gets done, and we are both happy with what we do each 4 day cycle.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rinse, wash, repeat...

6:24 am - Tuesday - May 16th - LPG&RVR - 41° F, 63% humidity, wind 3 mph out of the south by southeast.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 80° F.  On this date in 2020 we arrived in Durango, CO at the Alpin Rose RV Park.....↴

Monday was the second 'vacuum' day in a row.....by noon time the park was down to 5% occupancy, but by 5 pm we were back up to 25% occupancy.  I staged just 4 carts to begin the day, and by the end of the day we had rented 8....a slow day for sure.  I mowed around the two group sites, which we call 'Pavilions'.  The large Pavilion has 6 full hookup sites, and the small 5 water and electric sites.  Now that the weather has warmed the grass is growing faster.  The Pavilions are quite popular, and whenever they empty we mow them immediately.

I made my usual rounds of the golf course right after I staged the first 4 carts.  The geese and ducks had been busy since Sunday morning, and it took me about 30 minutes to clear the four tee boxes.  Speaking of geese, there is a pair of geese which have hatched 5 goslings, and they are the primary polluters of the tee boxes right now.....

.....I'm afraid they'll be at it for a while until those offspring learn how to fly.

Monday is the day we clear the driving range of golf balls so it can be mowed, so I began the final process of running the ball picker up and down the outer and inner range around 10 am, finishing around 11 am, and then spent the early afternoon washing 6 buckets of golf balls.  After I wash them I put them in wire baskets so they will dry before I pour them back into the 55 gallon trash can in the Clubhouse.

All but two of the carts were back by 5 pm, so I'll get them washed first thing Tuesday.  TLE and I were home by 5:15 pm, thus ending our 3rd of four work days.  Wednesday will be our Friday this week, and we're thinking of driving up to Klamath Falls on Thursday just to check it out.  They do have a Home Depot, and a COSTCO, so they've got that going for them.  It's only a two hour drive, and, therefore, much closer than Reno.  There is no Trader Joe's, however, so we'll have to get our TJ's fix when we drive to Redding next week to get the VW smogged.  We're hoping this time around things go more smoothly than two years ago....thankfully we only have to get it smogged once every two years!

Monday evening was another game night, and on the menu was 'Phase 10'.  Unlike last time I held my own with TLE until the 5th Phase, then she caught me with all my cards in my hands two times in a row.  I managed to claw back one of those, but in the end she won easily....

.....our Starlink continues to work flawlessly.  It is to the point where I rarely think about it, and that is the way it should be, no?  I'm on several Starlink Facebook pages, and all I see are complaints, but I realize those complaints are the minority of people.  Starlink dishies are becoming ubiquitous here at LPG&RVR, and everyone I talk with has had the same experience we have.....they love it, it's easy to set up, and it works flawlessly.

On the Wuhan flu front, we are still asymptomatic.  I continue to meet people who have never had it, nor the vaccine, and since those people, like us, also spend most of their lives in rural America it is no surprise.

Thanks for stopping by!

"Hump night"

 6:13 am - Monday - May 15th - LPG&RVR - 48° F, humidity 77%, wind 6 mph out of the south by southeast....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 76° F.  On this date in 2015 we awoke to snow on the ground at Tahoe Valley Campground......↴

Sunday was the exact opposite of Saturday....only 10 carts rented.  I staged 14 golf carts to begin the day, and by 12 noon there were still 8 carts left...another four went out after lunch, so you can understand why I say it was the exact opposite.  And by noon time the park was down to 20% occupancy....a typical 'vacuum Sunday'.  After staging the golf carts I headed out to do my usual morning routine.....remove duck/goose droppings from the 4 tee boxes for hole #3, then checked all the sand traps, of which only one needed raking....#18....the others were unscathed.  The only one of the four sand traps which seems to come into play is #4.  The other three rarely show any indication of having any foot prints in them.  Personally, I've  been in all four sand traps at least once, and successfully got my ball on the green in each case.

Sunday was, as you know, Mothers' Day, and the restaurant had plenty of business, including many local ranchers who brought their wives in for Mothers' Day brunch.  By 11:30 am I was out of work, so I sent TLE home early for her hour break, then headed home myself at 12:30 for my break.  When I returned I found just one cart had been returned, and since I really had nothing to do, I headed out for the second time to see how the golfers were faring....there was just one backup so I asked the threesome in front to allow the twosome behind them to play through, to which they readily agreed, but that was it.  

By the time I returned to the Clubhouse there were 3 carts needing my attention, so I washed them, and them away, then headed out to the driving range with the Shag Bag to pick up all the golf balls along the perimeter in preparation for closing the range Monday morning to pick up the rest of the balls so it can be mowed.  In all I collected 3 buckets of balls, and expect to collect 3, or 4 more Monday morning when I run the ball picking machine up and down the range for an hour or so.

On my final sweep of the golf course around 3:30 pm I was driving down the 4th fairway and noticed this old wagon in the woods I had never noticed before.....its got to be over 100 years old.....looks like it broke down, and was left where it sat many, many years ago.....

....in fact there is a lot of old, abandoned farm equipment scattered around the property....

Old Alys-Chalmers crawler....'ran when parked'

....TLE and I were home a tad after 5 pm.....two days down, two to go.....Sunday night was our 'hump' night.....kind of like Wednesday was our 'hump' day back in our workaday lives.

Thanks for stopping by!