Breakfast for Supper

   The plan was for Steve and Barbara to cook breakfast for the crew some morning.  The weather would not cooperate; too cold and too rainy.  Postpone, postpone.  Finally, time was running out on the first session, so it was rescheduled for Saturday evening.
   Saturday evening turned out fabulously.  The weather was sunny and warm.  The guests came happy and hungry.  The food was classic; scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, fruit salad, home-made biscuits, and Spam !  I can;t tell you the last time I have had that classic treat from Armour in Austin, Minnesota.  I remember  my Dad cooking Spam sandwiches for us for lunch.  Yumm!
   Steve likes his Spam well-done.  Crispy.  The food was plentiful and great.  Everyone had a great time and no one left hungry.   The social side of this location is the reason we come here year after year.

Donner Memorial

Tuesday the volunteers took a field trip to the Donner Memorial which is near Truckee.  We viewed the film, strolled around the museum, we listened to a volunteer guide.  He retold the story of the problems that the  Donner party encountered and the mistakes that they made that cost many of them their lives.
   As the group stood out in the rain listening to this fascinating story, in sight of a Chevron gas station and the hum of I - 80 in our ears,  it was hard to imagine that these folks were stranded, starving, and dying at

this exact spot 160 years ago,  

Pushing up

One of the first signs of spring.  The Snow Flowers are pushing their way up through the forest floor.

Spring?

Cold Days, Rain, Colder Nights.  27-28 last night. The days start out clear but the clouds and moisture come up in the afternoon.  I had six layers of clothes on Saturday and was not over heated.  The Baldwin Museum is probably colder than the outside temperature.  The big fireplace looks good but does not produce any heat.
    I disconnected the water hose to prevent trouble.  We like it cool when we sleep with lots of covers so cool nights are not a problem.  Today the sunny morning and early afternoon was great but the clouds came in and cooled it down.  The weather forecast does not show warm temps for at least 4-5 more days.  Yipe.

Visitor

The other night we were having supper with fellow volunteers and a bear tried to walk into the volunteer building.  He was probably following the great smells that were coming out of the partially open door.  (We have found out that bears's sense of smell is 2100 times better than ours.  They can detect toothpaste in your car.)
   Judy happened to look out the door to see if it was raining and the critter was on the top step about to enter.  She yelled out, "Bear !!!"   The bear left quickly, but stopped to check out our neighbor's camper.
    Afterwards we were all talking about the excitement and our other neighbors discovered that the bear had opened the back door of their Toyota pickup, climbed in, and grabbed a backpack and took it back outside.  He then opened it and took a power bar and a bottle of Ibuprofen without harming the pack.  Amazing agility.

Hunter's Foot

    About a month ago I noticed that Hunter had blood on his left hind foot.  We checked it out and found a missing nail.  We should have taken him to the vet right away but he did not seem to be in a lot of pain so we waited.  Well, the bottom line is that the little toe on his left hind foot had infection in the bone so was amputated at the first knuckle.  After two weeks he should be back to walking without pain and no after effects.
    For the first few days, R and I are splitting our day so that we can be home to watch him and to keep him from licking or chewing the bandage.  So far he seems to be just mildly curious about the bandage.  He will get a new one next Wed and then will get the bandage off and the sutures out the following Wed.  Then he and Quammie and I can resume our walks in the woods.

The Trip North

The Friday portion of our trip (from Cal-Nev-Ari to Yerington) was interesting.  The weather was unsettled to say the least.  The morning sun filtered through the clouds.

The sprinkles started as we fueled up in Tonopah and intensified as we drove west toward Hawthorne.  We drove through a downpour !








North of Hawthorne we stopped to look back at the clouds.  Mother Nature has such beauty and power.

We're Back

We have returned to Lake Tahoe.  We backed into our spot here in the volunteer campground on Saturday afternoon May 7th after spending the night in Yerington.
    It is good to be back in the tall Firs again.  It was a "normal" winter here in the Sierras so there was snow this year, something that was not seen much last year.  The Truckee River is actually flowing again this year.  The lake level last year was below the outlet dam at the north end of the lake so it was dry for most of last year.  Now it is flowing and it is a good thing. !

Appointment

   After getting a call from my heart doctor in Phoenix, telling me that my blood test had shown an abnormality so started calling my local Veterans Clinic.   After many phone calls I finally received a call from the Vets Clinic here in Yuma.  I will be standing at the door of the clinic tomorrow at 8am.  Our dental appointments are for 9 and 10.  When done we will hit the road.  Friday should find us in Nevada, south of Las Vegas.
   The other result of my visit to the cardiologist is an additional prescription to my list.  I am going to a new customer of Eliquis.  Talk about sticker shock!!!!  I do not have prescription insurance so I have initiated getting it added to my veterans prescription list.  Until then I have to figure out how to get the meds I need at the most reasonable price.  I called both Walmart and Costco to get their prices.  60 tablets ( one months supply) is right at $400.  $400 per month !!  How does someone without insurance take care of their needs.
    With this problem in mind I asked the pharmacy in Algodones about Eliquis.  The same amount in Mexico costs $75.  $75 !!!!!!  That's 19% !!!  Can you believe it?  Do you think we are getting taken advantage of???  
     Not knowing if the medication will work or that the side effects will be minimal.  ( The PA said that she and the doctor like E because it has the least side effects.  So I need to decide how much of the medication to buy tomorrow.  One month, two months....

Yuma

Its Wed May 4, 2016.
  Our second morning in Yuma.  Today is a play day.  No plans.  No expectations.  We are here because my next dental appointment is tomorrow.
  Yesterday was my first day in the chair.  I was in it for 2 1/2 hours.  I left with cleaned teeth and a temporary bridge.  The removed one had been in my mouth for over 40 years.  I guess you could say that it was really made well.  I doubt that the new one I am getting will last as long, but no one will see gold when I smile.  Kids used to look at me oddly and wonder what that was.  Incidentally, I retained the gold caps to be sold later.
   May is a good time to visit Yuma and Algodones.  Most of the snowbirds have hit the trail.  The RV parks are nearly deserted.  The traffic is back to normal. ( The locals love that.)  The line to go through Customs on the way back from Mexico is gone.  Last year we were here earlier and the line was several blocks long.
   On our way out of Algodones, we stopped at the Purple Pharmacy to buy meds.  They are "a lot" less expensive there.  No written prescription is needed, you just tell them what you and there it is.  Customs may or may not look in the bag.  They see folks with the purple bags every day.  We also bought a bottle of vanilla which is bargain priced as well.
    Coming through El Paso, you see Mexico virtually on the south side of I-10 and then going to Algodones, one is fully aware of what difference a mile or a border can make.  Going into A does not bother me any more, but I still feel better when I cross back into the United States.