Cactus Tale

   Randa and I have several cacti that we haul around with us when we travel.  They wait in boxes in the trailer storage space when we are on the road.  Sit out in our yard when we are home and loll around our site when we are set-up at a park.  One of them is a small barrel cactus   Echinopsis is his latin name but he goes by Easter Lily Cactus. 
    This week Echinopsis gave us a show.  He bloomed for the first time.  We were lucky enough to be around when it happened.  Here are the photos.  The event was short but exciting non the less.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Dogwood Pink

I showed you a white Dogwood.  Here is the other color, Pink.  Gorgeous, right?  

Flowers

   Isn't Spring fun?  Everything is either just coming up or blooming.  We have a tomato plant that is growing every day.  We have some Hosta that is getting buds and another that it sprouting from the ground.  Fun to watch.   Walking around the neighborhood, I get to check out the neighbor's blooms.  This Dogwood is in full bloom.  Some Dogwoods have Salmon flowers.  This one is pure white.  Beautiful!

Horticulture

   Yesterday we spent the day pretending we were gardeners.  I had purchased two big bags of compost and cow manure and I turned over the raised flower bed in our back yard and mixed to new organic goodies into the "old soil.  We were told that when they built these houses they scraped the top soil off and hauled it away leaving just the clay behind.  So mixing in compost and sand helps loosen the soil.  Randa and I have picked up plants and flowers from several of the many  nurseries in the area and Saturday was the day to put them in the ground.  It was cool and cloudy so perfect weather to work.
   By 4:30 we were done, both literally and figuratively.  Nothing like physical work, digging, kneeling, sitting, raking and hoeing to wear you out.  The shower felt sooo good.  But the effort made the yard look better and that makes us feel better.  The flowers make the view out our windows that much better.  We don't have the mountain views that we had in Arizona, but having lots of bright colors and textures helps.

Dandelion

I found this along the trail in Arizona.

Appliances Follow-up

    Yesterday morning the Dishwasher and Microwave arrived.  I cut open the boxes to check for shipping damage.  There was none.  The delivery crew was surprised that the old units had been removed and were sitting in the garage.  Evidently they usually have to unhook and pull the old units out.  It wasn't that difficult.
     Now, installing was another matter.  Home Depot charges $125 for installation.  No way was I going to pay that.  It turns out that it might be worth that amount.  My good friend Rodger came over to help with the job.  It took us over four hours to get the two appliances installed. When we talked to the salesman, he said for the DW, you just hook up the water and water and plug in the electricity and you are ready to go.  Well, in a perfect world it would be that easy.  In the real world getting the unit unpacked and ready for service takes time. The existing waste water hose did not match. The recommended intake water hose is a braided one that needed to be threaded through the hole in the cabinet next to the other hose (that did not match and so was replaced). 
     Almost the same story for the MW.  Looking at the installation.  There's an metal mounting plate on the back wall.(Be sure to find and use at least one stud for support.  The bottom corner of the MW sits on it's lower lip.  Then the unit is rotated up and bolted to the overhead cabinet.  Easy-peasy.  Well, yes.  AFTER you mount the back plate and drill the holes in the overhead cabinet. 
    Bottom line, it is done and I am grateful to Rodger for his help. Looks good, don't you think?

Flowers

   Spring is a fabulous time of year.  Lots of green.  Green of all shades.  New growth.  A renewal.  We are busy helping support local nurseries.  We have many pots and some of them still have room in them for more plants.  Additional shopping is required.
    One addition that we want to add is another Clematis.  We have one but it's growth and blooms are puny.  We want one that has large and abundant blooms like the ones that I photographed on a walk yesterday.

Ready for install

   Tomorrow we get two new appliances.  A microwave and a dishwasher.  " Not a difficult installation." so the salesman stated.  As you can see the old ones have been removed so I can see what is involved in the install.  I can see what needs to be done and it does not look too bad.  However, at least with the dishwasher, water is present and water connections are always problematic. 
    The automated phone call stated that the delivery would be between 9:30 am and 1:00 pm.  I realize that the delivery company is giving itself leeway for easy or difficult deliveries and installs, but having a 3 1/2 hour window is a pain.  Because we are retired and just hanging around the house doing nothing, it isn't a problem, but how do working people do it?

I'll send another photo when the job is done. Easy, right?

Home

   We have been home a week.  That week has zoomed by.  So many things to do.  (so little time)  I thinks the trailer has been emptied of most of the items we wanted to remove, although there's bound to be a few more.  The truck is parked in the driveway wondering what happened.

    The house is getting back to normal.  Two marathon days in the laundry room are in the past.  Relearning how to use the Directv remote is done.  Shopping for a new dishwasher took part of a day.  It had died just before we left.  It gets delivered on Thursday.  An easy install, the salesman told us.  Free delivery but $25 to haul off the old one. 

    The last couple of days has been outside tasks.  Bringing out the barbecue, picnic table, patio chairs.   Sprucing up and refilling the flower pots.  The area is flush with nurseries to visit and get inspired.  We enjoyed stopping at many and helping the economy  of Clackamas County.  I must say that the yard is coming around.  Not quite there, but looking a lot better than a week ago.  More fun to come.  We even bought a grape Tomato plant. 

We love Succulents.

Rhodies over our side fence.

So many varieties and shapes and colors

Observations of the Trip

Spending four days on the road and traveling 1400 miles gives you the time to think and observe.  Here are some of my observations.

Traffic  -  The roads are nearly empty.  Driving through Phoenix and Las Vegas is usually a "both hands on the wheel, eyes wide open, ever on the alert"  kind of experience.  Not so much this time.  It mid- morning but it felt like middle of the night. 
   Another view.  Reno is the home of Sherwin-Williams Paint.  Normally driving the route between home and Arizona, we meet or get passed by at least a dozen SW trucks.  This trip, three.

Food  -   Groceries, no problem.  Grocery and quick trip markets are open.

Restaurants -  That's a different story.  Many are closed.  The ones that are open are "Delivery, Drive-Thru  and Take Out only.  A little more difficult when you are driving a RV.   Fast food Restaurants are more accessible because they are in shopping centers or truck stops but you can only eat so much fast food.  So cooking in your RV is much better.

Lodging -  Do I want to stay at a motel, where I HOPE that the room that the bed that I am sleeping in was used by someone else last night?  Hmmm.   My RV is my home.  It is my bed.  It is much better.

Flying -  Getting jammed into an enclosed metal container with 50 other people who may or may not have bathed today?   I don't think so !

Bottom line.  Traveling is ok.  But be careful.   Take your rig.

Home Trip Day 4 Sunday May 10

   The last day of our return was the best.  Likely, Ca to Canby. 380 miles.  Through Alturas, then north into the mountains cross the border into Oregon, final fuel stop in Klamath Falls.  North on hwy 97, west on Hwy 58 over Willamette Pass into Eugene.  Then north on I-5.
   Arrived at the house and backed it into it's space next to the garage about 5:30.  We unloaded the food (emptied the frig) and deferred the rest for Monday.  Ordered Thai food to go.  They were really busy, but it was worth the wait.
  The whole trip.  1400 miles  4 days.  Lots of scenery..  No mechanical problems.
 I checked the fuel mileage enroute.   Pulling the trailer = 9 +  mpg
                                                            Empty                  = 16+ mpg

       Considering the weight that I am pulling,  I'm really happy with the number. 

Home trip Day 3 Saturday May 9th

Short Day ?   Fallon to Likely, Ca.  Saturday. May 9th

The rest area on 395 just south of Susanville.

     Easy drive.  Zipped through Reno, then north on 395.  Arrived at the Likely Golf Resort and RV park by 3pm.  When I was parking, I noticed some drops of black oil on the trailer wheels.  I thought, " Yipes, are the wheel bearings leaking?"  So I stopped unloading and called Les Schwab in Alturas.  We drove the 20 miles into town to have the trailer wheel bearings checked.  The wheel was taken off and the axle looked pristine.  So the Schwab guy assured us that the bearings were fine just.  Phew !!
    Returned to Likely and set up about 5pm so our short day turned out to be not-so-short.   Relaxed and watched a movie during the hottest part of the day.  Took the boys on a nice long walk in the evening which they enjoyed.   The next morning we took an even longer hike/walk.  Lots of great sights and smells.
   One more day. 

Trip Home Day 2 Friday May 8

Kingman to Fallon   525 miles.  Yikes !

    Hwy 93 from Kingman to Vegas.  Easy drive, straight road northeast until you come to the Colorado River.  Great big valley/canyon.  The Colorado River at the bottom.  Eventually, the highway crosses the river.  Years ago the highway crossed the river by driving across the Hoover Dam.  Trucks, cars, RVs.   The drive was slow but the views were amazing.  It was a very cool experience.    9/11 changed all that .  The security was ramped up, vehicle inspections, etc.
    An alternative was built.  A bridge.  A huge bridge.  A huge construction project.  An engineering feat.  In the end the bridge completely made the dam disappear.  Now vehicles whizz across the bridge without even a glimpse of the dam.  Sad but efficient.
    After the bridge, Henderson, then Las Vegas.  Driving through the city takes about an hour.  4 sometimes 5 lanes of moving traffic.  Not right now.  With the current situation and the stay at home orders have changed.  Right now, Las Vegas is closed.  No casinos, no Tourists.  No tourists, no traffic.  It was a breeze driving through town.  ( Actually, Phoenix was that way as well.)
    After Vegas, the highway winds through the desert land that is Nevada.  Miles and miles of miles and miles.  About 50 miles north, the highway passes an exit  "Mercury- no services".  Mercury was where the scientists lived that worked on the Atom bomb testing area just north.   We kept the windows rolled up as we passed by.
    We arrived at Whiskey Flats RV Park in Hawthorne, Nv  about 5pm but they got the dates wrong.  No spaces available, so we were forced to drive another 70 miles to Fallon.  The Fallon Country Store and RV Park is fairly new.  It was quite nice when it was opened, but by the looks of it, the construction was sub-par.  The roads and RV pads were cracked and broken and like most rv parks, mostly filled with long-term residents.  But our site was adequate and we needed to stop.

Coming Home Day 1

   We are on the road.  Even though we attended a small get-together last night, ( Everyone distanced, everyone masked) we still did several chores to get ready.  It's easy and fun to unload and set up.  Packing is not fun.  Where did we get all this stuff ?!?  And where am I going to put all this stuff ?
Most everything was put away. even the dish.  Went to bed early.
   The night before we begin a trip is never restful, at least for me.  So I was awake at 4, 4:20, 4:30 and finally at 5:00.  Got up, got dressed and took the boys for a shorter than usual walk.  I awakened Randa as I went out the door.  When we returned we completed the remaining tasks, hitched up and took off.  We were on the road by 6:45, a new record for us.  We left early because we wanted to beat the heat.
   Good bye , Kartchner.  Thanks for giving us a safe, solitary spot for our trailer.  Thank you for having a helpful, friendly and professional park staff.    It was a fabulous experience.

    We cruised through Tucson before 8. The temp was to be 104 today.  Phoenix by 10 -  105.  We were northwest of Phoenix heading for Wickenburg on Hwy 60.  Arrived at Kingman and were parked and setup by 3pm.  361 miles, a good travel day.  I recommend Hwy 93 for a scenic and direct route from Phoenix and Las Vegas.  Tomorrow we will resume our trip by continuing on 93 to Henderson then 95 through Vegas and north.  Our stop tomorrow night will be Hawthorne, Nv.  421 miles   Going to be a longer day.
 

Cane Cholla

This is the first time we were a desert where Cane Cholla grow.  So it is a treat to see them starting to bloom.  The yellow is last years. 

These are this years.  A good thing.

Morning walk 5.2.2020 Hunter meets a friend

Hunter found a new friend on the morning walk.  Her name is C C.  They were both quite excited to see another greyhound.  She is from Phoenix.  CC is the fifth greyhound that his owner has had.          It was great seeing another Grey.  When I told the guy that I also had a Doxie, he said,                   "I've heard about you."

Verbena

My "I Seek " app told me that this is a type of Verbena but it could not be more specific.  Ok.             I like the color.  Don't you ?

Postponed part 3

The latest word on opening the park.

  " Well, um, uh, well, we don't know.  There's going to be a meeting... They may do a soft opening....

Maybe by summer....   We're not really sure......

We'll get back to you when we have more information."

Prickly Pear

The Prickly Pear Cacti are starting to bloom.  Here is one of the first ones.