Today is dedicated to the Total Eclipse of the SUN. I got glasses in anticipation of this event. Here they are:
Jack and I went outside and they really worked great. We could see the eclipse really well. It was too bright to look at the sun without them. But we watched the total eclipse on my iPad:
So now we can say we experienced a TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN!!
Here are Ziggy and me watching it too:
I took a video of it also – 10 minutes. Let me see if it’s completed uploading:
This was really the safest way to watch it and Zena was intrigued!
Here is another picture earlier in the process:
Notice Metaxa on my lap!
We’re trying to feed the birds in our backyard. We now have 2 types of birdfeeders. One for hummingbirds and one for finches. The other feeder we had was on the ground and the doves took over the back yard, so we changed it to a different type of feeder. There was a bunny under it this morning, so there must be seed on the ground. Anyway, here they are:
The hummingbird feeder (we have 2 of them) is slow going, but the finch feeder is doing pretty well. It’s fun for the kitties to watch the birds!
Today is Wednesday, April 10, 2024 and we’re GOIN’ CAMPIN’! YAY! Metaxa and I will leave around 11 or so to get going – maybe earlier. I’m going to take a shower before I take off today and I need to load up the food and a few other things and then we’ll be off. Looking forward to this time doing “our thing”! Woke up at 4:15 this morning so I could make it to the meeting and my internet is working this morning which is great. Don’t know why it wouldn’t hook up yesterday.
It’s 4:40 and I’m waiting for my meeting to start. It’s a great way for me to start my day. So back to camping. There are 35 of us and I know 18 of them. It looks like I’m beside Yvonne Johnson, the Magazine Editor. Not sure who else is near me. Let me see if I can get a map of the campground while I’m waiting.
I remember that I stayed here one night on my way somewhere else – probably Patagonia Lake State Park, but not totally sure about that. I do remember that I seemed to be the only one at the park. Our agenda says we are going to go out to dinner somewhere. Also, there are some “hot springs” that we are supposed to visit. Not sure I’ll participate in that, but you never know.
I made it to Roper Lake State Park in Safford, AZ. This is the area where Bill & Cathy come to Boondock at Gila Box. It’s really out in NO WHERE! I went by Boyce Thompson Arboretum on US 60 also. The road (US60) is curvey, hilly and skinny. It was very interesting, but looked pretty poor. We are supposed to go out to dinner one night here but for the life of me I can’t imagine a place to go. Maybe others know. Here is a video I took while driving – I know not safe:
It hasn’t uploaded yet. I took a video of my site also, but it isn’t uploaded either. I’ll need to add them later.
Here is MY VIEW:
This is how level I am without any blocks!
Metaxa is settled in:
Just got back from Happy Hour. I might go to the fire tonight. It’s at 7. It’s 74 outside right now and 82 in the rig. I don’t want to put on the A/C if I can help it. My water was dripping and Madeline and Diane fixed it for me. No wasting water any longer. Diane gave me a water pressure thing that measures water pressure into the rig. She got an extra one by mistake so I paid her $15 for a $30 thing and will use it next time at Patagonia. I learn so much from all of these very capable women. Most of them are gay but don’t flaunt it much – they are just nice, helpful women. Such a great group.
Genie is in Hatch, NM and hasn’t made it here yet and it’s 6:30PM. I’m planning to go to the fire tonight. It starts at 7 so I guess I’ll close this out now and start again tomorrow. Genie made it at 9:30 PM. Thanks for visiting!
Starting this again at 4:50AM on Friday, April 11, 2024. Here are the temperatures this morning:
I turned on the furnace – worked like a charm and also my buddy heater. The furnace is off now but my Little Buddy Heater is still on. I’ve found that is all I need after the initial furnace time as it is pretty noisy and the little heater is SILENT. Right now it is 58 in the rig. I’ll turn the heater off once it gets to 62 degrees in here to save gas. I do have 2 (I think) canisters in storage so I should be good for this trip. Anyway, I’m so happy here this morning. Metaxa is on my lap while I do this and that is so GREAT. She is so good on these trips. I think she likes them too!
Here is my view of the sun coming up and shining on the mountain from the comfort of inside of DAISEE2:
I think the guy in front of me is camping in his car. SO glad I have an RV to camp in. A car would definitely be too small for me! The bath house here is right across from me also and is very clean. I’ll probably take a shower on Saturday, or not. We’ll see. Glad I got my shower yesterday before I left.
So I have to tell on myself. Yesterday when I was getting ready to take off, I started to leave my parking spot next to the house and I was STILL PLUGGED IN! That is usually Jack’s job and so I didn’t check and we both asked whether one of us had unplugged and we had not. Anyway, all was well. The cord is pretty long and there was no pulling out or any type of damage, but we learned a lesson. Even though there is that point on the check off list. Yvonne left her place yesterday without her purse and money, so I don’t feel that bad. At least I have a list of things to bring and it is usually always the same.
According to the ladies, there is a good steakhouse in the area and we will be going there for dinner. That will be fun. I decided not to go to dinner. I’ll ask Genie how it was because she went. I was in bed by 8AM. Got up at 6 and missed my meeting. Here are the temperatures I woke to on Friday, April 12, 2024:
I think I’m going to go on the Dog Walk at 8 this morning. We’ll see. It’s only 6:30 now. I’m enjoying my coffee with my cat on my lap! Metaxa is so needy on these trips – I LOVE IT!
Yesterday we went on an adventure to a space Discovery Center. It was interesting and there was a simulation space ride which was 30 years old. It was pretty cool. Then we went for Ice Cream!
It was really good!
We went kayaking in the morning:
I went with Meg and Evonne. That is Mount Graham in the view – beautiful! This is what my kayak looks like all blown up. I really like it!
I finally took my bike out for a ride. Started out with Robbin and Cindy. Started to go on a walking/biking trail and I got too scared with the gravel – didn’t want to fall, so I left and ended up at a Day Use Area pavillion with a super view of the lake:
I’m hoping to go kayaking again in the morning – early – around 8AM. I need to go with Cindy to pick up the pizza’s so we can pay for them with the chapter DEBIT card. First time for me to use it. Hope it works!
Diane did a talk about cleaning out the hot water heater. I’m guessing it has never been flushed but it is too complicated for me to do on my own. I’m hoping I can get her to do the job. If not I’ll take it to State Trailer to have them do it. I think I saw a listing of the stuff they do and it was probably listed. I think I’ll go look that up now on GOOGLE. Be right back. I tried to look it up and couldn’t get to the listing for Mesa so I’ll need to call them. I’ll try to do that tomorrow.
Today is Saturday, April 13. I slept until 6AM. No meeting for me but it’s Saturday and I don’t go on Saturdays anyway. We’re going kayaking this morning at 8AM. There is NO wind this morning – it was BAD last night. I put my rugs away. I don’t think I’ll put them out. I’m going to ask Diane to do my water heater and offer her $100 cash. I hope she’ll do it for me. It would be cheaper for me to do that and then it would be to be done at State Trailer. Fingers crossed!
These are my temps this morning – I did not use the heater today. I like the cold.
That is Evonne’s remada and her GEOPRO. She’ll give me and my kayak a ride to the boat launch this morning if she’s going.
My excuse to see Diane this morning is to borrow her brush to clean the bugs off of my rig. I’ll ask her then if she would be willing to do my water heater flush.
Diana sent me this picture this morning – it’s sweet:
Diane came over after kayaking and cleaned/flushed out my Hot Water Heater. It was pretty clean and it doesn’t have an anode in it. The plastic bolt was a little loose. But here is a picture of her work!
I’ve got to wait to upload it. Instead, I’ll put my kayaking selfie here:
Cindy brought her dog Squiggy!
Today is Sunday, April 14, 2024. I’m going to head home today probably around 11 ish. I MIGHT dump before I leave depending on the dump station. If no one is there, I’ll probably do it, but I can always go to State Trailer to do that. It’s good to know that is an option for me.
The other day we went for a ride up Mt. Graham. We checked out the campgrounds up there. Nice, but rustic and mostly for tents or B Class rigs. I won’t be taking DAISEE2 up there.
Today is Monday, April 15, 2024 – TAX day in America. My taxes are done and I’m waiting for my refund. We’re thinking about putting a slab down for DAISEE2 by the house and I might use that money to do that. It just depends on how much. I got a quote from a guy for $8K which I think is too much. Perhaps if we shorten the slab a bit and have rocks leading up to it from the sidewalk it will be less money. We have another guy coming out this week to give us another quote. We did that with the blinds and saved a ton of money with the second bid. So fingers crossed that it will work with the concrete too.
Tuesday, April 17, 2024. Today is Lloyd’s birthday. He is Jack’s friend here in Mesa and Jack finally has a “playmate”. So he is taking Lloyd out to lunch – if he is available. Anyway, Lloyd sent his guy here to give us a quote on the concrete and it worked – $3000 less than the last guy so we’re going with it. Hope to do it the last week of this month when I return from Patagonia. We’ll park DAISEE2 in the back yard, through the gate so the concrete can cure for 20 days. I hope I can drive over it sooner, because I want to go to Sharp Creek in about 15 days – but if I need to cancel that, I can get a reservation at Usery Mountain State Park instead. I could go camping with Pat if that happens. I may be too hot by then though. I expect the temperature to be creeping into the 90’s by then and that is too hot to go camping at that temp.
Bill and Cathy took our Berkey:
We did not have any room in our house for it and they can use it in Yellowstone during the summers! They have made it to their 18th Season this year!
Suzee
Apr 11. 2024
Looks great! Have fun!