From Wellton AZ

Nothing too much or should I say, different than everyday since I have come down here, has happened. I think that by Christmas Day we have golfed 22 times….. out of a possible 27 days. This, in no way means I got better at the game but it does mean I walked 18 (short) holes every one of those days so I don’t think I have gained (haven’t lost either).  I’m a only a little browner than when I left. That could be because you don’t get a lot of direct sun when you start golfing before the sun comes up…lol.

Every Saturday is “Fun Day” at the the golf course for the RV park.  Last week our team placed 3rd and won $3 each.  Wow, eh?  Thursdays are ladies day…..also a best ball type thing but if they ever say that it will be “dice game”  quit while you are ahead.  You take the drive from the corresponding team member  or if you roll 5, its the best ball or 6 is the worst.   That would have been my team this last week.  OMG if it wasn’t for bad luck we would have had no luck at all.  Ugly!!!!!
The other thing that happens every single day around here is happy hour……. that usually starts right after golf and continues for not one but several hours.
Yesterday we all had a beautiful Christmas dinner at the clubhouse… I think the number there was 138 . The park provided the turkey, dressing and gravy. A toast to the volunteers….. Everyone else brought potluck. Yum!!!
We have been to Algodones once only. Got a couple of things….. Nothing too exciting. Once to the outdoor market. Again didn’t spend much. I went into the Foothills once on my own to see my friends Noreen and Bryan.  And today we will go in… to get groceries…. for our Christmas dinner……. Guests will include our buddy John (other buddy Bud went to Vegas to be with his daughter and family), Cheryl and hubby Woody from Red Deer and Lou and I. Other friends Kim and Mel from 100 Mile House left yesterday morn. We will miss them and are missing Bud. So much fun we have all had.

Other friends I have met and hope to meet again are Iris and Don, Al and Sharon, Barry and Minnie (they are boon-dockers over the highway past Coyote Wash).

On Boxing Day we will leave here for Mesa for an overnight stay at a friend of Lou’s.  I catch the plane home at some ungodly hour of the morning (6:45) and so will be home by 1:13pm.  And then …..a retirement party to attend to and prep for the next trip….with my family.

What a winter!  Love my life!

Golfing everyday…. Usually around 7 am. Saturday there was the RV park’s “fun” day…… not at 7 tho’. The team I played on placed 3rd. We each won $3.  After golf yesterday Lou and I went into the outdoor market in Yuma. I got a long loose dress which I later wore to a birthday party….. for Don, hubby of Iris. What a character she is!!!  Nothing is held back.
Today it was golf again at 7 ….. With our 2 favourite guys, Bud and John.  Later we all went to the VFW for hamburgers ……added along Minnie and Barry from High River….. Great couple. Met them last year too.

Here it’s now Saturday, Nov. 30. I have not written for a few days. It’s partly because we have no internet. And that won’t be happening before Wednesday.  The other reason is that not too much is happening other than cleaning up (oh my God… The dust on everything) and organizing this unit. It is good to be here though.

It was 31 C yesterday and not  at all uncomfortably hot….. Except I did get a little burnt on the golf course yesterday. That was fun. I did surprisingly well considering that I have barely played this year. It was a “scrabble” so don’t know what my score would have been. Lou’s team won. There were 10 questions relating to American Thanksgiving. Every correct one took a stroke off the score.

The worst part of this trip has been a cold in my head and an awful cough in my chest that I acquired from the guy that sat next to me on the plane. It is just so exhausting. I sure hope that it doesn’t last much longer.

Another thing…..try adding a couple of channels to my TV at home so that my house sitters can watch the game.  I have no phone and no internet til Wednesday so am using a friend’s in the park to talk to Telus on line.  Interesting!  I am so hoping that “George” can fix it.  Somehow  the housesitters have also lost internet so I cannot communicate with them.

Tomorrow’s another day.  All will be good.  We are golfing at 7:09am.

I hope everyone is well.

Left Cedar City about 7:30 after having breaky, got gas and headed out towards Vegas. Not a cloud in the sky…. But -3C. Got capris on with sunglasses ready to put on. Woohoo!!!  The closer we get to Vegas the lower the temp. But…
3C and rising at turnoff to Hurricane and Zion and the sunglasses are on.
Starting to see red rock in the hills.  Beautiful views through Virgin River Canyon south of St. George.  Stopped into Mesquite for pit stop and picked up a 12 pk of Chelatas for $12.96. About 1/2 the price that it is at home.
17C at Searchlight. Getting warmer all the time. Oh shit it just went up another 2 degrees.
22C at Needles. 24C at Blythe. Arrived at Wellton about 4pm in 26 degree weather. Put some stuff away, cleaned up some of the sand that had infiltrated the park model belonging to Lou. She  turned on the power, water, put the golf cart on a charge and did all those other things that have to be rehooked up. We had a little help from our 2 favourite old guys… Bud and John, then went for burgers and wine at John’s place.  I’m bagged. Going to bed. We cannot post cuz we don’t have Internet until Dec. 3rd unless we go to someone’s place that has it. Sorry.   Ps. Linda the trains have not stopped running.

Left Helena MT at 7:30. They are expecting 8-10 inches later tonight. Little skiffs of snow as we left. But is now 1C and slushy. An hour down the road it is almost whiteout. Not going to make very good time today. Down to 70-90 kms/ hr. Thank goodness to clear roads south of Butte. Oops spoke too soon.
2 hours south of Helena it’s no more snow, except on them thar hills and the sun is almost out and we are back up to 120kms. Yes!!!  I wonder how far we will make it today?  Had to get the sunglasses out at Dillon…..and they came off again. Pretty much the rest of the drive south of Salt Lake though was clear with blue skies….just in time for the sun to go down.  Tomorrow, we can tell,….it will be capris and sandal although it is friggin’ freezing right now.  Stopped for the night at Cedar City at about 6:45.MST.

I flew out of Victoria in slight drizzle this morning …..right on time…. 20 minutes late.
It was really quite a bumpy ride right from the get go ….all the way to Calgary. Haven’t even been able to get up to go to the bathroom or get the regular free snacks and water.
Heading south just after 12 noon.  Border crossed at Coutts AB 4pm. Stopped for night in Helena about 8 pm.

Just so that everyone that tries this blog out reaches it, I guess I need to put something here.

I am so excited.  I fly to Calgary tomorrow morning.  My friend Louise will be picking me up at the airport, then we will drive south….destination Wellton, Arizona.

I pray that the roads are free of snow for the drive down.

Hugs……Gail