Quartzsite Cruiser

We visited Phuket on March 7, 2000, on P&O Oriana's world cruise. We hired a driver to show us the island, and had a very good day. The beach when we tendered ashore early that morning. Our first shopping opportunity Our driver took us to the Monkey School where we saw a demonstration of what the monkeys learn. Mainly, they teach them to climb the very tall palm trees and to throw the coconuts down. They also teach them some tricks, and even got one person from the audience to help, and I was the lucky one. The trainer tied my hands and had the monkey untie me. The driver asked if we wanted to ride an elephant, but we declined, and headed into the town of Phuket, including a stop at a very fancy jewelry store. After our tour, we returned to the beach and had a couple of cold beers on the patio of a nice hotel. This was the beach and hotel that were destroyed by the December 26, 2004, tsunami. Phuket as we sailed later that afternoon. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny central Texas where it is 63F. Unfortunately, the clouds will return this morning, and we'll reach a high of 78F. This morning, I'll make a quick run to the store since they are having a three day sale, and it's supposed to start raining tonight and most of tomorrow. I will also need to mow the yard this afternoon, even though it is sooner than I normally would. Between the rain tomorrow and appointments Monday and Tuesday, I couldn't get to it until Wednesday. By then, the grass would be really tall. I can appreciate foam rolling day and the results a root canal can provide, but not the process. We should all be aware of the diseases included in today's awareness day. A funny quote by a funny man. I would love a Cobb salad if someone made it for me. We'll pass on the drink, but would try the wine. We have been to Phuket once and enjoyed our day there. Pictures will follow shortly. @grapau27 Graham, thanks for the information on foam rolling. @MISTER 67 Safe travels to Port Everglades, George. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad you have a ride to the ship. @puppycanducruise Melanie, I'm glad you saw a hint of the northern lights through the clouds. @1ANGELCAT I'm very sorry that Houdini will be crossing the Rainbow Bridge today. He lived a long life with his loving humans. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm happy your DB and DSIL came down to help you, and that you got some much needed rest. @dfish Debbie, I'm glad you had a good display of the Northern Lights. They are amazing, and we saw them about 28 years ago in Alaska. @marshhawk Annie, I hope you are doing better today with less pain. @kazu Jacqui, I hope you are feeling better and your foot is healing. Lenda

@Niagarawine I hope your cruise is everything you want it to be, Kathi and Ray. Lenda

@MISTER 67 George, I hope you and your DW have a fabulous cruise. Lenda

@StLouisCruisers Sandi and Dennis, I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise. Lenda

Thanks for the great picture. We're too far south plus too many clouds to be able to see them. Lenda

It looks like we won't be seeing any northern lights if the make it down this far. In fact, we are supposed to have rain beginning in just a little while. It has gotten windy and cooler along with the all the clouds moving in. I still managed to get some quiet time outside with my book. Annie, I'm glad you survived the oral surgeon visit. I hope the pain goes away soon, and even if you don't want to take the heavy duty pills, OTC pain pills could help lessen the pain. Welcome to the Fleet Report/Daily. Tina, I'm sure DH has all the safety and other features on with Uber. It's just that DH usually handles the Uber account, and the Hawaii visit was the first time he had me also looking for the car. We have used them in the US and overseas with good results. Lenda

Good afternoon from an increasingly cloudy central Texas. The shrubs are trimmed and are now looking rather forlorn without a lot of green leaves. The were in dire need of trimming as they were almost hitting the house and enveloping the iris. And, I know from past experience that they will grow back too quickly. I'll have to trim them in the fall and probably once before then. Vanessa, I'm sorry you are having tummy issues. My hunch is that the stress of this week is behind the issue. I hope you are feeling better tomorrow. I'm glad that Houdini is eating and drinking the hydration liquid. I hope TT doesn't pull a disappearing act again next week. Roy, thank you for the update on Veendam, and she will always be Veendam to us. I hope she will sail again. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad you arrived safely. BTW, you could still use Uber or Lyft. DH uses Uber when we are on a cruise. All Dennis needs to do is go on line, set up an account and download the app. You set up a payment method, and then pay through that using the app, and you can also add a tip on the app. As far as going to the port, if you have a lot of luggage, you can even specify you need a larger car. Once you request a car, you will get a text telling you who is coming and what type of car he is driving. In Hawaii, we even got the license plate number. We also found Uber to be less expensive than a taxi. I think we are too far south to be able to see the northern lights tonight. We are about the same latitude as the northern part of southern Alabama. Also, the clouds are moving in which doesn't help. This afternoon, DH using his least expensive telescope got some good pictures of the sun spots that are behind this event. They are the largest sun spots in more than 100 years. In the first picture, they sun spots are the dark area about 4 o'clock on the sun. The second picture is a closer look at the sun spots. Lenda

Good morning, barely. It is now 76F, sunny and windy. After down sizing a few files, it's about time to tackle the bushes. It is also sunny, so DH has a telescope out to check the sun activity today. I have enjoyed seeing all the pictures from Sydney. @Vict0riann Ann, this is a monument to all the merchant marines who lost their lives in time of war. Lenda

On September 4, 2019, Veendam stopped in Sydney on her TA after spending the summer in Europe. That day, we did not rent a car, but walked into town. On all our previous visits we had never really looked around Sydney. It was a cool, pleasant day for wandering around. Part of the waterfront near the dock. This interesting building is the former Bank of Montreal building, and in 2019, it was a museum. The main street in town A couple of interesting murals On the way back to the pier, we passed St. George Anglican Church that was open to the public. The church was established in 1785 as the Imperial Garrison Chapel. The picture of the exterior is courtesy of @Crazy For Cats who took the picture on his recent New England/Canada cruise. While many of the large cathedrals are stunning, I like the smaller, more intimate churches. This one is no longer used on a regular basis. Neighborhood near the church The waterfront An aluminum sailboat Sydney from the ship Lenda

We have been to Sydney, NS, five times and all were on Veendam. In 2013, we did the roundtrip from Boston twice, so we were in Sydney four times in four weeks. These are my pictures from those visits. Each time, we rented a car and toured the outlying areas. The Alexander Graham Bell Historic Site After we left the AGB site, we drove part of the Cabot Trail, but did not have time to go very far. On the way back to turn in the rental car we stopped at this museum, which was interesting. It is about the Jewish settlers in the area. The next time, we drove in a different direction to check out the area where the coal mines had been active. We visited the Sydney Mines Heritage Museum, and also toured on inactive mine, and learned that most of the tunnels were under the ocean. They gave us ponchos and hard hats to wear since water dripped in the mine, and many places had very low ceilings, and one was just four feet high. The next two visits we also drove around the area. One stop was the Fortress of Louisburg National Historic Site. A small boat harbor. Lenda

Good early morning from central Texas where it is a lovely 63F with a 6mph breeze. The humidity is 83% with a dew point of 58F. It is cloudy right now, but the sun will make an appearance a bit later this morning, and our high will be 80F. It might be a good day to trim the shrubs by the house. With all the rain. they have really grown. I hope the countries that celebrate Dia de la Madre have a nice day. I have eaten my share of chocolate Hostess cupcakes, but I always preferred the chocolate Zingers. No one in the family has had a hamster. I'll just say it's and interesting quote by Louis XIV. There will be no ground turkey here. I used it once in a recipe about 30 years ago, it was not well received by the family. We'll also pass on the drink and the wine. The 1960 underwater circumnavigation of the globe by the USS Triton was an amazing feat. We have visited Sydney five times on BHBs. Sydney has been our port of the day twice before, on March 24, 2021 and August 11, 2022. The links to those Dailies are below for anyone who would like to repost their pictures. Thanks to Sandi's @StLouisCruisers information yesterday, the links were easy to find. Unfortunately, her pictures have disappeared from CC, so I am not able to repost them. I hope she and Dennis have an easy, safe drive today, and are not affected by the wildfires Ann @cat shepard mentioned yesterday. @marshhawk Annie, I hope the appointment with the oral surgeon goes well and is not too difficult. If they don't tell you, tomorrow if your mouth is sore, especially at the injection sites, rinsing your mouth with warm salt water will help. @Denise T Denise, please wish your sister Karen A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY for us. @JazzyV Vanessa, I hope you got some rest last night, and I hope BFF is doing as well as can be expected, and that his surgery is scheduled soon. @puppycanducruise Melanie, don't feel bad about forgetting to sign the card. When our younger DD was born, I sent a birth announcement to DH's colleagues in the Delaware office, and forgot to put any information in the card. @0106 Tina, thanks for the information about Dia de la Madre. I suspected it was connected with Spanish speaking countries. @dfish Debbie, I hope you can finish the pressure washing today. @RMLincoln Thanks for your pictures from Sydney. Lenda

Well, so much for the big thunderstorm we were supposed m to have earlier tonight. About 6pm,it gor dark amd windy and a light rain startrd, but didn't last long. All total, we received 0.03 inches of rain. It looks like we could get a little rain off and on through Monday, but I doubt it will amount to much. Jane, I hope the medicine and diet continue to keep you feeling well. It sounds like you are comfortable with the doctor's findings. I'm sorry you son's company forced him to resign due to health reasons. While it will be an adjustment for both of you, it will be beneficial for both of you to have someone there if needed. Vanessa, I'm sorry your BFF is facing surgery. Lenda

Terri, I'm sorry your not feeling well, and I hope you feel better tomorrow. Lenda

Good afternoon. The last time I checked, the predicted rain is not supposed to start until 6pm with a strong thunderstorm. I know I've said this before, but our rain predictions are a moving target, and many times no rain. After living here for 25 years, all but two outdoor lights need replacing or need new bulbs. The other two lights were replaced about ten years ago. I have been looking on line at light fixtures, to get an idea of what's available. Since most of the fixtures are in the rv/carport which has very high ceilings, we are looking at replacing the fixtures with ones that use LED bulbs. Joy, I'm happy the magnolia will be all right. Brenda, thanks for the pictures of Bletchley Park and the Enigma machine. I would like to see them sometime. Sandi, safe travels to Atlanta today and safe travels tomorrow. Thanks for the help with the links tomorrow. I messed around last week finding links for the days you were in Florida, so I think I have figured out what will work best for me. I'll be happy to post any pictures of yours I find if you haven't beaten me to it. Don't worry about the links, just have fun and enjoy your cruise. Elizabeth, I'm sorry you are still having to jump through hoops to get your leave approved. I hope the plan to prescribe a lower dosage of the medicine works. Lenda

We were in Flam in 2005 on the Marco Polo. We took the train up to Myrdal where we had time to walk around and have lunch before boarding a bus to Gudvangen where the ship met us. All my pictures of Flam were taken from the ship. I'd like to go back some day and explore the town. The train Here are some pictures of our walk around Myrdal, a pretty mountain town. Lenda

Good morning from a very humid central Texas. We keep the house cool at night for better sleeping, and when I opened the blinds this morning, there was heavy condensation on the outside of the windows. Now, that it is brighter, I can see across the street, but it is still through a curtain of wet. According to the Weather Channel app it is foggy and 76F. Naturally, the humidity is 100% with a dew point of 76F, so my quick trip to the store will be delayed a bit. The good news is our high is supposed to on[y reach 81F, but we are in for some thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. We are also getting a severe weather risk statement, but since that comes from Fort Worth, it covers most of the DFW metroplex, and we're on the southern edge of that area. I will move the outside furniture in the port to an area where it won't blow into the cars. After three busy days, today will be easy with catching up on computer work. There are three good days to celebrate. The beginning of the foundation for the European Union, Home Front Heroes, and Moscato are all worthy days. I like the Euripides quote, and I take it to mean that while there are other important people in our lives, we can only live our life and cannot live other peoples' lives. The quiche sounds good, but I might change the cheese and add bacon. Someone else can have my Cosmopolitan, but the wine, all three, sound very good. We visited Flam in 2005 on Marco Polo and had an interesting tour. The breaking of the Enigma codes at Bletchley Park in 1941 was the breakthrough Britain and the allies needed to win WWII. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope the weather clears before you have to leave to pick up your rental car. I'm glad you have a backup refrigerator. @grapau27 Graham, thank you for the information about Europe Day. @marshhawk Annie, I hope all goes well tomorrow. I guess everyone reacts differently to laughing gas, but when I had it for a root canal, I was able to drive home afterwards. But I was much younger then. @Nickelpenny Penni, I'm sorry your had such a stressful week and a half, but glad you now have a plan for the surgery. Remember if there is a 50% chance the surgery won't help with the numbness and pain, there is a 50% chance it will help. @cunnorl Charlene, that is nice you met someone who can give you information about the world cruise. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you have younger ones to help with the lifting, and are pooling your resources to get more outside help. I think we are all learning we can't do everything we used to be able to do easily. It's not an easy lesson for any of us. HUGS! Lenda

Maureen, we are under a tornado watch, but I think it covers a large area of north east Texas. I just checked the future cast on the weather app, and everything that is showing up for the next several hours is either south or east of us. I'm glad the procedure went well. I love the answer. Yes, Roy, Westerdam and Zuiderdam are both Vista class ships. Lenda

We're back from our Mexican lunch, and it was as good as ever. We've never had a bad meal at that restaurant. It is still hot and humid. I just checked the weather app, and it says its 90F and feels like 102F. The humidity is 66% with a dew point of 76F. We moved north 25 years ago to escape the oppressive humidity along the Gulf Coast. Sadly in the past ten years it has followed us, but this is about as bad as it gets. I'm just glad we had the a/c tune-up done last week, and it's keeping the house comfortable. Annie, I hope DH's procedure next Tuesday goes smoothly this time. I would also check that the laser is working. Ray, thanks for the reminder about the grandparent scam. We've been hearing about it for many years. It wouldn't work with us since we don't have any grandchildren, but it might be fun to "play" with the scammers some. Asking the dog's name was a good idea. That would be about impossible for a scammer to know. Lenda

Good afternoon from a partly sunny central Texas. It is 86F and very humid, but now there is not a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon according to the revised forecast. I hope if it does rain tomorrow as predicted this morning, the humidity will be lower afterwards. It's not pleasant out at all even with the wind. The house is clean, for now, and the car is at the station to get the new tires installed. We've decided to get Mexican food this afternoon before the lunch specials are over, and we'll pick up the car on the way home. Susan, I'm glad you are able to help your neighbor's daughter. I know you will be relieved to shed the responsibility of the two condos. Susan, I'm glad the tornados missed you, and while I'm sorry there were injuries, I'm there were so few. Lorraine, that is nice you are making the food for your friend freezer ready. I remember when my mother died, we received so much food, especially pies. My BFFs mother stopped by a few days later, and headed to the kitchen to pick up her pie plate. Fortunately, I caught her in time and said we hadn't finished the pie yet. That was true, but also true was we hadn't gotten to it yet. I took her pie plate to her a few days later. Oliver is one lucky dog to have such a loving furever home, but how can anyone mistreat animals. I hope Claudio can save the magnolia tree. I received a magnolia tree for my 45th birthday, and by the time we moved, it had matured and was putting out a lot of beautiful blossoms. When we drove by our old house five years later, the new owners had cut down that beautiful tree. I just about broke my heart. Those are my favorite trees too, but with so little top soil over the limestone, we can't grown them here. Paul, thanks for the link. I hope all those injured are recovering, and the crew member gets the help he needs, and also the punishment he deserves. Vanessa, I can believe that about the tingling, since the numbness DH had before his back surgery is still a problem. It is getting better, but very slowly. It just takes nerve longer to recover than the rest of the body. Karen, I hope your DGD enjoys her first birthday, and that special day and the good memories of you DD DH continue to help you do well today. HUGS! Terry, I'm so very sorry that today is not a good day, and I hope things improve. I also hope you get some rest, too. HUGS to all. Brenda, congratulations to your DH on his award and graduating. Brenda, thanks for the pictures of the beautiful flowers. Ray, thanks for sharing that story. The crew of the USS Higbee was very lucky that day. I did google the ship, and was surprised to learn she was the first US war ship named for a female officer, Chief Nurse Lenah S. Higbee, who was Superintendent of Nurses in WWI. Lenda

On October 26, 2018, Coral Princess docked in Chan May, Vietnam. This was the port for tours to either Danang or Hue. Out tour was to Hue, the ancient imperial capital, with stops at the Imperial Palace, a Pagoda, a ride on the Perfume River and a visit to six of seven royal tombs. On the drive from the port to Hue Crossing the Perfume River The Citadel which encloses the grounds of the Imperial City, seat of the Ngugian Dynasty. Hue was the capital of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. The gate we exited the Citadel Nearby was the inevitable display of military materiel left behind. The display also included a MIG. The next stop was the Then Mu Pagoda. Buddhist monks live in this pagoda which was built in 1601. Next we took a dragon boat ride on the Perfume River to reach a resort for lunch, and then returned to our buses by dragon boat. A couple of street scenes. There seven important royal tombs in Hue. One is one the Citadel side of the river and the other six are in an area on the other side of the river. We visited those tombs. I have pictures of three tombs and the area. The tombs are lined up in a row. To reach the tombs, you climb up one, down the other side, and repeat with each tomb. There is also was walkway around the tombs. We climbed two, and then just wandered around the area until it was time to return to the buses. We enjoyed our three days in Vietnam, and I'd go back if given the opportunity. Lenda

An early good morning from central Texas. It is already 75F with a predicted high of 88F and 10 to 15 mph winds. It looks like there is a chance for scattered thunderstorms this afternoon, but rain is predicted for tomorrow. It will be a busy day between me cleaning house, and DH getting new tires for one of the cars. At least, he only has to go as far as the corner gas station since the owner ordered the tires yesterday. It's nice we don't have to go to Waco for the tires. I had never heard of Thalassemia, but it is a disease that needs more study. I think after the wildfires in the panhandle, people should have a plan for their animals in case of a disaster. Cruelty Free Day, hopefully every day, would be wonderful. As a unrepentant chocoholic, I love the Linda Grayson quote. As someone said it, would be nice if the friend also brought red wine, too. I would like the meal, but DH does not like spinach salad. We'll pass on the drink and the wine. We docked in Chan May, Vietnam, on Coral Princess in 2018, and took a tour to Hue. Today in history saw the end of a brutal war in Europe. @grapau27 Graham, thank you for educating us about Thalassemia. @aliaschief Bruce, I hope you and Sue enjoy your safari. @0106 Tina, thanks for the information about sock burning day. I had never heard of it. @JazzyV Vanessa, I hope your BFF is doing all right and managing with his broken ankle. @dfish Debbie, you have a busy day planned. I need to power wash our driveway and port once the rain stops for a while. @marshhawk Annie, I'm glad you and DH avoided the accident. Just because some one has a driver's license doesn't mean they really know how to drive. @kazu Jacqui, I hope your foot is less painful and that you had a good night's sleep. Lenda

Debbie, I totally agree with Terry @smitty34877. I better not say more about the clinic dragging out the time so they can get more money, or I might wind up in CC jail. 😁 Lenda

We are back from out trip to the PO and W-M. Our passports are now in the hands of the PO, and the clerk said we should get the new ones in 4 to 6 weeks. The nurse when I had my check-up said the liquid has been improved and isn't quite as nasty to drink. Also, you don't need to drink as much. She said it was once in the afternoon and once in the morning. She didn't know about the pills, but the nurse practioner several years ago mentioned the pills. Eva, I hope your pretty flowers survive the thunderstorms. Good news about your lab work. Carolyn, thank you for sharing the news about Amber. Even baby steps in improvement are good news. I hope Houdini begins to gain weight. Jacqui, I hope the antibiotics are working. I don't blame you for not wanting to se the podiatrist again. Lenda

I hope the iron shot helps Houdini. Lenda