Quartzsite Cruiser

It's been another long, busy day, so please forgive me for including everyone who wished DH, the surgical team, and me good things for tomorrow in one post. We both appreciate all of your good wishes for a good outcome tomorrow. It means a lot to have such a caring, supportive people pulling for us. This is what makes the Fleet/Daily such a special place. I wish I couod give each of you a big hug. If I've forgotten antone, please forgive me, and know you are included, just not named. Lenda

Thank you, Terri. It's nice to know people are pulling for him. Lenda

Thank you, Terry. The surgery is scheduled for 7 am and is supposed to take 20-30 minutes. They say it will be after the second surgery on 10/24 before there the sciatica pain begins to really lesson. The second one takes about an hour, normally. Our neighbor had his second one this morning, but for some reason it took a little more than four hours. His wife didn't say why it took so long, but he is okay and up walking. Lenda

Good afternoon. Somehow I managed to get the house cleaned in record time. That probably won't happen again! I guess I was motivated to get it over with today. The house always seems so much brighter and fresher when I finish cleaning. Now I would just like to find a way to keep it that way. This afternoon, I'm trying to organize the things we need to take with us tomorrow morning. DH does not need much, I will need a few things, and I don't want to be hunting for them at 4 am. Terri, I'm sorry Tana had a bad night. It is good you and your DD can cover for each other, and I hope the aide showed up. Nice picture of yiou and DH. Gerry, I hope your have a nice visit with your friends and can persuade them to stay a while before driving back home. The mailbox and post look new. I'm inspired to work on our shutters soon. They will look better, but a couple have faded and been "bleached" with water damage so they won't be perfect, but some of that will be hidden by the shrubs. Vanessa, thanks for all the pictures. The orchids are beautiful. Thank you, Graham. Bruce, that is one big lobster! I'm sorry Fawn's friend Bubbles has disappeared. Maybe a new buddy will wander into the yard. Thanks for the webcam link. That's as close as we'll come to a BHB for a few more months. Charlene, I'm glad you had an easy time embarking the Noordam. We noticed the Seaview pool on Koningsdam had a lift too. IIRC, there was a portable one on Prinsendam or Veendam, but it was kept in a storage locker unless needed. The cabin upgrades sound nice too. Wonderful pictures of the Big Island. Sue, great pictures of a great view made even better with the Zuiderdam in the picture. We have friends on that cruise, and it looks like there will be good weather for them. I had a weird phone call a little while ago. It was from a dermatologist who I had supposedly seen several years ago. I did not recognize his name or the name of the practice. I looked number up online and his main office is in a different town, but he travels to various central Texas towns. If it is who I saw, he was a PA when I saw him, and he was not very good. I had to point out anything I questions about and he did not do a full body scan. Fortunately our PCP referred us to a wonderful doctor who we both saw in August, and will see again in April. Having a doctor's office call former patients who were seen when he worked for a different practice just seems weird to me. Lenda

Here are the rest of the pictures from September 30, 2021. I have a few more pictures from Hilo, but I cannot find any pictures of downtown Hilo. I am sure I took some pictures of the town, but about that time iTunes was giving me trouble putting my pictures on my iPad. Since iTunes added pictures that were not in the folders I downloaded, I suspect it may have deleted others. I guess we'll just have to take another cruise to Hawaii. We had tried several times to visit the Imiloa Astronomy Center, but by the time we got there it was closed. In 2018, we finally made it on a day they were having an open house and food fair. Here are just a few pictures from the center. In 2017, after visiting the Volcanoes National Park, we turned off the main highway to town and headed to a road and neighborhood that had been covered in lava during one of the eruptions. This is what we saw from the end of the road, but decided we did not have time to hike out there. From the end of the road, we turned toward the coast and found this local place. We followed the coast toward Hilo until we realized we needed to turn around and retrace our route since the coast road did not go all the way to Hilo. A couple of scenes along the coast. Finally, some pictures from various sailaways. Lenda

A very early good morning from central Texas. I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. At least, I should be able to get the house cleaning finished early today. 🤞 HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY to all our Canadian Dailyites. All days are worth celebrating, especially Indigenous Peoples Day. I am finally beginning to get comfortable with the metric system, but DH, DDs and their guys are all comfortable using the metric system. I'm not a fan of today's quote, although I enjoyed the Harry Potter books. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. The wine sounds like one I would enjoy. @grapau27 Graham, I hope all goes well with the doctor visit today. @cat shepard Ann, take it easy with the sore arm. Good to know you got your flu shot.. @kazu Jacqui, I was happy to read that the dinner yesterday was a success and that everyone clicked. We've been to Hilo, and this is what I posted on September 30, 2021 We have been to Hilo many times, several in pre-digital days. The most memorable was in 1996 on the old Star Princess (hadn't discovered HAL yet) the captain spent a long time off the coast about midnight so we could watch the lava flowing into the Pacific. My pictures are a combination from different cruises beginning in 2007. Here are three pictures of Rainbow Falls taken different years with different water flows. Only once have we not rented a car in Hilo. In 2007, did a tour to Mauna Kea and the observatories on the mountain top. The was taken from the ship on one visit. There is snow on Mauna Kea and you can see the observatory above the snow. Some of the telescopes. The one that is open is a solar telescope. On another visit we drove north along the coast and stopped at the Waipo Lookout. There is a view of the valley where the residents farm. The road into the valley is very steep and we did not want to attempt it. The coast north of Hilo Thurston Lava Tube with one of the entrances The Volcano Observatory and Jagger Museum which were closed this summer and will probably be permanently closed due to the instability of the caldera rim. Both were damaged by a series of earthquakes just before the caldera collapsed, Before the last big eruption of Kilauea, we were there on February 25. 2017, and lava was erupting in the caldera. This is a little fuzzy as I had to zoom a long way. We also drove to the end of the road where lava had gone into the Pacific over the years. I have a few more pictures, but they will have to be in another post since this one is getting long. Lenda

Good afternoon. It's been a long, busy day, and there is still laundry left. I did get the other things that I planned to do finished, so a successful if tiring day. The rest of the laundry will be easy. Thanks for the idea of using marinara sauce on the Turkish dumplings. I guess it would be fusion food of a sort. @JazzyV This year I bought the same Recolor kit as @StLouisCruisers Sandi used, but I haven't gotten around to treating our shutters after the hot summer. In the past I have gotten the kit with one premoistened wipe and the bottle of liquid. If you leave the liquid a long time in the bottle, it does turn into a hard rock, but this year was the first time I found that to have happened. Maybe, it was because I have neglected the shutters the past two years. Give it a try in either version and you will see good results. BTW, Sandi, the mailbox and post look great. Thank you for your good wishes, Graham. Sandi, thank you too for your good wishes for DH's surgery on Tuesday. From what our neighbor told us, the pre-op and post-op in recovery will take much longer than the actual procedure. I'm glad you are feeling better, and now your have both doses behind your. I was told the second one had a stronger reaction than the first. Sandi, that is the best news I've heard today. Elliott Rose is a perfect name, and she is a beautiful rose. I like the name Elliott, since that was my grandmother's name. Her parents wanted a girl named Elliott, and my DGM's three sisters had the first name Elliott, but all went by their middle names. My DGM was the youngest girl, so she was named Elliott with no middle name. That still didn't work because her brother who was just learning to talk could not pronounce Elliott. Instead, it came out Lettie, which stuck, and then became my mother's first name. My mother went by her middle name or nickname. Finally, my DGM's niece was called Elliott. Lenda

A late good morning from central Texas. It was another cool morning, but will warm up to the mid-80sF later today. It's been a busy morning with laundry and an errand. In addition to the regular laundry and sheets, we decided the blanket and pillows needed washing, so it will be a long day. The last pillow is in the washer, and then the regular laundry will be tackled. Tomorrow, I plan to clean the house. 😝 I want to get the laundry and house cleaning out of the way so when DH comes home Wednesday, I won't have a lot that needs doing. 🦃 HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND TO ALL THE CANADIANS! 🦃 I hope all who are sharing Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family today or tomorrow or had it yesterday, have a great time. Today, I could do without a curious event. Fire prevention is extremely important, especially in drought areas. Leif Erikson deserves more credit and celebration than he gets. Another interesting quote today, but I'm not sure if I totally agree with it. The dumplings sound tasty, but I'm not sure I'd like the three sauces. I would love a Mai Tai or the wine especially on a BHB. We were in St. Kitts in 1999 on Noordam III on our b2b cruises from Valpariso to Ft. Lauderdale. All our pictures are pre-digital. We had booked the scenic railroad tour, but when we got to St. Kitts, the train was not running. We found a rental car on the dock, and toured the island. Since there is one road that circles the island, we didn't worry about getting lost. We also detoured to Turtle Bay on the recommendation of the port guide and some of the crew. It was a nice place to have a beer and French fries. When we got back to ship, we just left the car on the pier with the keys locked inside. @StLouisCruisers Sand, @Overhead Fred Fred, and @ottahand7 thank you for your pictures. @kazu Jacqui, I really like the idea you and your neighbor had to share Thanksgiving dinner and to invite others who are alone. I hope you all have a great and very memorable time. I hope they can get the car fixed this time. @summer slope Dixie, I'm sorry you are having a reaction to the shingles shot. If this is you first dose, you might like the advice I got from the pharmacist when I got mind. He told me that if I hand any sort of reaction, even a sore arm, to wait until closer to the end 2-6 months between shots to get the next one. It might lessen the reaction to the second one. @Cat in my lap I'm sorry the Rays lost last night. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I've used the recolor on our shutters, and it made them look much better. I just wish I had done it soon. @1ANGELCAT I'm glad the Phillies won. Thanks for the heads up about the Borealis in Quebec City. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad the surprise party was a great one. And I'm glad the other event was not as sad as expected. @lindaler Linda, it sounds like you had a great day with your grandson. Your are teaching him to appreciate history just by showing him the history of Mobile. @durangoscots Yeah, for more rain! @Sharon in AZ Sharon, thanks for the picture of the Dailyites on the NS. It looked like you all were having a great time. Lenda

Sandi, the guard I mentioned earlier reminded me of the Russian female character in Goldfinger. That's why I said she could have been from central casting. I loved the cat meme. It reminded me of the cats we had years ago. In 2002, when we were on the Volendam, we were the first cruise ship to call at Petropavlosk. At that time there was one flight from Anchorage a week. The Shore Ex manager had flown there the week before. It was too rough to tender, but the ship needed to get the manager back on board. Luckily, it calmed down enough by noon that we were able to go ashore. It was a nice town to walk around. We even took a local bus out to their market. The town stationed students, who had studied English, around town as guides for us. We really enjoyed our time there. Roy, I love the naked fries at the Dive-In. Terri, your cottage looks lovely and relaxing. I can see why you both wanted to return there. I went up to the mail box a little while ago to pick up a couple of packages. It was still in the lower 80F, so I was surprised how cool it was. I guess it's because of the north wind which is about 10mph. It takes alittle longer to reach Texas, but fall is coming. I have another story of linemen to the rescue, but it wasn't due to a disaster. I had made my parents a Christmas tree skirt one year. My father set the tree up and had it decorated when he discovered he hadn't put the tree skirt on first. He told my mother he was just going to cut it from the edge to the center hole. Well, my mother wouldn't hear of it, but since she had MS she could help get the skirt on if Daddy lifted the tree out of the holder. Daddy worked in the home office of the electric utility, so he called dispatcher to see if any of the crews were free. A couple linemen came out, lifted the tree out of thr base and put the skirt in place. At that time, it was a company that was like a family that looked after each other, but that was before big companies took over many small companies. Lenda

Terri, thanks for the great picture and the good news you could spend the day at the beach. I hope the good weather holds, and I'm happy the plunge pool is helping your back. Lenda

Good afternoon. UT broke a four year losing streak in a big way, 49-0. The game also broke another record since this was the first time in many, many years that neither team was ranked, with both having 3-2 records. HOOKEM HORNS! 🤘 The olny other task today is filling out the applications for ballots for mail-in voting. I realized that with the two surgeries and early voting beginning the day of DH's second surgery, it would not be wise for him to vote in person. At least I can fill them in on line and then mail, email or fax them to the election administrators office. Once that's done, since it is a nice day in the mid 80sF, I'll be taking my book outside and relaxing. What a great picture! Thanks. I hope your golden recovers and it's noting serious. Seeing a fur baby feeling bad is as bad as seeing your child not feel good, but then they are our four legged children. I'll always told DH that our dachshunds were like two year olds who never grew up, but did not go through the terrible twos. 🤣 Dixie, even though I am not in Florida, I appreciate your nephew and his buddy going to help those in Florida. I'm sorry they discovered the two bodies, but I hope it gives them some comfort that the families can now say goodbye to their loved ones. That must have been very hard for them. Gerry, we try to avoid the big box stores when they are busy. That Russian submarine's hatches were a tight squeeze, but we were 22 years younger at that time. I'm not sure I could crawl through that hatch now. Lenda

It was good to see you starting your Live From thread for the Grand Africa cruise. I enjoyed your world cruise and South America live from threads, and I'm looking forward to reading and following along with this one. I know you'll have a great cruise. 🎈 🚢 BON VOYAGE! 🥂 🍾

This is what I posted on August 9, 2021 about our visit to Vladivostok. The pictures I scanned did not turn out the best, but do give an idea of the city. All our pictures of Vladivostok are either pre-digital or videos. I scanned a few into the computer, while DH checked his videos and added a few screen shots. We both remember video DH took inside the Trans-Siberian train, but so far they are elusive. After walking through a car or two, which the cleaning lady let him look at, he wanted to take the train to Moscow. Our younger DD had just graduated from UT and had taken Russian. She told her professor, who likes Russia, and his response was that even he would not take the train across Russia. When we were in Vladivostok in 2000, the city had just been opened to the general population for 8 years. Before that, as the headquarters for the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet, it was a closed city Even the Trans-Siberian train stopped 10 miles outside the city. In 2000, there was not a modern mall, but a series of department stores. The big bridge is new too. In one store, there was a female security guard that could have come from central casting, complete with the wool uniform, wool hose, heavy tie shoes and a very stern scowl. I decided to err on the side of caution and not take her picture. We also went into the bank to change a ruble or two into coins, which was a procedure in itself. While I was waiting for DH to complete the transaction, I noticed a older lady looking at her receipt and trying to figure it out, then looking for someone to help her. Well, she chose me, and was very surprised when I said in English, I didn't speak Russian. Some of these pictures are from our morning tour and others are from our walk around town. In the morning, we stopped at an overlook outside the city. Another view of the WWII submarine, which we got to walk through. It is even tighter than the US subs we've toured. Two statues that were not Lenin. Street scenes from our tour and our walk. Where many locals shopped, and some of the younger ones were very fashionable. Russian Navy One of their trams A local train The Trans-Siberian The Navy band serenaded us as we reboarded the ship and as we sailed. Every time we left the ship, we had to have our passport, then return it when we reboarded. The passports were also checked by Russians as we came and went. At that time we did not need a visa to visit the east coast of Russia. One of the Russians was a very beautiful, young lady who DH did has best to get to smile, but she never did. Lenda

Good morning from mostly sunny and breezy central Texas. We have rain in the forecast for Wednesday afternoon, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞 it will actually happen. Fortunately for us, we will be home from the hospital before the rain is scheduled to begin. American touch tag will not be celebrated here. Even when I was younger, I was always tagged. DH had a Honda scooter and a Gold Wing many years ago, and our DSIL has a Harley. Music day is a definite day to celebrate. DH and his brothers, plus our DDs were all in the band in high school, and DH's sister-in-law taught piano. My role in all this was to be the audience. 😀 I like the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote. The meal sounds good, and I had Caprese salad last night. For me, I'd have to add the tomatoes after everything else was cooked since I do not like cooked tomatoes. We'll pass on the drink and the pricey wine. We were in Vladivostok in 2000 on the old Regal Princess. We took a tour in the morning and walked around town in the afternoon. A lot of young people wanted to talk to us to practice their English. As it was not raining, we enjoyed the day. The Trans-Siberia train was in the station, and DH talked his way on board to look around. I'll repost my pictures in a few minutes. @Cruising-along, @dfish , @NextOne, @richwmn. @Live4cruises, and @Sharon in AZ 🛳️ 🎈 BON VOYAGE TO ALL! 🥂🍾 @Sharon in AZ Sharon, a great picture of you and @dfish Debbie, and what a wonderful way to start off a cruise experience. @kazu Jacqui, you and your helper certainly got a lot done yesterday. 👍 👏 🍷 The meme about the superpower fits DH to a T;, therefore, we have boxes and boxes and drawers full of spare parts, wires and cables, etc. @rafinmd Roy, we all appreciate your work on the lists, and please do not be too hard on yourself about them. I know I would have trouble keeping everything straight and getting in the lists correctly. Thank you for taking on that part of the Fleet/Daily. @GTVCRUISER 🛳️ BON VOYAGE! 🍾 and enjoy Mexico. @ger_77 Gerry, I know your friend will enjoy his birthday celebration, and it will be a good time had by all. I'm sorry the second gathering will be to mourn the loss of and honor your friends' father. @Cat in my lap It's good to see more Dailyites getting their flu shots and boosters. I saw yesterday that only 1 in 4 are getting their boosters, which means we need the protection even more than ever. Hope the Rays win today and tomorrow. @Overhead Fred Beautiful sunset! @durangoscots Susan, until sometime in the 1990s, the Trans Siberian train stopped ten miles out of town. Until then, Vladivostok was a closed city because of the naval facilities there. @HAL Sailer Melisa, I really appreciated your story about the Texas linemen. My father worked for the electric utility company in my hometown, and DH worked for a sister company in Corpus Christi for several years when he got out of college. Last night when I mentioned the linemen working in all kinds of weather, I had this picture that was posted on FB in mind. It was taken during that horrific cold and snow storm that hit Texas in February 2021. A true hero! The picture was posted on February 16, 2021, and the following is what the OP wrote under the picture. It adds a human touch to all who are working in the recovery areas. Before you complain, look at this a few minutes. It’s 12 degrees, wind is blowing 20-30 mph and he’s 25’ in the air standing on two metal spikes driven into the side of the wooden pole. One wrong move and he’s electrocuted. He’s been out since 1:00am this morning. Walked 1/2 mile to get to this pole carrying 60 pounds of gear and supplies. He’s had a cup of coffee since leaving his family which is at home without power. Remember all this when you head to the next council meeting to voice your displeasure. Perhaps a warm handshake and a thank you is more in order. Lenda

About the original house you wanted --Karma! Lenda

🚢 BON VOYAGE! 🍾 Sorry about the rocky start to your trip, and I'm glad you found a temporary fix to your computer problem. Smooth sailing and have a wonderful time on the NS and with all the Dailyites. Lenda

Good evening. This time around with both the flu vaccine and the third booster with the new vaccine, I expected to feel lousy today. I was pleasantly surprised that a slightly stuff nose for a couple of hours was the worst of it. By 4 pm I was feeling normal, with very little residual soreness in either arm. Charlene, glad you arrived safely in San Diego and all tested negative. Have a wonderful cruise, but how can you not have one since you'll be on a BHB going to great ports. Debbie, good to know you also arrived safely. I hope your dinner with @Sharon in AZ Sharon and Craig was good. By now you should be in Quebec City, and getting some much needed rest after a very long day. I'm sorry you have not been feeling well, but glad you got a diagnosis and the medicine is making you feel better. Melisa, you are so right. Linemen are the unsung heros of the electric utility companies. They go out in all kinds of weather and conditions to restore power. There will be linemen from electric companies and co-ops from all over the country repairing damage caused by Fiona and Ian. When a storm is approaching, crews gather supplies and equipment to be ready to get to work as soon as the storm passes and it's safe to begin work. I hope you and everyone without power have your power restored soon. After Ian, that will be a monumental undertaking. Not finding the I-5 border crossing super busy and crowded is nothing short of a miracle. When we've crossed the border in that area in out motorhome, we've always used the truck crossing which usually not as busy. Enjoy your cruise. Lenda

Good afternoon. It's been a fairly dreary day with a lot of clouds and some sun breaks, but no rain. We need rain, but the chances next week are between 24% and 33%;, so I'm not holding my breath. It's been a busy day as I'm trying to get a lot of computer work and errands done before next week. DH got the final clearance for his surgery next Tuesday morning. The last we heard from the hospital is we have to be there at 5:30 am, so we'll be leaving about 0 dark 30 that morning.😒 Carolyn, I hope you have a save trip, and arrive safely in Quebec City. Jack, I'm sorry the news about your brother is not good even if it's not unexpected. I hope he remains comfortable for his remaining time. That is good news that your DD and her DH are doing the walk through on their new house next week, and you will be getting some quality grandpa time. Susan, that is not good news about the runner. I wish the best for him and his family. Roy, thanks for finding a picture of Diamond Tooth Gertie's. That really is some place. I enjoyed your pictures of the Fire Museum. We will have to check it out the next time we're there. It is a small world when you run into people you know when far away from home. Yeah, Terri. You made it to the beach. I hope the good weather continues. Ann, that is good news that Pat has tested negative, and I hope he has a repeat tomorrow. I'm sorry your cousin's ALS is progressing so quickly. I hope she remains comfortable. I'm sorry you will miss the family Thanksgiving, but that is a wise decision. There were eight couples in our little community who did a cruise recently, and then had a big party when they returned. We know of at least three people who now have covid, so we are keeping to ourselves mainly until after the last surgery on October 24. Jim, I'm sorry that you are still without power, but with all the devastation from Ian, I'm not surprised it's taking a while. It takes time to build the grid back, but I hope it doesn't take too much longer. Vanessa, I hope you like your new recliner. I enjoy the one I have in Quartzsite, and maybe I'll get one here someday. So far the symptoms from the shots are still mild. I had a stuffy nose for about a hour or so, but that could be something blowing in. Otherwise, it's just the normal sore arms, a small price to pay for protection. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas. Right now it is 65F and will warm up to 90F. So far, I only have two sore arms from my third booster and the flu shot. I say so far because the last two vaccines gave me a nasty reaction the next day for a few hours. 🤞 Hoping this time it doesn't happen. Bald and Free Day is one we can celebrate. DH has a ring of hair around his scalp, but he trims it very close, and I like the look. I walked to school a few times in elementary school. The DDs always rode the bus. I try to smile as much as possible. Another interesting quote. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. The wine sounds nice though. We have been to Dawson four times when we drove to Alaska. The only digital pictures of Dawson are from our 2011 trip. BTW, sometimes you might see Dawson called Dawson City, especially by people driving the Alaska Highway, to distinguish it from Dawson Creek, BC, the start of the Alaskan Highway. Dawson is reached by turning off the AH outside of Whitehorse and taking Hwy 2, the Klondike Highway. Dawson gained fame in 1898 during the Gold Rush since it was the place where gold was discovered. Many of the buildings from that era are still in use. You can visit an old gold dredge out of town. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm glad the weather is improving. @kazu Jacqui, I'm glad you are getting some help today. @0106 Thank you for pinch hitting for @dfish Debbie. @richwmn Rich, thanks for posting the Fleet/Daily, and I'm glad you got more sleep. Enjoy your visit with your friends and the train ride. When we were in Dawson in 2001, an episode of the Murdock Mysteries was being filmed. Most of my pictures have some of the actors and crew at work in them. The paddlewheel boat Keno tied up on the Yukon River. Some of the buildings in town. That year I did not get a picture of Diamond Tooth Gerties, the only casino in the Yukon. We have been there a few times, and once found a $50 bill in the parking lot. That bought our anniversary dinner. This street is across from the river. We took the ferry across the river to begin our drive to Alaska on the Top of the World Highway. Dawson from the ferry. Our motorhome on the ferry Lenda

Debbie, I hope you have a good, on time flight. Enjoy the Dailyite get together tomorrow night, and have a great cruise. 🚢 🎈 BON VOYAGE! 🥂 🍾 Lenda

Good afternoon. We're back from our quick trip to Waco. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, not all things that happen on January 10 are bad. Our younger DD was born on that date. @marshhawk Annie, DH keeps dental cement in his shaving kit in case a ctown comes off when we're traveling. I hope your fire danger lessens. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm sorry you had tummy problems on your birthday. Ouch on the car repairs. @Sharon in AZ Sharon, I'm sorry you couldn't do the walking tour. Hope the rest of your time in Quebec City is good. @SusieKIslandGirl Thanks for pointing out the coincidence with the floor number, date and year. I missed it. @USN59-79 Ray, that was a great cruise. We did the ship tour to the DMZ, and somehow our guide didn't get us on the little train at Tunnel 3. That was a long steep walk down, and it seemed even longer and steeper coming back up. At least, they had benches along the way to sit and rest. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm very sorry the weaather and internet are making your anniversary trip less than it should be. I hope the weeather forecast changes for you. @rafinmd Roy, thanks for the pictures of the Maglev. We'd planned on riding it in 2018, but we ran out of time. It was very slow getting off the ship and through Chinese immigration. We definitely wanted to get our ballots in the mail, so no Maglev. Lenda

I'm back from getting my booster and the senior flu shot, and like @grapau27 Graham, so far so good. No telling what tomorrow will bring. I have some more pictures from our 2018 visit to Shanghai to share. After a long wait to get off the Coral Princess and a long wait to go through the Chinese formalities in the terminal, we finally boarded the shuttle bus to downtown Shanghai. These are some pictures of the area long the riverfront where the shuttle dropped us off. For the garden club We then crossed the river via the tunnel and went to the top of the Shanghai Tower, which at that time was the second tallest building in the world. with 127 or 128 stories, depending on the source. We went up to the observation deck. The display in the elevator showing the floor you are passing Views looking down from the tower. In the first picture, we were looking down on the tower the ship tour visited. Back across the river, we headed to the metro to go the the Citizen Services office of the US Consulate to drop off our mail in ballots. The metro. Ten stops later, we found our selves in an area that was for the locals, and we did not see any non Chinese. This is the Shanghai Library. The street we walked to the Consulate. It turns out, the Citizen Services section was in an office tower in a mall that was two stops in the opposite direction from where we boarded the metro but we didn't know that then. Taxis would not stop for two Americans, but we found a nice gentleman who got a taxi for us, and gave the driver the address written in Chinese that we were given at the Consulate. The gentleman insisted on riding with us, and it was a wild ride. The driver took shortcuts down alleys, and we both were thinking that we were being Shanghaied in Shanghai. We did reach our destination, and the nice gentleman would not let us pay for the ride. He continued his journey in the taxi. We've found many times in our travels that the people are nice and helpful even if the governments aren't. Anyway, after being put through the x-ray machine, our ballots were dropped in the box for mail to go to Washington, DC in the Consular pouch that night. While we went out of our way, I'm now glad we did. We saw a part of Shanghai that few tourists see, and we made a friend. After we left the mall, which was very nice and much like the malls in the us, we walked to the metro station I'd spotted from the taxi. Two stops later, we were back where our journey began. On the walk back to the riverfront, we walked along a street with several stores that had different food vendors. We tried on dish from a vendor, but I think it was at a different booth. We walked along the riverfront and watched the light show on the buildings across the river until it was time to catch the last shuttle back to the ship. I wish the shuttle was a little later since the show was really just getting going. Lenda

We have been fortunate to visit Shanghai twice. We were there on Volendam on October 15, 2002, and on Coral Princess on October 18, 2018. In the intervening 16 years between visits the air had improved. In 2002, the air was very bad, and that will be obvious in the pictures. We were supposed to sail up the Huangpu River and dock in downtown Shanghai. Because of the tides, our arrival would have been delayed until 10-11 am. Captain Peter Harris decided instead to dock in the industrial port and HAL provided free shuttles into the city. It was a good way to see more of the area. We had a band greet us upon arrival. The next photos are from 2002 and 2018 to show the difference in the air quality. The Pearl Tower in 2002, and looking across the river to the Pearl Tower in 2018. The other difference was all the new tall buildings in 2018. In 2002, the Peral Tower was the tallest building in Shanghai. In 2018, the Shanghai Tower, on the right hand side of the picture, was the tallest. The building with the "hole" in it was the one the ship's tours visited. The Shanghai skyline In 2002, we walked to an older part of Shanghai. We also visited the Pearl Tower by taking a "train" under the river. We also took the "train" in 2018. Part of the light show in the tunnel Looking up a t the tower and the lobby in the base It's time to leave for my jabs. I'll post the rest of the pictures later. Lenda

Good morning from sunny and cool central Texas. This morning I'll be getting my third booster, (Pfizer, all they have) and my flu shot. This afternoon, we're heading to Waco for an appointment. And interesting combination of days to celebrate. I'll definitely celebrate my PA, who I saw yesterday. This is an explanation of Come and Take It Day I found on Google at checkiday.com. Come and Take It Day is a day to go out and take something that you've always wanted, or to defiantly say "come and take it" to someone who wants something ... Google offered this explanation of Mad Hatter Day: It's National Mad Hatter Day on October 6 — and it's okay to blow milk out of your nose. Celebrate with a day-long fest of silliness made especially for those who want to wear crazy top hats while walking backwards. Make Lewis Carroll proud. Today's quote is a good one. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine. I think our older DD may have eaten this dish when she spent a week in Hyderabad for work. The people she was visiting took her to different places for lunch each day. We have been to Shanghai twice, and I'll post my pictures on another post. @richwmn Rich, thanks for taking time to post the Fleet/Daily while your traveling. I hope you can get the computer fixed. @cat shepard Ann, I loved the memes, and I almost turned into a ghost a few times folding the fitted sheets. 😄 @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm sending positive thoughts for your great nephew and his wife that everything goes well with the upcoming birth. Thanks for report on Linda, and for your pictures of Shanghai. @lindaler Linda, the camping trip sounds like fun. You could just think of it as a "land cruise". @HAL4NOW Thanks for the fire update, even though it is not what anyone wanted to see. Safe travels today and tomorrow, and enjoy your cruise. I hope by the time you return home, the firs is out. Lenda

Debbie, that sounds like a basically very good report. You could remind your sister that thanks to the inspection, you have five years or so to set up a slush fund to cover the cost of the new roof instead of being hit with the cost all at once. Of course, that fund should be in addition to your cruising fund. We have to keep our priorities in order. 😉 I agree the woodpecker damage probably isn't a big deal. Our old house had a very tall pine tree near the roof line. Squirrels managed to chew through the board more than once. We knew when it happened since we could hear them running around the attic. All we needed to do was replace the board and slap in some paint. It's always good to have an expert in the family who can check out questionable items like the wiring. Sounds like you picked a winner with this house. I know you are going to enjoy living there. Lenda