Quartzsite Cruiser

Good morning from another cool and dreary morning in Quartzsite. It is 53F, and we can expect a high of 60F. There is a 6mph wind, which makes it seem cooler, and the 90% humidity with a 51F dew point adds to the cool feeling. We got some rain over night and early this morning. The fancy rain gauge reads 0.03 inches while the old fashioned one reads 0.06 inches. The fancy gauge resets about every 0.03 inches, and the old fashioned one reads in 1/100th inches since desert rains are not normally big rains. We are supposed to get more rain this afternoon, and then again tomorrow into the early hours on Tuesday. That will not make the vendors happy especially if the main wash in town has a lot of water flowing, and the road has to be closed. There is laundry today, and the first load is drying while the second load is in the washer. I'm also going to try to wash a few things that we'll be taking on the cruise. It looks like we'll not be celebrating any of the days today. Older DD and DSIL often wear cheesy socks. I gave my sweatpants to a thrift store this year since I hadn't worn them in years. There may still be one pair on the motorhome for camping in colder climates during the summer. Like @smitty34877 Terry, I much prefer my well worn jeans. An interesting quote today, but I'm not sure I really like it. We'll skip the meal since I'm making Good Brown Stew today. Sorry Debbie @dfish, but it will have a lot of carrots. We'll also skip the drink and the wine. We have enjoyed visiting Singapore twice, and I'd love to go back someday. A good day for American literature with the publication of the first American novel in 1789. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thanks for your pictures from Singapore, and they do like their city/state to look nice. They even have laws to keep it that way. I'm glad the delivery person did the right thing and told your neighbors about backing into their mail box. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad you are on the mend, and I hope you are well soon. @grapau27 Graham, thank you for the explanations of two of our days. @Haljo1935 I'm glad it is beginning to warm up there. @aliaschief Bruce, thank you for the pictures and narrative about your cruise. Great pictures of you and Sue. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you had a nice visit with your BFF yesterday. I'm sure it did both of you a lot of good. @dfish Debbie, I'm sure your guests will enjoy your neighborhood party, and appreciate your and Sue's hard work. @kochleffel Paul, I'm glad you are feeling better. Sorry that butternut squash isn't on the recommended cure list. 😁 @tupper10 That is good news that you found someone to repair the chair. Safe travels to FLL and back today. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm sorry your internet company is so iffy. We switched to Starlink when we got to Quartzsite in November. It is working very well, but it is pricier than the service through the phone company which was also pricey. It also allowed us to ditch the landline. I'm sorry you had to cancel your fall cruise, but if things are going well, you might be able to book another fall cruise later. @marshhawk Annie, thank you for the information on NA wines. I have not seen Ariel in any of the stores around here. We'll check it out on-line. @RMLincoln Maureen, it is very nice your DGD and her DH can come and help you, and that you can also get a nice visit in. We are lucky that our DSIL with the help of DD, is willing to tackle some chores that are hard for us. Safe travels tomorrow, and positive thoughts for a successful surgery for your DH Tuesday. Lenda

Wicked. 😁 Lenda

That is good news your DW is feeling better today. Sadly, sometimes the cure can cause problems too. I hope she continues to improve. Wow, Lorraine, that is a lot of black smoke, I know how scary it could be. There was a fire in the incinerator room on our P&O world cruise in 2000 at 12:15 am. Thankfully, it was extinguished quickly, but the crew all had to report to their emergency stations. The passengers well told to just stay where they were, which for most was in bed. I hope everything is all right today. Paul, I hope you start feeling better, and are over whatever it is soon. Lenda

Good afternoon from a cloudy and cool Quartzsite even though it is 70F. With our breeze and overcast skies, it feels cooler. I got the elastic changed in one skirt and tightened in another, so I think the danger of a wardrobe failure while we are on the cruise has been eliminated. But there are no guarantees. 😉 This year, it seems like there are more venders and visitors than there have been for the past several years, even before 2020. Today is the first day that all three of the big shows are open. The Pow Wow, the rock and gem show, is what started people flocking to Quartzsite many years ago. Runs from Wednesday through Sunday, so tomorrow is the last day. If you want to rocks, and more rocks, that is the place to go. The two other biggies are close together and people park between them if the want to see both. One is the biggest swap meet, and I posted pictures of that in 2021. The other is the Big Tent, which is officially know as the Sports, Vacation and RV Show, and it opened today. Normally, on the first day, especially in the morning, you can hardly walk around there are so many people. We were pleasantly surprised to have a handicap parking spot near the entrance. DH walked up to the fence, but decided to wait in the car while I checked it out. If the weather is decent, we will probably go back on afternoon and take his walker. The ground is uneven and rocky, so even in the tent with a carpet over the ground, it is not the best walking surface. We don't want to take a chance of a mishap. I didn't go through the entire tent, but checked out about half of each row plus some of the outside areas. Here are a few pictures to give you the idea of the traffic, the show and the number of people camping in the desert near the shows. This was the traffic as we neared the swap meet and the big tent. People also park in the wash, which if it really rains will flood. With the wash flooding, the road across it will be closed, and that could really mess things up for the shows. We are supposed to get rain tonight and Monday. Pictures from my walk through and around the tent. No matter what the weather is or the temperature, there is always a line for ice cream. Inside the tent There are many places to dry camp in the desert in addition to the many rv parks in town, most of which are full. Many who camp in the desert gather in the BLM fee area closet to the big tent where they can walk to the shows. They have access to trash dumpsters, water and sewer dumps. You will see everything from tents, vans, converted school buses to pull trailers, 5th wheel trailers and motorhomes of all sizes. Lenda

The Prinsendam stopped in Bari on October 13, 2016. It is a small town on the east coast of Italy down near the top of the heel. It is know for the local ladies who sit outside their homes and make pasta each morning. By the time we got our act together and got off the ship, the pasta making was finished for the day. We walked around town and enjoyed our day in port. This memorial honors the victims of an air raid on Bari on December 2, 1943. Some of the streets, houses and piazzas in Bari. The narrowest street in Bari Basilica San Nicola with a crowd of locals and tourists waiting outside for the bridal couple to emerge after their wedding. We never did get to see the inside of the church. Statue of San Nicola, Patron Saint of Bari Piazza Mercantile The water fountain in the piazza Colonna Infama (Infamous Column) where debtors were placed to face humiliation. It was erected in 1546. Cathedral of San Sabino Isabella d'Este, a professional school. Swabian Castle built in 1131 by Ruggero II the Norman. Lenda

Good morning from a very overcast Quartzsite. It is 53F and our high today will be 70F if we're lucky. The rain is predicted to begin about 9 pm and last until about 1pm tomorrow, and we'll be in the low 60s then. The main thing on the agenda today is to put new elastic in the waistbands of two skirts. Evidently, the summer heat (they were stored in the motorhome) and age caused the elastic to lose it's elasticity. One skirt is so bad it nearly fell off when I tried it one. Acceptance is very important to everyone. I'll skip buttercrunch day, but DH probably would like some. I like a few types of cheese, but not most very hard cheese. I'll also celebrate Penguin Day. The Mercedes McCambridge quote is rather sad. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. We were introduced to Moscato by a wine stewardess on P&O, but haven't had any in a long time. Maybe I'll try it on Koningsdam next week if they have it. We were in Bari in 2016 on Prinsendam. It was a substitute port when the Black Sea cruise was canceled. Two more interesting days in history. The British rule of Hong Kong made it an interesting city. I'll celebrate the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1921. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad your cough is slowly going away and that you feel well enough to go on your tour. @aliaschief Bruce, I'm happy you and your DW are settling in and are enjoyed life at sea. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thanks for the heads up about National Penguin Day and for the pictures. @dfish Debbie, I'm glad last night went well, and your DB was elated about the birthday/retirement celebration. Glad you won a game of Farkle. @smitty34877 Terry, I hope you are able to escape the house for a few hours. Most days, I'm content to stay at home, but other days, especially when it's not possible to get out, I want to escape. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad your temperatures are warming a bit. @Denise T Denise, I'm sorry about your office lease. It would have been nice if the landlord had given a reason. @Haljo1935 Thank you for your pictures of Bari. @RMLincoln Maureen, I'm glad you have your check-in time for Tuesday and that it's not at a very early hour. @marshhawk Annie, DH has started trying Fre wines as an alternative, but all we can find are Rose, White Zinfandel and Chardonnay. What other types do they produce? Well, the weather forecast was partially wrong. The sun just came out and the sky is partly clear now. I wonder how long that will last. Lenda

Terri, I'm glad you know what is the problem with your feet, and that the Podiatrist thinks you can wait until after your cruise to do anything if it's necessary. I agree with others that it is time to find a new house cleaner(s). Yours has been pretty unreliable. Sandi, I'm sorry your twin, DBIL and their DD came down with Covid. I hope the feel better soon. Thank you for the condolences on the deaths of my classmates. One died on Christmas day, but I don't when the other one died. It was just posted on our face book page about their deaths this week. A big OOPS! on getting the port of the day wrong. That's what happens without enough caffeine early in the morning. 😁 I'm glad Steve has his motorized recliner, and it was nice of their neighbor to pick it up and deliver it to them, besides installing handrails on the stairs. I'm also glad the relatives have delivered meals for them. That will be a big help for his wife. Roy, I like your new signature, but hope you can still take short cruises from close to home. I'm glad we all have good memories of past cruises to look back on. Lenda

Congratulations! 👏 That is great news. Lenda

Karen, I'm glad you erred on the side of caution and postponed your lunch with friends until the weather and roads are better. Nancy, I hope you are feeling better. Interesting and lovely flowers, Brenda. Lenda

Good morning from a partly cloudy Quartzsite. It is 44F and we should reach 71F today. Not too much on the agenda, but I hope to begin getting the things I want to pack for our cruise together. We normally don't pack until the day before we leave, but I like to have things ready to go into the suitcase so the packing goes a little more quickly. I doubt I'll brew a potion today, and I think my memory is still pretty good. It's been a while since we popped any popcorn, but maybe we'll have some this afternoon. I generally agree with today's quote, but there is some variety we can do without. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine today. We have not been to Elephant Island. Three interesting days in history, one saw progress for everyone, one progress for women, and the last a very sad day in cycling history. @Haljo1935 I hope you can get the dog to the vet so she can get her medicine. @RMLincoln Maureen, our condolences on the death of your NM friend. @dfish Debbie, please wish brother Bill a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY and a VERY HAPPY RETIREMENT for us. @1ANGELCAT I hope the motorized chair will make Steve and his wife's lives easier as he recovers. @marshhawk Annie, I'm sorry your DH did not sleep well last night, and that your left hip is bothering your. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm sorry your DH needs a valve replacement, but glad they found the problem early. I'm also sorry your had to cancel your cruise. @cunnorl Charlene, thank you for your pictures of Elephant Island. I hope we can get there someday. Lenda

That is great news. I hope you get the offer very, very soon. 🤞 Lenda

Good evening. It turned out to be a lovely afternoon and I took advantage of the good weather to take my book outside for a while. It's a great way to relax. Terri, I hope you hear from the doctor tomorrow, and that he has an answer as to the problem. Thank you for your condolences. Thank you for the condolences. We were a very close knit class, and it's hard to lose a classmate much less two so close together. We also have a fairly active FB group. You had quite a trip home. I'm glad you’re home safely. I'm sorry your wife is still not feeling well. I hope she feels better soon. I also hope you get some answers soon. We don't go to Total Wine often since either in Texas or Arizona the nearest one is one to two hours away. We've become pretty good at sticking to our list. Okay. Thank you for your condolences about the loss of my two classmates. @ger_77 Gerry is the one who has a friend going into pallative care. Thank you, Brenda. I'm glad things worked out so Steve could get his pain medicine. Lenda

Does that mean you're buying? 🤣 😉 Lenda

We went to Blythe to get the tool to work on the kitchen sink faucet, but they didn't have it. I did get a few things at the grocery store I hadn't been able to find. It has turned warm this afternoon, so I thing I'll sit outside with my book for a while. Appreciate the compliments. Hope you will stop by again. Glad the interview went well. Hope you get an offer tomorrow. 🤞 Debbie, I doubt if I'll be much help with the research. I would like a taste of the Chocolate Chicken and would try the Hugo, but like @Sharon in AZ Sharon, I'm more of a wine person, but I don't drink that much anytime (mostly). Many of the recipes @summer slope Dixie has worked so hard to research just have not appealed to me. Lenda

For me, if there is not a dessert that appeals to me, there is always ice cream. In 2021 and 2022, on Koningsdam, they had a couple of new desserts that were good.

Nancy, I'm sorry you had another rough night with coughing. I hope you feel better soon. Debbie, I agree about trying the drink. The only ingredient I don't anything about is elderflower. Looking it up, it is used to make a cordial and for medicinal purposes, including medicines to help with colds and flu. I usually don't get mixed drinks but this one sounds good. Vanessa, I don't blame you for canceling tomorrow's appointment. Thank you for the condolences on the loss of two classmates. I also had a close friend die in her 30's. Lenda

We visited Newport, RI, twice in 2004 on the old Regal Princess. Evidently, I didn't take many pictures the first stop on October 2, 2004, when we did a ho-ho type tour. And I cannot find pictures from our second stop, though I should have some. That day, at the suggestion of a friend, we toured Rough Point, Doris Duke's Newport cottage. All of my pictures were taken on our tour. The International Tennis Hall of Fame and tennis courts. There should be more pictures since I remember walking around town after our tour, and I know I took pictures when we toured Rough Point. I will check my backup picture files later. However, they might have been lost when an update to my iPad erased all the pictures from the iPad. Later, when DH finally managed to get them reloaded, not all the pictures were there. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny Quartzsite. It is 46F with a 1.5mph breeze. Our high will be 71F this afternoon, and with the sun and no wind on the south patio, it should be nice outside. When DH still had his software company, he got to know his customers very well both when selling the software and during installation and training. I think we'll be heading to Blythe today to get salt for the water softener, and a part for the kitchen faucet, so that covers maintenance day. DH drinks coffee and cool days, but I'm not a coffee drinker, so it's up to him to celebrate gourmet coffee day. I totally agree with today's quote by Billy Sunday. We haven't had garlic mashed potatoes in a while, but I think it will be baked potatoes with our steak tonight. Today's red wine would go nicely with the steak, if we had some. I think it will be cardbordeaux instead. The drink sounds refreshing. We visited Newport twice in 2004 on b2b cruises out of NYC to Montreal and back. An interesting day in Australian history in 1788. @seagarsmoker Best of luck today with the third interview. I hope you get the job. @kochleffel Welcome home, Paul. @Denise T Denise, great news on the blood sugar numbers. @ger_77 Gerry, I was sorry to read that your friend has entered palliative care. I hope he can be made comfortable and pain free during his final days. Thank you for your kind words. @smitty34877 Terry, thanks for your nice words. I have great memories of the classmate I was closer to, and she was my bridesmaid. @kazu Jacqui and @JazzyV Vanessa. I'm glad you both hired someone to help with the ice and snow removal. @dfish Debbie, I hope the weather for the day you fly stays looking good. Glad you are getting your RSV vaccine. @marshhawk Annie, I hope you can get Chuck @catmando to follow doctor's orders. I'm sorry he will need surgery to correct the remainder of the problems with his leg. @RMLincoln Thank you, Maureen. @Lady Hudson Katherine, I'm sorry you decided to cancel your cruise, but I'm glad you have a cruise to look forward to. @rafinmd Roy, thank you for the condolences. I think in your case, your treatments could be considered maintenance, and since is the last treatment, you should celebrate the day. @Haljo1935 I'm sorry you have to cancel your cruises, but getting your shoulder fixed is top priority. Lenda

Thank you, Graham, Jacqui and Ann. While I didn't know one of the classmates very well, the other one was a big part of my high school years. I cherish the memories of the good times we had together. Yes, they are comforting. Lenda

Thank you. Interestingly, she lived in Arlington, and I didn't know it until today. Lenda

Thank you, Debbie. There were three of us that did just about everything together in high school. I wanted both to be bridesmaids in my wedding, but one had agreed to be in another friend's wedding the same day. The three of us went in different directions after college, but two of us are still close even though we don't see each other often. We've been friends since we were about 2 years old. The sad thing is, we never knew why the third one disappeared from out lives. You have a busy week with two parties. You and Sue will definitely need a cruise. Lenda

Good evening. I'm in a funk tonight. I found out today that we had lost two more members of our high school class. One I knew fairly well. The other was one of my best friends, and she was my bridesmaid. Three of us did almost everything together. After college, she moved away and basically left our home town behind. For a few years we stayed in touch, then she quit replying to my letters. Ironically, she lived about 80 miles from us. I got our lugga tags and boarding passes printed today. It's gettin real now. I guess I need to go through my clothes to find what fits and what I want to take. Jacqui, the house is cleaner but I don't know about sparkling. As muvh as I don't like cleaning, I don't know if you could afford my services. Terri, I hope the ultrasound will give the Podiatrist some answers. Lenda

Thanks for the update on Steve, and I relate to his wife Denise trying to get him to follow doctor's orders. I'm glad he is now on the way home. Paul, I hope the passenger recovers. Welcome to the Fleet Report and Daily. Thanks for the picture of the bank ceiling. I was lucky to get a picture of the building as the bus drove by. Annie, I'm glad Chuck @catmando is ready to come home. I hope the procedure was successful. Loved the pictures of the birds. Fred, thanks for your pictures. The Falkirk Wheel is an amazing engineering feat. The house is clean and all the work moving my arm seems to have taken care of the soreness for yesterday's RSV vaccine. The sun is trying to come out, but the sky still is gray, and it is windy. Lenda

These are my last pictures for the day. We were in Edinburgh once in 2016 on Prinsendam, and three times on Prinsendam in 2017 on multiple B2Bs. These pictures are from 2016 and our first visit in 2017. The second time in 2017, we took the city bus out to tour the Britannia, and the third time we did the Ho-Ho and walked the Royal Mile from top to bottom. In 2016. we took the Ho-Ho around Edinburgh. When we were in the vicinity of the castle, we ran into extremely heavy crowds who were in town for the Tattoo and the Fringe. Several blocks were turned into pedestrian only streets and the Ho-Ho had to make a detour. Even the area around Waverly Station was crowded. From our detour on the Ho-Ho The new bridge across the Firth of Forth. It was nearing completion, with just a few spans waiting to be installed. It was opened the next year by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2017, we did a ship's tour to the Falkirk Wheel, which is an engineering marvel. It connects two canals which are on different elevations. Boats enter one of the two chambers on the wheel and are either raised or lowered to the other canal. The chambers, for want of a better word, used Archimedes' principle of water displacement, so they do not have to add or remove water when the boat enters and exits the wheel. I strongly recommend a ship's tour to visit the wheel, since the tours are guaranteed a time to "ride" the wheel. We entered the wheel from the lower canal, were raised to the next canal, sailed down the canal, turned around and went back to the wheel to return to the lower canal. Entering the wheel on the lower level. Coming back toward the tunnel and the wheel. Entering the wheel at the upper level The view across the countryside from the top of the wheel was spectacular, even on a cloudy day. Canal boats in the canal near the Kelpies. Lenda

These are my pictures from St. Andrews. Since several Dailyites have shared their pictures from the Old Course, I am only including one. The rest are from our afternoon in St. Andrews. Our first stop was St. Andrews Cathedral, really the ruins of the 12th century cathedral. Our next stop was the Old Course, where we had free time. After we looked around the Old Course, we walked back into town. Our first stop was the University of St. Andrew. We walked into the chapel but were not even allowed time to take one picture because the were setting up to take some pictures, IIRC. The rest of the pictures were taken as we walked around town. A pretty park and playground Lenda