Quartzsite Cruiser

Today was partially successful in preparing for our December and January cruises. We have the HIA excursions booked for the Mexico cruise, and we didn't go over the credit, plus we only left $15 each on the table. The Hawaii cruise is harder since our normal is to rent cars in all the ports. Also, since Kauai could be missed due to high winds, and it's the next to last port, we're hesitant to book something there. We'll figure something out. We also have our HIA dinner reservations made. The rest will be made on board. Joy, I'm glad you had a good flight from Austin, and made it to Seattle safely. Hope the boarding goes smoothly. Have a wonderful time on the cruise. Annie, I love the shirt, and it's you, even if it doesn't have enough cats. Lenda

The cruise looks interesting. I hope you can see the Northern Lights, just remember they are harder to see when the sun is up most of the time. Safe travels home.

Bruno, between Covid, the shutdown, and health problems for several of us, we missed a lot of chances to meet fellow Dailyites. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet your Dear Dad. Lenda

Bruno, I don't blame you. I hope to meet you on the Westerdam next June. Lenda

Sandi, it looks like we're going to finally meet next summer. We booked the Solstice cruise in late June. We've wanted to get to Nome, and figured this was probably safer than flying there, and more fun. Lenda

Bruno, I looked at the 2026 14 day cruise, and it is an interesting cruise. The itinerary is so different from the one when they were using the R and S class ships, but the cruise is still going to interesting places. Sharon, Debbie, and Nancy, the difference might also be in the cooks and/or executive chefs on the different ships. As I said, DH really like the lobster on Koningsdam last winter. I thought the other ingredients hid the flavor of the lobster. But then, I'm a purist on some food and don't want anything to mask the flavor of the main ingredient. Welcome to the Daily, Sue. Like you, some of us were lurkers before we posted, and were welcomed. I hope we see more of you in the future. Lenda

Sharon, DH had the Morimoto lobster at least on Koningsdam last winter, and is looking forward to having it again on our upcoming cruises. He really enjoyed it. I had a taste, and it was good, but it was hard for me to taste the lobster with all the other flavors used. Lenda

Edi, I'm sorry your DSIL has a mass on her kidney and several spots on her lungs. Let's hope the CT scan doesn't show an ulcer. Sending positive thoughts Sandy's way for a good outcome. Susan, I'm afraid I agree with you about the missing corgi. Such a sad, horrible outcome. I feel bad for his human. Either a mountain lion or a coyote are possible culprits. There are stories in Quartzsite about coyotes jumping fences and taking small dogs away. I don't envy you the motorcycle noise, as we get a lot of motorcycles on the highway behind our house. Carolyn, enjoy your dinner with Rich and his friend. Bruno, the aluminum Christmas trees started in the 1950s, and my BFF's parents won one at a company Christmas party. They used it for several years. You couldn't put lights on those trees. Instead, there was a spot light with a revolving wheel of different colored plastic inserts to light the tree. Those trees never seemed like Christmas trees to me. Your brother picked a good school to attend, says a biased Longhorn. Texas is starting the season at No. 4, and I hope it doesn't go to their heads. BTW, the game is on ESPN at 2:30 CDT, but I don't know if it's a regional or national feed. DH and I. along with several other Dailyites are on the 2025 Solstice cruise, if that helps with the decision. There's nothing wrong with having two cruises close together, says someone with a December cruise and a January cruise. They just added it to the 2026 Alaska season too. Elizabeth, that is great news your cat is doing well. When younger DD's cat would not drink water she flavored the water with tuna, and it worked. I guess the cat also got the tuna since DD is a vegetarian. Lenda

Looking back through my pictures, I found a few from our last cruise that stopped at Raiatea. The island is not often included in cruises to French Polynesia from US ports. We have been there when we have taken cruises from Papeete. Our other stops in Raiatea were in the pre-digital age. In 2004, we did b2b cruises on Tahitian Princess. The first included the Cook Islands and the second stopped at a couple of islands east of Tahiti. Both cruises called at Raiatea. On November 29, 2004, the weather in Raiatea was not the best. We rented a car and drove around the island. These are a few pictures from our drive. We stopped at a hotel that had over the water cabins. Someday, I would like to spend a few days at one. It would be nice to just walk out of your room and jump in the water to snorkel. On December 11, 2004, IIRC, we did a snorkeling tour. These pictures were taken from the boat. Walking around town, we saw quite a few shops decorated for Christmas. They mainly had aluminum trees, and frankly, the did look a little out of place in that tropical setting. Lenda

Good morning from a potentially lazy day in central Texas. My plan was to mow and trim the grass this morning, but after looking at it last night when we got back from our golf cart ride, we decided it really didn't need mowing -- yet. We'll work on picking out our HIA shore excursions on our two up coming cruises. It is currently 73F with a 1mph wind, 94% humidity and a dew point of 71F. The predicted high will be 71F. We don't have any plans to leave our little community this weekend. Last night when I went into town to pick up our pizzas (following Gerry's @ger_77 Friday night example) all the traffic was heading toward the lake. We have a Corps of Engineers park just down the road from us, and another one just across the bridge, and they will be busy this weekend. This afternoon we'll be watching the Texas Longhorns first football game as part of the SEC when they play the Colorado State Rams. 🤘 HOOKEM HORNS! 🤘 Sadly there are too many overdoses, and we should be aware of the signs. Litigating lawyers are necessary, but I don't love them. Diatomaceous earth is important for gardeners. The Marcus Tullius Cicero quote is true, but some need to think a bit more before they act. The shrimp sounds good, but without the cooked tomatoes. I'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds like one I'd enjoy, and for once, the price is good, too. We have been to Raiatea several times, and I'll share some pictures. Since we have gone snorkeling when we were there, I don't have too many pictures. Thomas Edison's invention of the Kinetoscope in 1897 changed the entertainment industry. This day in 1997 was a sad day for England and the rest of the world. The saddest part is how their mother's death changed two young boy's lives. @seagarsmoker That is good news the job is going well with the added bonus of being a little ahead of schedule. @Seasick Sailor Joy, safe travels to you and Allen today. Do you have a direct flight to Seattle, or like most of Texas, do you have to fly to DFW first? @ottahand7 Nancy, you will love Raiatea. It is such a beautiful island, and not as developed at Tahiti. We looked at doing that cruise, but decided for the time being to stay a little closer to home. @1ANGELCAT I've always wondered how some one serves a sentence added onto a life sentence. @Mr. Boston Enjoy your dinner with your former neighbor. @Denise T Denise, I imagine if the pilots strike, it will be settled quickly. @marshhawk Annie, that sounds like quite a storm last night. I hope you did not have any damage. @RMLincoln Maureen, sending positive thoughts for your DGD Andrea to have a successful delivery and a healthy baby soon. I hope once the baby is delivered, the liver issue clears up, too. @FlorenceItaly Welcome to The Fleet Report and Daily. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad your DH's neck is feeling better. @dfish Debbie, we are looking forward to seeing you and Sue again. Those crepes look wonderful, especially Sue's. DH and I would probably split each one. @Lady Hudson Welcome home, Katherine. Lenda

@Tbay Bon Voyage, and have a lovely cruise. Lenda

Rich, I hope you enjoy your last day in Seattle tomorrow. Your cruise sounds wonderful, and we would have been on it if things had worked out differently. I'm looking forward to following along on your adventures. Thank you for taking us along.

Good afternoon from a cloudy central Texas. It is 88F but feels like 95F even though the humidity has dropped to 57% with the dew point still 71F. It looks like any chance of rain for the next 24 hours has gone down. All my errands were taken care of before my hair cut. Since then, we've been working on getting things set up for our two upcoming cruises in December and January. Carolyn, it would be wonderful if you could do the Hawaii cruise. Maybe you could invest in a lottery ticket and use the winnings for the cruise. The Daily Four had a good time last winter, and I'm looking forward to meeting even more Dailyites. Sandi, I understand how you feel about the USPS. Our mailforwarding was switched to FedEx because of problems with USPS in the Houston area. However, even FedEx has some issues. You could sent the stocking with UPS or FedEx in needed. Nancy, I saw your name on the roll call, and I think you are on the 7 day Mexico cruise too. We looked at that cruise, but liked the itinerary in December. Looking forward to meeting you. Edi, I'm sorry your DS's health is so bad, and I hope the doctors can find what is going on and can help her. Sending positive thoughts her way for a good outcome. Lenda

Nice try, RNB! Lenda

An early good morning from central Texas. It is 73F with a 3mph breeze from the east. The humidity is 98% because the dew point is 72F. As we head to this afternoon's predicted high of 92F the humidity will drop. The main thing on the agenda this morning is a very much needed haircut. I hope to get out of the house early so I can do my errands before the haircut. Yesterday afternoon, we booked two more cruises on BHBs out of San Diego this winter. We originally we planned on making them b2b, but we found a longer one, 11 day, that goes to the same places as the 7-day but adds three more ports including a new one for us. In early December we'll be boarding Zaandam for a Sea of Cortez-Mexican Riviera cruise that includes scenic cruising in a bay along the western coast of Baja Sur and a day in Manzanillo. In January we'll be joining several Dailyites, including Debbie @dfish and Tina @0106, for a 17 day Hawaii cruise on Koningsdam. It will be interesting to compare one of the smallest ships in the fleet with one of the largest ships. When I saw it is International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, I thought of the "Disappeared" in Argentina. While we're not beach fans, we enjoy them when we go snorkeling. Whale sharks are magnificent, gentle creatures, and are the largest fish. We were fortunate to see one up close and personal, from a boat, when we were in La Paz, Mexico, on March 4, 2016. Here are a couple of pictures of the one we saw. This one was much longer than our boat and was close to the surface. I totally agree with the Jeff Rich quote. Today's meal sounds interesting, and I want to look at the recipes. I'll pass on the drink, but DH might like it. He also likes Syrah wines, but they are the only red I do not care for, and this one is a bit pricey. We have not been to Almeria, Spain. A good day for Pennsylvania in 1682 when William Penn sailed to the New World. I remember when LBJ appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967. @TiogaCruiser Thank you for the beautiful pictures, Laura. @aliaschief Safe travels today, Bruce. Enjoy your visit with family before heading to Hawaii. @Denise T Congratulations on completing the first draft of your dissertation today, Denise. I hope the committee approves it with very few, if any, changes. @puppycanducruise and @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you saw the skunks before they saw you. @Mr. Boston I'm glad you are settled into your new home and can now enjoy the beach and other areas nearby. Lenda

Me too, if we still had a dog. Lenda

Today is definitely an "Oh, Fudge" day. Just as I was getting ready to submit my post, I went the new post, and my post disappeared. Now, I get to start all over. I hope the third time is the charm. Terry, I thought of you when I saw the meme. We lived in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania off and on from 1969 until we moved back to Texas i 1985. We we often go into NYC, especially BC (before children) so we knew about NY drivers. I can only imagine they are even worse now. Gerry, I'm sorry your DH broke a tooth, but glad it was a partial since he doesn't have to wait to have it repaired. What, no carrot dogs? 🥕 😁 Lorraine, thanks for your pictures. I learned something today. I guess I always assumed kiwis grew on trees. That will teach me to make assumptions. Welcome home, Maureen. I'm glad you enjoyed your birthday cruise, and also glad your DH's eye pressure remained low. I'm glad you enjoyed Greenland, but sorry you missed two ports. Susan, I hope someone finds your friend's corgi. We learned in Quartzsite to be careful with our dogs, especially from just before sunset to after sunrise. Great pictures, Carolyn. Enjoy your lunch with the DGSs. The pressure washing can always wait. Great pictures, Ann. I loved the one of Pat and the men doing the haka. Vanessa, I'm sorry you are still having some problems with dizziness. It took DH quite a while doing the maneuvers to get over the inner ear problem. Jacqui, thank you for checking in today. I'm sorry this move is so difficult for you. Parting with a lifetime of treasures is not easy as we learned when we moved here. Remember we are here for you any time whatever your mood. Terri, I'm glad you have the PT appointments set up for the next six weeks and have the same therapist. I hope you are pain free at the end of the six weeks, if hot before. Sandi, I'm glad they are getting rain. Texas needs all the ran we can get, and this is normally our dry season. I hope we get rain today, but often there is a lake effect, and rain goes around us. 🤞 I just checked the hourly forecast, and our 60% chance of rain is now 20% chance. 😒 Lenda

Good afternoon from a not quite as hot central Texas. It is 91F, but feels like 97F, so I'll stay inside the rest of the afternoon. We have a better than average chance of rain and thunderstorms about dinner time. If we get the rain, there will be no complaints from me. We need rain. The house is clean, and the first load of towels are dry and put away. The washer is almost finished with the second load. I must be tired and/or distracted, I hit submit instead of the quoted posts. The posts I multi-quoted are did not come in here but in the other box, I'll do them separately. @marshhawk Annie, I don't know how I got someone's name when I commented on your post. I was positive I had clicked on your name for the blue bubble. Lenda

Good sunny morning from central Texas. It is 72F with calm winds. The humidity is 92% with a dew point of 70F. Our predicted high will go back and forth between 90F and 91F with 6 to 10 mph winds. That will be a nice afternoon outside in the shade if I get the house cleaned in time. While our individual rights are important, I believe it is also important to protect the rights of others. I'm also for no more nuclear tests. While I don't use many herbs, I try to cook with less salt. and I only add it to certain cooked food. I totally agree with the Mark Twain quote, but also agree that we need to protect and help those that are less fortunate. I'm waiting for Eva's @superoma recipes before I decide about the meal of the day. However, we'll pass on the drink and the wine. We have not been to Tauranga, but hopefully some day. Today in 1865 was a good day for Brazil who gained their independence. In 1966. it was a sad day for Beatles fans. @TiogaCruiser Thanks for the pictures from Saguenay, Laura. @StLouisCruisers Enjoyed your pictures today, Sandi. @Heartgrove Jack, I'm glad your DSIL will be coming home on Saturday. When they inspected our house after DH's rehab, they also wanted the rugs and bathmats removed. However, when we pointed out one rug covered a wire that was a tripping hazard, and that our tile floors were slick when wet, they okayed the rug and the bathmat in front of the shower. Sometimes, you have to use common sense to figure out what is best. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad Tana is able to eat even if it's small portions. It's hard to believe the cute little girl in the picture is the little baby we all worried about several years ago. She has really grown up fast. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I hadn't heard about the typhoon in Japan. Just like hurricane season picks up here in September, typhoon season picks up in Japan at the same time. I'm glad you DS sounds stronger, and I hope she gets the second surgery soon. @marsjack Annie, I laughed at your picture. Iceland is lovely in the summer, and is not all that cold then. I hope you can get there. @Mtn2Sea Thanks for the pictures. What a crazy motorcycle. @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I hope you are correct about only needing more water. Lenda

Glad you made it home safely, Terri. Lenda

Jack, I hope all went well today with DSIL and the physical therapist visit to help prepare for your DSIL's release from rehab later this week. Annie, I'm glad the doctor's appointment went well, and that the x-ray showed everything looked good with no mass returning. Thank you, Graham. Gerry, congratulations to your DH on his graduation from cardiac rehab. Enjoy your visit with your godson. Carolyn, I hope you can find a good alternate place to visit with Rich while he is in Seattle. Lenda

We have been to St. Lucia many times, but only twice when we had a digital camera. We stopped there in 2000 on the Oriana and in 2015 on the Ruby Princess. We've also been there on the Noordam III and the Ryndam. We have always rented a car or hired a taxi and driven to Soufriere. Twice when the ship was in port longer, we have continued on around the southern tip of the island and then across the island back to Castries. In 2015, that part of the plan was derailed because of a flat tire. It took a while to find a place to repair the tire, but we still made it to Soufriere and on to our favorite stop, the Ladera Resort and Dasheen Restaurant. Thompson Celebration (AKA Noordam III) greeted us when we arrived in Castries in 2015. Castries from our balcony Ladera Resort and Dasheen Restaurant are just off the road south of Soufriere. The resort is situated so you look out between the Pitons and down on Sugar Beach. We've toured the resort and all the rooms face the water, and are open on the water side, even the bathrooms. However, the tubs/showers have shower curtains on both sides. These were all taken from Dasheen. The hotel Their gardens and a memorial to 9/11 in the gardens Soufriere Coast lines Lenda

Good morning from a sunny central Texas where it is 72F and calm. We have 94% humidity with a dew point of 70F. As it warms up to our predicted high of 94F, the humidity should drop along with our usual afternoon build up of clouds and a very slight chance of showers. The good weather news is it looks like we're out of the triple digit highs. In fact, Monday and Tuesday highs are 84F and 83F before heading back to the low 90s. I can definitely live with those temperatures. There's not much on the agenda today. I don't know enough about the Power Rangers to celebrate their day. It is always good to be thoughtful, and I wish we could weed out hate. Today's quote from Novalis is one I do not agree with. A crab roll might be good, but it's hard to get good crab this far inland. We'll pass on the drink, but I would like to try the wine if offered a glass. We have been to Castries more times than I can remember, but only twice in the digital camera age. In 1609, Henry Hudson discovered a very beautiful bay in the New World. Martin Luther King's 1963 speech was on for the ages, and still resonates today. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you for filling in for our fearless leader while he is traveling. @richwmn Rich, safe travels today to Seattle. @TiogaCruiser Laura, thank you for the pictures from Charlottetown and the very pretty PEI island. @cat shepard Ann, I'm glad you decided on your next home, but hope it is not needed for many, many years. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad Tana is feeling well enough to want certain foods. Knowing you are cooking something she really wants can make cooking even more fun. You have such a good memory of how happy your DM was on the cruise that stopped in St. Lucia. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I'm glad you will be able to get the new Covid vaccine. No one in our little town has any idea when they will get the new version in, and one pharmacist didn't seem to know it had been approved. @marshhawk Annie, I hope the appointments with the pulmonologist go well, and there are no surprises. @dfish Debbie, I hope your house and property do not have any damage. @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I hope you are feeling better this morning. Lenda

Dixie, so glad everything went well today, Elizabeth, I hope it oasses quickly, and withiut excessive pain. Lenda

We actually got a brief rain shower and it measured 0.03 inch. Just enough to wet the grass. We'll take anything we can get. I liked the Mary Poppins books and the movie. There was enough time between the books and the movie, that the difference didn't bother me. Terri, glad you got a good report today, and the doctor did not up your dosage too much. It's good he took chest x-ray and did an echocardiogram to play it safe. The Paxlovid prescription was good too. I'm also very glad the surgeon thinks PT will help your shoulder. Safe travels home tomorrow. Lenda