Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Wednesday - Thursday
Happy Birthday George
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 28 degrees and mostly sunny to 81 degrees and sunny.

The connection to the water main might be leaking that fitting was changed, so the hole is open another day.

Bonnie and I went to Artesia for propane gas in the twenty pound container and to shop at Walmart.

Then it is time for happy hour and after dinner we played Mexican train.

Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 63 degrees windy and mostly sunny to 81 degrees and partly sunny.

Another very busy day for us here at the Ranch, breakfast was MEWS - (Men Eating Without Supervision). I had to have the office copy some paper for the meeting and other business between eight and eight-thirty. Eleven of us went to The Paddock restaurant about five miles east of Artesia, NM for breakfast. I rode with Al and Soren to The Paddock as Al and I needed to be back to the ranch house for a ten o’clock board of directors meeting. Soren rode back with Richard. We started the meeting a little late.

BoD meeting was two hours plus.

Then it is time for happy hour and after dinner we played Mexican train.

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Sunday - Monday - Tuesday
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 28 degrees and mostly cloudy, foggy to 54 degrees and partly sunny.

Bonnie went to church and after she had a low battery and Silver Sally would not operate the engine starter. There was someone there and jumped the battery and got her started but, there is now a problem with the power steering. This car has electric power steering, and is not working now. I checked the fuse and that is ok. It is now a work in progress as the car is drive able, just more effort for the operator.

We went to happy hour and latter played Mexican train.

Monday, February 20, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 48 degrees and mostly sunny and windy to 64 degrees and mostly sunny.

Art helped me check the battery and electric and we decided as the battery is over six years old best thing is to replace it. We took the battery to Auto Zone they tested it and pronounced it bad and I purchased a new battery. Everything is working except the power steering. We got that done a quick lunch and then a two and a half hour BoD meeting. Then it is time for happy hour and after dinner we played Mexican train.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 43 degrees and mostly cloudy to 54 degrees and partly sunny.

We are (The Ranch) is replacing the water hydrant on each lot for the rig (motorhome or fifth wheel) including the under ground shutoff valve. The hydrant to where we connect our rig hose also has another faucet for an additional house we use for a fire hose. While digging on our lot the fitting connecting the valve to the under ground plastic pipe broke and filled the hole with water the started flooding the lot before we could get down the street and close the water main valves. The new pipe and valves were installed and the hole was left open overnight to check for leaks at the connection in the morning. The new pipe above ground pipe also has electric heat tape, foam insulation and a four inch outer plastic pipe case and cap. These are being setup in the shop and pressure tested before being taken to each lot. The connection to the water main is the leak test being done.

Then it is time for happy hour and after dinner we played Mexican train.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Friday, February 17, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 43 degrees and mostly cloudy to 51 degrees and partly sunny. We had "weather" over night sounded like hail then rain but not enough to measure, just enough to make a mess with the dust in the vehicles.

I did not jot down and notes for today, and this is all I remember, but we were busy.
We go to happy hour and latter played Mexican train.
.

Saturday, February 18, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 43 degrees and mostly cloudy with rain and wind to 54 degrees and partly sunny.

I got the new computer further along the road to my customization today, I located the e-mail program (Microsoft Outlook 2003) I used on the last computer, got it installed. Then to connect to g-mail took some help from my son-in-law, over the telephone. Now customize that to my way of operating. Reload the address book done some new things there in the address book, separate lists for family, friends and Ranch members. I am so happy to not be continuing with daily use of the g-mail as I much prefer using Outlook. Now all this did take most of the day for me to get er done. We went to happy hour and latter played Mexican train.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Ranch RV Park, Lakewood, New Mexico

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Ranch RV Park, Lakewood, New Mexico 27 degrees and mostly cloudy to 54 degrees and partly sunny.

A very busy day for us here at the Ranch, breakfast was MEWS - (Men Eating Without Supervision) five of us went to The Paddock restaurant about five miles east of Artesia, NM. On the way I stopped to get a 30 pound propane gas bottle filled, Buster’s

propane tank would get emptied when parked here for more than a month. I added an extena-stay fitting in the propane gas line and I use a thirty pound and a twenty pound bottles keep the propane gas in Busters tank available for emergency use.

When I got back to The Ranch a work, party was already in work cleaning out a shed on an abandoned lot. That finished off the morning.

Then happy hour at four o’clock and Mexican Train Bonnie and George played with Ron and Trish, boys against girls, boys win.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Escapees Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico

Wednesday, February 15, 2012
 Dreamcatcher RV Park - Deming, NM partly sunny today 31 degrees. I had to cleanup Buster and Silver Sally, yesterday’s "weather" was all over the windows, the dust and rain drops made a mess of the windshield’s.
Climbing out of  Los Cruces on US 70

The Escapees Ranch RV Park, Lakewood, New Mexico 61 degrees and sunny.
Our biggest travel day this year 258 miles. It could have been shorter by eight miles but it is easier driving the interstates and go around Los Cruces, NM on the east side than on US 70 thru town and the traffic lights.
Going down the other side headed to Alamogordo
This snow cap is north of Alamogordo
US 70 to Alamogordo, NM where we switched to US 82 east to Artesia, NM. We traveled thru Cloudcroft at 8,650, feet there was snow on the edge of the road above seventy-five hundred feet and the roads were clear as none of the snow was recent. Alamogordo to Cloudcroft Buster is climbing from 4,200 feet to 8,650 in sixteen miles it is a quick rise. Cloudcroft to Artesia is a sixty mile slow decent to 3,500 feet. From Busters location in Yuma, Arizona to The Ranch the way we traveled it was 782 miles. The actual traveling were five days.

Entering The Ranch

  We got Buster parked on our site and started setting up then went to happy hour at four o’clock. For dinner we went to Artesia with a group of eighteen to The Pecos Diamond, a stake and salad bar menu. Our friends Don and Doris are going tomorrow to California to visit his sister who is in failing health. A send off dinner for them.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Dreamcatcher RV Park - Deming, NM

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Safford, Arizona Roper Lake State Park 46 degrees and mostly sunny. The mountain west of the park was snow covered and we had a nice lakeside site. On to Deming, NM today.

Dreamcatcher RV Park - Deming, NM partly sunny and breezy driving today 60 degrees.

We were off the road by one thirty and the wind was still coming up. Buster mostly had a tail wind going east but side blasts (gusts) when going southeast. Buster stopped in Lordsburg, NM for diesel $3.909 a gallon. We continued east on US 70 to interstate ten

into Deming. We took Silver Sally to Walmart plenty of dust storms were coming up. After returning to Buster we had to bring in the table slide as the wind was popping the slide topper. Then there was a sprinkle of rain just enough to make Buster’s windshield a mess. Sliver Sally also a mess from the rain as she was dusty from following Buster.

Arizona US 70 going east
   Sunday - Monday
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Phon D Sutton Camp area Tonto National Forest, Mesa, Arizona 49 degrees and partly sunny to 61 degrees and mostly sunny. After two warm days the temperature cooled today to the sixty-one degrees, long sleeves felt nice. Just puttering around and resting. We drove Silver Sally on a ride south on Power Road to the end just for something to do, cabin fever.

Sunrise at Phon D Sutton Camp area, Buster's left side


 Monday, February 13, 2012
Phon D Sutton Camp area Tonto National Forest, Mesa, Arizona 46 degrees and partly sunny. Buster's feet are itchy and we are traveling today east on US 60 and US 70 thru Globe to Safford, AZ.

Roper Lake State Park looking west

Safford, Arizona Roper Lake State Park 61 degrees and mostly sunny. Just an overnight stop on the way to Deming, NM. This is a nice stopping point between Deming and Mesa / Apache Junction about equal distance driving days. Electric and water hookups only and there is a dump station that can be used on the way in or out. Buster used this on the way in as we were three days in Tonto NF. It also was nice being on electric and water after boondocking all year (forty-three days).

Roper Lake, looking north from Buster

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Phon D Sutton Camp area Tonto National Forest, Mesa, Arizona

Friday, February 10, 2012

Gila Bend, Arizona sunny 45 degrees and sunny. On the road to Mesa, AZ today.

Phon D Sutton Camp area Tonto National Forest, Mesa, Arizona 81 degrees and sunny.
A nice travel day today and we lucked out as the big traffic accident was on the other side going west. Our main travel route was AZ 85, interstate ten and AZ 202.

Very interesting
Our first stop was to the ranger station in Mesa on Ingram street just west of North Higley Road to purchase day passes $3.00 with our senior pass. Then to secure our site in Tonto national forest north on Power Road.

I unloaded the Pull tabs out of Buster that were collected at the Escapees Elk BoF rally in Quartzsite last month and loaded them into the back seat of Silver Sally. We took them to the Ronald McDonald House in phoenix. Now January is complete and Buster can "breath easier" with those tabs gone. 


This Cactus has lost direction
Saturday, February 11, 2012

Phon D Sutton Camp area Tonto National Forest, Mesa, Arizona 48 degrees and partly sunny to 81 degrees and mostly.

This is a rest weekend nice and slow.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Gila Bend, Az

Wednesday - Thursday
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Yuma, Arizona mostly cloudy 56 degrees and partly sunny to 74 degrees’.

Last laundry today (When we are on full hookups we use the installed washer in Buster for our regular clothes laundry. Boondocking we have to conserve water and electric power so it is off to the laundromat for clean clothes) and Buster is down the road tomorrow.

We all said our good buys after happy hour as Buster is pulling out for Gila Bend tomorrow, one hundred twenty five mile trip east. We will be in Mesa on Friday for the weekend. Jim and Linda are leaving for Quartzsite and will be headed for St. George, Utah.

Thursday, February 9, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 53 degrees. One last trip to the Arizona Marketplace I need to get a bug mop for Buster’s windshield. Buster will be on the road today 122 miles east on interstate eight. Slides in, solar down and jacks up Buster is rolling.

Buster parked at Gila Bend, AZ
Gila Bend, Az 79 degrees and sunny. Buster has full hookups tonight, first time this year. Emptied the holding tanks black and gray and filled the fresh water tank and running water showers tonight. Tomorrow it is on to Mesa, AZ tonto National Forest.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Yuma, AZ

Monday - Tuesday
Monday, February 6, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 47 degrees and sunny to 74 degrees’.

Propane gas and laundry day, we waited and went to the laundry after noon and there was plenty of machines available. I went for propane gas during the morning, plenty of "gasers" waiting to get their propane gas tanks filled. Happy hour was overcast cloudy "weather" moving in from California

Jim and Mark
We are planning to head east at the end of the week. Not totally sure when we pull out of "Paradise" but by the end of the week for sure. By next Monday I need to off load the pull tabs the Escapee Elk Bof collected for Ronald McDonald House in Phoenix.
Super Bowl at Buster
George, John, Trudy and Linda
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Yuma, Arizona partly sunny 52 degrees and mostly cloudy to 70 degrees’.

Sunrise at Paradise Casino
Making plans and getting ready to move after a long stay, been here eleven days already. The holding tanks are getting full fresh water we can add from a five gallon container. There are water stations where reverse osmosis (R O) water can be purchased five gallons for a dollar so I have been keeping that above one third full. Jim and Linda moved their rig to dump tanks at the Elks Lodge today then parked behind Mark and Karen across from Buster. This way they do not have far to walk for happy hour.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Yuma, AZ

Wednesday - Sunday

Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 48 degrees and sunny to 78 degrees’.
Laundry, sheet and towels, we went about noon and there was no waiting at the Laundromat for machines. Roger and Barbra from the ranch arrived here at Paradise Casino their Illinois friends were following in their own rig (two fifth wheel trailers) around happy hour.

Thursday, February 2, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 44 degrees and sunny to 74 degrees’.
Buster blocked the happy hour breeze today. We will have a SuperBowl party here at Buster, on Sunday four pm mountain time.

Sunset Yuma, AZ

Friday, February 3, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 49 degrees and sunny to 74 degrees’. Soren and Barbara headed out today for New Mexico. Barbara had hip surgery last November and she is having some pain problems and needs a doctor visit.
Less wind at happy hour but we were behind Mark and Karen’s rig.

Saturday, February 4, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 47 degrees and sunny to 73 degrees’.
Roger and Barbara and their friends pulled out today headed for Why, AZ

Mark, John, Trudy Karen and Bonnie's head

Sunday, February 5, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 46 degrees and sunny to 74 degrees’. There was an afternoon breeze. We went for breakfast at Golden Coral, eight of us still here in Paradise,
GIANTS WIN Super Bowl XLVI (46)

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Yuma, AZ

Thursday - Sunday

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Quartzsite, Arizona - Plomosa Road BLM land partly sunny and 40 degrees’.

On to Yuma, Arizona sunny and 81 degrees.
I put down the solar panels and picked up the jack pads Buster is rolling about eleven this morning. First stop is to dump the holding tanks at Rose RV and then head south ninety eight miles on US 95 to Yuma.

Buster is parked at Paradise Casino (Quechan Indians) Yuma, Arizona with four other rigs from The Ranch. After setting up Buster, Bonnie and I went to early dinner with Soren and Barbra. John and Trudy and Mark and Karen had arrived earlier and were out somewhere. We were all out for an after dark happy hour watching the night sky

Friday, January 27, 2012
Yuma, Arizona - Paradise Casino sunny 52 degrees and partly cloudy to 68 mostly cloudy and windy it would have been a nice day without the wind. We went out to Arizona marketplace, the local large flea market. Mostly looking for rv items

Saturday, January 28, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 58 degrees and partly cloudy and windy to 68 degrees’. There was a lot of wind pulses overnight and wind today was 24 mph from the north. We are having happy hour every afternoon about four. Today using Mark and Karens rig to block the wind.

Sunday, January 29, 2012
Yuma, Arizona sunny 55 degrees and mostly sunny to 75 degrees’. 11 mph

Bonnie and I went to breakfast with Soren and Barbra, John and Trudy, Mark and Karen and Jim and Linda, who are Escapees RV Club and leaseholders in Benson, AZ co-op park Jim was a policeman and in the sixth precinct Suffolk County, NY when we lived in Terryville on Long Island.