Back in Casa Grande

Sundance RV Resort
Casa Grande, AZ

Not a lot happening here in the past week.  I did the driving when we left Pilot Knob.  Bill had some long bad driving days in California the entire week, so he enjoyed being in the copilot seat.  


I did manage to back the fiver in perfectly straight when we arrived at Sundance.  I think I just need to do it more often so I get used to doing it.  Practice does help.

Dad's condition hasn't changed.  He still thinks "they're coming to get him tomorrow."   He didn't even seem like he knew we were gone.  

Susie and Bud invited us over for Happy Hour.  Skip and Linda were there as well as John and Gayle.  Susie was having a hard time as she had fallen while playing pickleball.  Of course, she made a full blown meal instead of happy hour food.  

I know how cool it can get in the evenings and I wore long pants.  I guess you could say I was over dressed.

Zoey and Khaki were telling Bud that they wanted their leashes lengthened so they could visit with everyone.

Zoey had a chance to see "hello" to everyone.

Bud and Susie are going back to Colorado to ski and will return in a month.

We'll miss the whole family.

You Never Know Who You're Going to See.

Winterhaven, California
Pilot Knob RV Resort

You never know who is nearby.  Can you believe three different couples that we didn't know were here?

We knew Ray and Cindy Warner were nearby but they have such a busy schedule we didn't even call them since we only planned to be here overnight.  

This morning I received a call from Freddy and Delcie Prather.  They were in the Escapees Class of 2009 that we were adopted into by class president, Sandie Dixon.  It's hard to believe we've known them so long.  We last saw them at an Elk's lodge in Lubbuck, Texas last October.    

After a short discussion we, extended our stay another day and a chance to visit with them.  Since we were staying another day we decided to go to Mexico this morning.  I'm sure Shay and Misty will be happy to know we did get two bottles of Tekali--almond flavored tequila.  I put them away for safe keeping until we see them this summer.  

The Quechan parking lot was almost filled to capacity. Once we crossed into Mexico all the vendors were calling Bill "cowboy".  I love hearing all their ways of getting customers to stop in the "stores".

The lines to get back into the United States were very short at the border and it only took us 20 minutes to get through customs.  Of course, you can't purchase liquor until 11 am in Mexico so the people that crossed the border to buy liquor were just starting to get in line to go back across the border.  

While we were waiting in the Purple Store for the 11 am time when we could purchase the tequila, I saw a sign in the pharmacy section that they had hand cream.  I went back to check out that section.  I found the turtle cream like what I bought in Australia for over $20 which was in a very small bottle.  This bottle was 32 ounces and cost $2.63.  

Once back on US grounds we gave Freddy a call and found out they were in the spot where we stayed a couple of years ago.  Their rooftop is visible from our site.  

It was so good to visit with them.  I couldn't believe how big Echo is.  She was a tiny puppy when we saw her in October.

The second couple we found that is in the area is Dennis and Linda Ward.  They were having more solar panels installed.  They met us at Da Boyz for dinner.  The four of us shared the family feast.  It was two large serving bowls of spaghetti, a large salad, garlic bread, and a large pizza.  Linda and Dennis were good and only ate the salad and pizza and took their spaghetti home for tomorrow's dinner.  I cleaned my plate. Oh yes, the price for all that is $22.99 for four people.

I then found out that George and Susie Yates are in site #77 and invited us for Happy Hour.  By the time we returned from dinner it was way too late to visit with them.  Oh well, I know our roads will cross again sometime in the future. 

Bedtime is going to be early tonight.  

Turtle Safely........ 

Indestructible Flashlight

Winterhaven, California
Pilot Knob

What a day!  I think the past four days have caught up with us both.  Normally, we always stay two days somewhere and usually we do not go anywhere immediately after we are parked.  We broke all of our rules these past days and we really paid for it today.  

Yesterday we drove 150 miles round trip and also spent the time touring the Reagan Presidential Library.  

It started raining pretty steady after we returned to the Elk's.  When we arose this morning, it was still drizzling.  I watched the weather and it said it would stop at 9 am.  Bill and I debated whether to stay or go and about 10, the sun came out.  OK, we're leaving.  About 5 miles down the interstate, we caught up to the rain.  Did I mention the horrendous traffic?  Add the rain and the traffic and it makes a bad driving day.  

I kept looking at the MPG gauge on the truck.  I couldn't believe we were getting this mileage towing. 

Over twenty miles per gallon, I couldn't believe it.  As soon as we stopped at a rest stop, I understood why.  The winds were blowing so hard, I was having trouble opening the truck door.  The tailwind was blowing us down the highway.  We watched a workmen at the rest area who had a barrel size container full of water that blew over.  The water blew clear across the bathroom building. 

Unfortunately, we turned south at Indio and lost the wind.  We hadn't taken the drive around the Salton Sea in a long time.  It should be a relaxing drive.  Well it should have been.

The road was in terrible shape.  It was washboard most of the way.  

We were both exhausted but  said no to this RV "Resort" in Brawley.

We stopped at Pilot Knob.  That's when we found out how indestructible our flashlight is.  I heard a sound when I tried to put the slide out.  Bill and I looked around and didn't see anything in the way.  The slides when out without a problem.  

Then I saw this!  

This is our flashlight that rolled under the slide and then was caught in the slide.  The light color is the underside of the flooring that was also stuck.

It took some in and out on the slides but we finally got the flashlight out.  

It still works fine.

Bill and I are going to hibernate all day tomorrow.  We just need a down day by ourselves.  

Anyone with ideas of how to repair the damage, please let us know your thoughts.  

Turtle Safely........

A Hangar Full of Planes

Ontario, California
Elk's Lodge #1419

Yesterday as I was ready to post the blog we had some company.  It was Bill's sister, Denise and her husband, Dan Wotring.  We had talked with them on the phone while we were touring the Nixon library but thought the lateness of the day and the horrible California traffic, would prevent a visit.  

Boy, were we happy and surprised to see them.

We had a great time visiting with them.

And then there was another knock on the door.

It was Daniel, Bill's nephew.  We enjoyed talking with him and he offered to show us his business, Aviator Flight Training.  

Lucky for us it is located in the world's largest private airport, in Upland, which was a short drive away.  It was dark so Daniel drove us over.

The first plane he showed us was his  DC 3.  I hope I remembered all the details correctly.  There was so many interesting things I think my brain was on overload.

This plane was used by the military in the invasion of Sicily.

I was a nervous wreck sitting in the co-pilot seat.  There was a red level that I couldn't step on because it was used for ejection.  

Daniel said that later in it's history', the plane was used as mail delivery and there was a side door where they loaded the mail.  When he opened the door the propeller was very close.  I took a photo of it, but it didn't come out in the dark.  I think Daniel said it was called a hamburger door.

Here's a photo of what it looked like when new.

Daniel said when they were renovating the plane they found signatures of the military men and bullet holes.

The plane was also used as a commercial plane.  Daniel said the plane was rented to be in movies and TV, most recently in the Showtime series, Masters of Sex.   

We then drove down to one of his hangers.  This was the plane that started the business.  

Daniel is an expert in tailwheel training.  Warbirds are his specialty.  He also gives rides which during the Christmas season is very busy.

Daniel does all the work and when not doing that he instructs at Edwards Air Force Base.  He puts real meaning into the word passion.  

We also understand that his wife, Samantha is very supportive of his passion.  

I wish we would have taken more photos but we were so interested in everything Daniel was telling us, photos were the last things we thought of.

We're so proud of Daniel!

Today we drove the 75 miles over to Simi Valley to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.  The traffic is bad but it was worth the drive.  The Library and Museum opened in 1991 and encompasses 100 acres.

Bill and I both commented yesterday that we didn't see a replica of the oval office while at the Nixon Library.

We weren't disappointed at this library as there was an oval office display.

We've seen a lot of these rooms at other presidential libraries.

It was so much better than yesterday's visit.

What a fete to get this airplane up the hill to the library.  The building was built around it.

This Boeing 707 was used by seven presidents until replaced in 1990.  

"2700 was disassembled over a nine week period by a nine person crew from The Boeing Company into the following sections:  fuselage, tail and stabilizers, engines, main landing gear and wings.

2700 was transported to the Reagan Library by truck, on a specially designed trailer crossing four freeways, traveling 104 miles.  The truck departed San Bernardino at 11:00 pm on June 20, 2003 and arrived at our hilltop at 5 am on June 21, 2003."

There was an exhibit on the secret service as well as the limousine, cars and motorcycles.

I don't know if you can see the license plate on the front.  It says "Gipper".

You were allowed inside Air Force One.  

I didn't hear the facts on how large the crew was but the plane holds 52 passengers.

 I thought it was strange that there were two kitchens, one strictly for preparations for the first family and the second for others, but they all had the same food.

Marine One was also on display and you could walk through it.  

We decided to view Air Force One and Marine One without seeing the other exhibits in order.  There were a lot of school children and that way we managed to get ahead of them.  

The Berlin Wall exhibit was very interesting.  

When we went outside to see the rose garden and actual Berlin wall, it was starting to sprinkle.  

It was a great Presidential Library and I highly recommend visiting this one.  

The only down side is the traffic getting there.

Yes, this last 24 hours has been great.  I told Bill if we hadn't had the tour of Daniel's business and hanger the library would have been a bigger highlight.  Just goes to show, family comes first. 

Turtle Safely.......