Buckskin Mountain State Park AZ

Several sources had mentioned this park on the Colorado River, so we made plans to visit there this year. The park is located 11 miles north of Parker and about 20 miles south of Lake Havasu. I was thinking that being on the river = cooler. WRONG!!!! We had four nights there with daytime temperature 93-100 degrees. Too hot for me! The state park only offered 30 amp services which means only on AC, and that could barely keep up. We arrived a day early so we had a site in the trees and then had to move the next day to full sun. I told the man in the next site that he would hear our AC running. He responded that he needed 50 amps to run his AC. I asked how many units he had, and then explained you don’t turn them all on. He was sooo surprised. He didn’t think of that. Immediately his front door closed and he turned on an AC unit.



The park sits within an oxbow of the Colorado River. An oxbow is where the river loops out and returns a little south of the original turn. It creates a shape more than the letter C and a little less than the letter O. A small peninsula of land fills the interior.





We could see the river by looking left or right from our campsite. Large grassy area and lots of big trees filled the park. Rocky hills provided a beautiful backdrop to the river view. I would like to return here in many Jan. or Feb. when the temperatures are more tolerable for me.



Sitting on the river bank, under the shade of trees, and with a slight breeze felt wonderful.



Some sites have full hook-ups, and others have just water and electricity. Taking in a full tank of Sun City water turned out to be a great idea. The park water was questionable….but that’s what filters are for in Arizona and Southern California.



A well-marked swimming spot kept the boaters away. However the water temperature felt like the ocean, so we never saw anyone swimming.


Boats, Boats, and more boats filled the lake. From early morning until sunset a loud roar filled the air. The Johnny-go-fast cigarette boats raced up and down the river. The big ski boats came next in the noise rating.



Pontoon boats filled with lots of people vied for river space.




Then the ever present jet skis running flat out swerved in and out of wakes.




Kids on simple floating devices stayed close to the shore and enjoyed the river too.




We were surprised by the lack of water safety measure. No obvious regulations seem to be in play. Neither kids nor adults wore life vests. Three young girls, maybe 9-12 zipped up river on a jet ski without vests.

The park includes a grocery store, an arcade and a restaurant. One large room sells nothing but swimsuit. Most people ran around in swimsuits….no matter how old or what shape they were in.



The park also includes a lovely cactus garden.




Derrille took advantage of the hiking trails that looped through the mountains above the park. He said the views were awesome. Of course he never remembered to take the camera, so we just have his word on it. The lovely mountains above the park also blocked cell phones and computer hook ups.We drove into Parker and Lake Havasu for coverage. He used his phone when out walking in the hills.

Parker has all the essentials. Every fast food joint, a Safeway and a Wal-Mart. They even have a Bealls Outlet which I checked for tops. We explored the RV sites and land between the park and Parker.



The La Paz County Park has two rows of sites. The front row sits on the river. The sites are closer together and without greenery, but right on the river.


The Emerald Canyon golf course is here also if you like to play golf.



In some inlets the houses appear crammed together.


RV parks dot the riverside.





As we got to closer to Parker, big houses fronted the river.




Many of the garages are built to accommodate large boats.



The park sits on land owneds by the Colorado Indian Tribes Reservation. So, of course they have a lovely casino.


We drove south through Parker and crossed over the river. With the taxes in California, the Arizona side of the river draws the population. However check out this sign on the California side of the parks between Parker and Havasu.


One day we drove north to Lake Havasu. We aren't sure why, but Havasu doesn't appeal to us. We did cross the London Bridge and explore a bit. I did appreciate the AC in Burger King. BK provides wi-fi, and we set up the computer with our secure mi-fi connection.

Perhaps someday we will return to Buckskin Mountain State Park.

Winter 2013

The sun reflected tessellations patterns on the floor of the crystal clear pool as I swam my morning laps. I could feel the warmth of the sun when it decided to peek out between the clouds. The outside air temperature measured 61 degrees and the flags flew straight out. Thank goodness the pool heater worked properly. Welcome back to Chula Vista!


Winter in Sun City AZ rates the coldest one yet. We experienced a week below freezing. It snowed in Mesa and baseball for the Diamondbacks was cancelled due to snow on the field! The cold created many days where even driving the car to the pool remained out of the question. The weather continued to flip between cold and hot for a few weeks. We had a severe wind storm with rain and hail. Then in March it decided to warm up and cause us to fire off the air conditioners both day and night. The shifting temperatures didn’t allow me to acclimate as well to the 90 degree weather that showed up near the end of the month.




More visitors discovered the wonders of a little Arizona vacation this year. We found ourselves dining out two, three, or even four times a week. What a gift you are, my friends! I’m looking forward to seeing all of you again next year. This year our friends across the street even had us over to their house twice. I hope to cook for them next year. One evening we returned from baseball and were deciding what to have after we cooled off from sitting in the sun. Our neighbor knocked on the door and said “dinner’s ready, come on over”. So we did. She had invited three other couples and made it a party. How great was that?




Since the RV is “home”, we chose to remove the sofa. The angles needed to sit on the sofa and watch TV were uncomfortable. So we purchased a recliner and end table. I love my chair! When I sink into its softness, I don’t want to ever get up again. (That presents another kind of problem, but “Oh Well”!)




Baseball began early this year on March 22nd. Except for a few days off, we saw a game almost every day. Derrille and I attended 33 baseball games this spring training season. As usual, the people we met came from all around the country and provided interesting visits. Next year we plan to alter the schedule with at least one day a week off. A game every day for twenty days straight proved to be a bit taxing. After attending games together for 11 years, plus another year where just Derrille and my brother-in-law, Roger, came down, we’ve seen a lot of games.

I’ve thought about the blog many times and even taken photos to include with the different topics. Then time slipped away and writing time remained nonexistent. I’ll try to do better now that baseball is done for another year.



We left Paradise RV Resort in the afternoon of Tuesday April 2nd. Our park model neighbors all came to say good-bye. Then we drove down to the Freightliner facility. Last year they created a great parking place for RVs coming in for work. They provide nice wide spaces, big enough to send out all of our slides, a 50 amp plug and a covered outside waiting area with picnic tables. They even put in a doggy park. We went down to “Camp Freightliner” and plugged in. The lady next to us had been a school bus driver. Her husband died last fall, so she had her sister-in-law and brother-in-law with her. Their kids were teachers. Derrille spoke with others there, and they were retired teachers. As advertised: the Freightliner techs assigned to each rig arrived at 7 AM and drove each rig into the shop. Derrille and I went to breakfast and ran some errands before picking the rig up at noon and heading west.

Musings...hmmmm

Today represents a “winter day” in the southwest. Heavy, gray, strata clouds hang low over the valley. Rain gently drops down and dampens the streets. The air feels calm and quiet. The forecast expects a high of 78 degrees F. Hmmm I don’t see that happening today although the current temperature reads 57 degrees at 11:00 am. Ashley, our old lady cat, naps directly in front of our space heater looking very content.

This kind of day encourages reflection. Lately Derrille and I have tried to replace several items. The stores no longer carry what we consider simple things. I suppose I could check the antique stores. For years a visit to antique stores allowed me to view things currently in use in my home, or things I recognized from my mom’s house. The older we get, the more you see “your house” shown as an antique.

I’ve never minded aging. Each decade presents interesting times and insight. I do miss my size 10 body and the wardrobe possibilities it provided, but that’s just a memory now. As time accumulates and technology advances products change. We have searched for the following items in the last month or so.



When the cold weather hit, Derrille needed a warm pair of sweat pants for walking. He wanted the gathered waist, sturdy fleece, and elastic around the ankles…you know, like he wore in high school (50+ years ago) and over the years since then. Most sweatpants today are styled with straight legged and designed for “lookin’ good” in case you want to stop by Starbucks for a latte. We searched throughout the store until we found a pair made by Russell that fits his needs. The search gets continually more difficult.

I want to replace my swim cover-up. The same problem exists. The designers display some darling things to cover one’s swimsuit. However, darling usually doesn’t include longer sleeves, zip front, a hood and longer lengths. When swimming outside in November, December, and January, the trip from the pool to the RV needs something with a little warmth. The wind created by riding a bike to the pool just doesn’t warrant “darling”. I may just make me one now that I own a sewing machine again.


My digital timer gave up the ghost recently. No problem…..whip down to the store and replace it. Wrong! Five to seven dollars seemed like a good price range. Grocery stores and drug stores no longer stock these. At Bed, Bath, and Beyond, one style retailed at $10 and another at $20. Neither one fit my needs. Apparently a simple digital timer resides in the past. Maybe I can find it in the antique store.

A great shock for me happened at Christmas. Last year I wrapped saran wrap over my shiny Christmas ornaments to keep off the dust that might creep into the storage tub. Little did I know that saran wrap not only kept the dust off, but it took the color right off the ornaments. My shiny red balls now include streaks of bright silver. Oh well….go out and replace them. Wrong! For years shiny red (blue, gold, silver, green, pink, etc.) ornaments came boxed by the dozen and could be purchased anywhere with a holiday display. Usually the display included a variety of sizes. Not so anymore. Today that dozen includes a variety of colors. The monochromatic boxes may display “red”, but they include shiny red, satin red, matte finish, solid balls and crinkled balls. We searched everywhere and could not find a dozen shiny red balls in a singular box.


My grand-niece married on 12-1-12. Her wedding photographs came on line recently and she sent me the link. The Multiple Chemical Sensitivity that keeps me from airplanes, hotels, churches, enclosed gathering of people etc., also kept me home, rather than flying to the family celebration in Washington. I really wanted to go, but the thought of being ill for a week or better made the decision for me. Yea to technology for enabling people like me to view all the wedding proofs and get a sense of the event!

The insight to aging came with the photos. It occurred to me that the current wedding scene ideas reside beyond my bank of knowledge. When the plans were shared, they struck me as unique, a bit odd, and beyond my imagination. We haven’t attended a wedding in a long time, and I am obviously “out of the wedding loop”. What the photos showed was a creative, elegant, beautifully planned and executed wedding! Joy on the faces of the wedding party and guests jumped out of the photos. What a great wedding! I wish the happy couple a lifetime of love and happiness.

I’ll leave this today with a couple of thoughts:


It’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.


Each day comes bearing its own gifts,
Untie the ribbons.

BRRRRR

The snow fell silently covering the lawn, the gardens, and the trees. It continued to fall, and fall, and fall… accumulating to 16 inches that December 2008. The temperatures plummeted and the snow stayed around for 3 weeks. Inside the house the wood stove threw out heat, the furnace ran to keep pace. We were dressed in layers, covered with blankets and still cold. The time to fly south with the snowbirds had arrived.

Four years later we sit in Sun City AZ and watch the thermometer read 27 degrees each morning. BRRRR
We left the NW in winter for warmer temperatures. Who knew the jet stream would drop nearly to Mexico in January 2013?

When the alert occurred people went out to cover the citrus trees. The small ones could be covered with plastic or sheets, but the big tree need to make it on their own.

Those of us in RVs went out and wrapped the water pipes creatively. We also unhook our water as a precaution.

Dog owners still need to get their dogs out, even in COLD weather. Here are some photos of some people taking their dogs out. Notice the headbands, gloves and heavy coats. I love the “Fargo” type hat of the man across the way. These same people usually walk in tee shirts and jeans or even shorts. Most of these people are from cold climates and just had to dig into their storage bins for appropriate attire.

The only person who probably doesn’t mind the cold snap is the Shamrock Propane man who delivers our propane in the park. When he filled our tanks he said “if only he could have a dollar for every phone call he received and people asked ‘where are you?’ and ‘when are you coming?’ “The Shamrock truck moves constantly around the park on our appointed days.

After a week of below freezing night temperatures, we are looking forward to next week’s forecast of night temps in the 40 degree range and day time temps of 67-76 degrees. January temperatures often fluctuate, but not to the low extremes of late. We have managed the cold well. However, I hope to get back into the pool soon. Derrille has still been walking each morning. We bought him a new thick pair of sweatpants and he can layer for warmth. The number of walkers out and about dipped with the cold. A few brave souls did get out on bikes in the afternoons. BRRR still too cold for me. We used this opportunity to take our bikes in for yearly maintenance. They will be back with the warm weather, when we need them to ride to the main complex and swimming pool.

Stay warm wherever you are!

Good By 2012 Hello 2013

Hi friends,

Just a few notes to catch you up on what been happening lately.


After a glorious start to the 2012 Holiday season, our activities sped up. I completed a fleece throw blanket for each or our sons.

My ladies lunch group got together for fun and laughter. One lunch group friend, Donna, moved to Philly last fall. Fortunately for us, her non-stop flight to Orange County ata Christmas came through San Diego. We were delighted to spend time with her. Although she had returned to Philly, we celebrated her Jan. birthday by going to lunch in her honor. This photo taken at our Jan. lunch. We go to different restaurants around the city. Loads of fun!

The week before Christmas I dedicated to making cookies. Christmas baking remains a favorite part of the holiday. I made up big trays for the maintenance guys who keep the park looking so good, and another for the office ladies. I also put together a couple of smaller plates for friends and the kids.

Jeff came down for 4 days and we had a wonderful holiday. We laughed so hard on Christmas Eve that our eyes watered. Sharing time with both boys at the same time will always be special for Derrille and me. We've gotten use to nice sunsets here in Chula Vista. Rain storms came into San Diego, and we waited for things to dry out before taking down our holiday decorations.

I'm throwing in a few sunset shots to help separate the paragraphs.

For those who don't know about my shoulder problems:
Usually we leave San Diego on Jan. 1 and head for Arizona. However this year I choose to get the assessment of an orthopedic shoulder doctor regarding the severe pain in my shoulders. The cook at the park spoke highly of him. Good to try a known doctor from a Sports Clinic. After x-rays the tech remarked: "Ohhh, you've been hurting for a long time.....lots of calcification". The doctor's assessment showed I have excellent strength and he thought good Range of Motion (ROM). ROM was one of the reasons I went in along with the extreme pain. I can't get my hands around to my back. So Derrille and I think maybe I have good ROM for a 66 year of my size. The bottom line is no rotator cuff damage, just massive arthritis. He gave me a cortisone shot in each shoulder, suggests shoulder exercises, continued swimming, Aleve and shots 3-4 times a year as needed. So far.....so good.

We arrived in Sun City, AZ on Jan. 8th to friendly welcome of office and neighbors. We stopped for diesel on the way in. To our delight it was only $3.56/gal and we didn't take much. Then we checked into the park and received the Thousand Trails discount which gives us 3 months for $999. Yea!!! The site size equals about 2.5 of a Chula Vista site...good. We sit on dirt without privacy vegetation...oh well.

Paradise RV Resort includes about 1000 sites. Park model homes flank the streets with spaces for RV's here and there. Because of the cats we live in the pet section. Since animals need regular walks we get to met and greet lots of nice people.

We've been in our current site on 21st street for several years and know the neighbors. This year commemorates Derrille's 12th year here and my 11th. WOW!

The neighbors in the park models across the street call Colorado home in the summertime.

Ballroom

Post Office Mailboxes


The main complex includes the offices, a ballroom with/stage, a library, post office, card rooms, diner, billard room, a small gym, a music room (choral & instrumental) and craft rooms for wood, lapidary, ceramics, sewing, and stained glass.

Lawn bowling, shuffleboard and tennis courts rim the buildings. This year they put in two new pickle ball courts. Apparently pickle ball rates as the latest trend down here.

The middle of the complex containes two hot tubs and a large l-shaped pool. The pool temperature resembles bath water. The chemicals are salt based so no clorine problems.

One of the things we like about this park are the grassy sections, trees and flower beds.

I also like the duck pond area with the gazebo for free afternoon concerts a couple of times a month.



The park brings in entertainment and provides bus trips around the area. Bowling, golf, hiking, biking, whatever you like to do can be found here.



The park also has a community of bunnies and quail. But I can't find previous photos I've taken of them,and I haven't seen them in good light for photos yet. The local coyotes help keep the bunny population in check.



The after we arrived the temperature came in around 66 degree. Then the storm blew in.
The next 5 night time temps are forecasted to be about 26 degrees. BRRRRR. The sun shines in the daytime which helps. I usually ride my bike to the pool, but on cool days I take the car. This morning the outside temp. registered 44 degrees so I moved quickly between the car and the pool to get in my morning laps. My hour in the pool was delightful...getting out was a bit dicey. I waited for the breezes to ebb before making my dash. Hopefully the climate will return to normal in the next couple of weeks.

With over 200 golf courses in Phoenix, this sign can be seen often.


We went to dinner with our baseball friends from Montana last night. She brought us a bag of oranges fresh off her tree. YUM!


May 2013 be good to you and yours.