Happy Easter From a Distance

We want to wish everyone a Happy Easter. We hope you had a great day, however you were able to celebrate during this crisis.

We went golfing with our friends Brad and Martha at Coyote Wash Golf Course in Wellton, Arizona. Wellton is just east of us about 25 miles on the other side of the foothills. Kevin had played there before, but I hadn't. It's a nice 18 hole course. The bonus was that 18 holes with a cart is only $25 on weekends this time of year. We had such a good time, we made plans to go again next Sunday.

After golf, we stopped over at Brad and Martha's house for a little happy hour. Of course, we are keeping our distance from everyone. At the course, we don't touch the flag pin or the rake in the sand traps. We did hear people are coming from California to play the courses in Arizona. That's a bit scary! The course at our resort is only open for residents, so we will do most of our golfing right here at home.

We have been staying at home most of the time. Only going out for limited shopping when needed, and a golf game here and there. Yuma has 20 cases of the virus at this time. We feel pretty safe here, but are being careful.

Staying home has been rather productive for us. I finished painting the porch ceilings and railings. I must say, it turned out quite well. The first picture is in progress, the second is the finished result.

Next fall we will be replacing the porch flooring with Trex boards. It had outdoor carpeting which was so dirty, and it had to go. For now, we have our camping mat over the plywood underlay.

Speaking of camping, we picked up our new fifth wheel on Friday. When it was delivered in late December, the refrigerator was damaged. We went in January to do the walk through, and found a few other minor problems. They replaced the refrigerator and fixed the other items.  We brought it home so we could load our stuff back into it. It sure is nice having our Arizona Room back to normal without all the camper stuff piled in it.

Today we will be finished with loading and organizing, and it will be parked in the storage space we rent here at the resort. Hopefully, we will be able to use it at some point this summer to visit our family in Wisconsin and Nebraska.

I've finished two of the woodcarving projects I was working on this winter. I finished this Santa ornament by painting and staining parts of it, and then coating with a clear finish. It's about 4 inches tall, and will hang on our tree in December.

The cactus relief carving was the first project I ever started two years ago. They kept teaching us new techniques, so the cactus never was finished. I'm quite happy with the result, as it was my first attempt at woodcarving. I did more coats of stain in some areas to give it some interest. The skull and sky are lighter, the mountains medium, and the wheel and cactus darker. Then the entire piece was sprayed with satin finish coating.

When we bought this place, there were a few cactus plants along the back fence. One of them is blooming for the first time since we've been here. Many other cactus in the park are starting to bloom. It's nice to see when we go on our walks.

So, as is the case with all of you; we are staying put. We have some other projects we will work on and enjoy the beautiful weather we are blessed with in Yuma. I'm sure our northern friends are very much anticipating warmer weather in the weeks ahead. 

Our prayers for all of you is to stay safe and healthy!!

What a Difference a Month Can Make

It's been about a month since my last post, and things have certainly changed. Not just here, but all over the world. It's crazy how fast life can take a drastic turn.  We're doing just fine, and hope that is the case for all of you.

Yuma had its first reported case of the virus this week. There are now four cases. Our resort was very proactive, and shut down all buildings and activities on March 16th. The golf course is open with an honor box to pay. We've been playing some golf, doing chores on our place, quilting and lots of reading. The library closed down about a week ago. Thank goodness for eBooks and our Kindles.

I will share a few events that happened before the shutdown. On March 1st, we had a block party for our street. We think about 50 people attended. It was such a success, we are already planning next year's event.

Our neighbors Nancy and Everett introduced a critter racing game. It's a take on horse racing with betting using cards. Each card cost a quarter, and if your critter won, you got a $1.50 payout. Dice were rolled to advance the critters. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the game.

Kevin and neighbor Brent were in charge of moving the critters.

Several of the ladies sold the cards and handed out winnings.

Kevin and some lovely neighbors look happy with their winning cards and critter number four, the teddy bear.

On March 7th the golf course hosted a drive, chip and putt contest. I was a volunteer. In the driving contest, there was a 3 foot metal rooster in the fairway. If you hit it, your name was put in a hat for a drawing to win it. Out of 90 entrants each hitting 3 balls, only one lady actually hit the rooster, so she won it.  It was a lot of fun. Next year we are going to enter the contest.

In January, 2019 I planted an orange tree in our backyard. This year it was loaded with blossoms. They sure did smell wonderful. It is advised to pick off most of the fruit in the first few years so the tree can develop a stronger root and trunk system. I'll be leaving some of them on the tree though. I can't wait to have fresh oranges.

A few weeks ago we had quite a bit of rain. Yuma only averages about 3 inches a year. We had almost that much in 2 days. It doesn't take long for flooding to occur, and the washes to fill with water. As it stopped raining, this beautiful rainbow appeared over the foothills.

This season our park opened a stained glass studio. I took a starter class and made this feather. The $5 fee was a bargain.

The weather has been cooler than normal for March. That's actually a good thing as we've had most days in the 70s. Perfect daytime and sleeping weather. We have frequent pretty sunsets.

I continued to attend the woodcarving lessons. This season we made a wood spirit out of cottonwood bark. Here's my finished product. Next year we are supposed to be making little fairy houses out of the bark. I also made a Santa ornament which is not quite finished.

Since things came to a screeching halt, I've been painting our metal porch ceilings. We have a front and back porch. They had yellowed over the years, so I'm refreshing them with white paint. It's not much fun, but it looks so much brighter and nicer as you can see in the picture. I'm almost done.

Kevin's working on rebuilding the doors of our shed. They had some rotted pieces on them. We also tore up the outdoor carpet on our front porch. It was just plain nasty. We're using our RV mat over the plywood that was under the carpet for now. In fall we plan to replace the plywood with TREX boards. That will be so much nicer looking and cleaner.

We do not have a stay at home order yet in Yuma. Bars and restaurants are closed except for take out and delivery. Most stores are still open. We are pretty much sheltering in place other than playing the occasional round of golf with friends. The good thing about golf is you aren't really close to anyone, and we get lots of fresh air and sunshine!

The only other adventure we've had is grocery shopping. What a zoo. Luckily, we were pretty well supplied with paper products and cleaning supplies. I don't understand this hoarding business. Several of our Canadian friends and neighbors left earlier than planned, so we were the recipients of food they didn't want to throw away. We're set for quite some time.

We wish you all the best, and hope the virus passes quickly. I feel so bad for families who are losing income. I'm also so grateful for all the workers in the medical field including our daughter-in-law Cathryn.

Golf Tournament and Other Happenings

We continue to stay quite busy here at the RV resort as we enjoy some really beautiful weather. At the end of January, we participated in the annual 5K run/walk inside the park. Believe it or not, a few people actually run. We walk with most of the rest of the participants. It's fun, and afterwards the park provides cookies, fresh fruit, and beverages.

We've also attended a few concerts. This was a CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) tribute band. They did a great job, and it was fun to hear the tunes from our younger days.

Last week was a Styx tribute band. The guitar player on the right actually toured with the original band for eight years. They were also good. Unfortunately, the ticket sales were not that good. Styx was popular during the late 70s and early 80s. Maybe just a little too recent for most people here to know their music. I only knew about half of the songs, but it was still a good show.

Every Wednesday afternoon I attend woodcarving. We are currently working on a wood spirit carved out of cottonwood bark. The group is growing, and we are filling up our room every week.

We continue to enjoy plenty of golf. In early February we played in the night golf event. It was so much fun. They do a great job setting up the course with solar lights and glow sticks at night. The glow in the dark balls are fun to watch as they sail through the night sky. Random teams are assigned, and then we play 9 holes in the afternoon, have a chili supper, and then play another 9 holes after dark.

Here's Kevin with Janet, one of his partners.

It was a full moon that night, Here it is rising over the foothills on hole number six as we played the afternoon round. It sure helped us see later in the dark.

Last Wednesday we played in the mixed couples event with friends Rick and Cynthia. We had a great round and lots of fun. We even won some cash!

Yesterday was the annual Fortuna de Oro Golf Tournament. Teams are again picked randomly. It's a great way to meet new people, and have a great time. Here's my team. We lucked out with an afternoon tee time. The morning group got soaked with some rare rain showers. It usually only rains about once a month during the winter.

Each year there are more men signed up than women. The organizer of the event chooses some of the men to be "special ladies" to even out the teams. It's quite a big deal with many of the men wondering if they'll get picked. This year our good friend Syd was chosen. He makes quite a striking tall woman. He's on the right in his pink afternoon golf outfit. There is a dinner after all the golf has been played where these "special ladies" dress up in their evening attire. Since this has been going on for several years, there is quite a selection of wigs and outfits for these guys to choose from throughout the park.

Here is the group all dressed up for dinner. The laughter and fun we have is amazing.

Although we play a lot of golf, it's not all we do. For example, last week the Three Amigos tequila company had free taste testing. I like it better mixed in a margarita.

I also try to get to the quilting room as least once a week. We had a group lesson on the paper piecing technique. Here's the hummingbird I made. I think I may make it into a pillow.

In the last few years several of the park models on our street have been sold. A group of us get together Friday nights after the golf scramble and have dinner, trading off on the hosting duties. Our group is called The New Kids on the Block. Ha, ha.  This past Friday we had a Mardi Gras themed dinner with hurricanes to drink, beads to wear, and a King Cake for desert. The sunset was spectacular.

Cynthia does a great job of getting Kevin to smile for photos!!

So, as you can see another month of fun times is coming to a close. In March people start leaving. By May it is pretty much a ghost town.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Loss of a Very Dear Friend

We are so sad to say that our very dear friend, Richard Patzer, passed away last week. He and his wife of over 50 years, Wanda, were in Florida in their motor home enjoying some warm weather. Dick loved RVing and camping. He got sick, and Wanda took him to the hospital where they discovered a brain bleed. We're so very sad for Wanda and his family.

We've known them for over 25 years, and spent many fun times together in the camping club we belonged to, on several wonderful vacations, in Yuma and Wisconsin. Dick was such a fun loving guy. He loved to play cards and games. Wherever Dick was, fun was happening.

Here are some pictures of memories we have and trips we took. The first three photos are of a cruise we took in January, 2012. It was Dick and Wanda's 45 wedding anniversary year, Al and Joan's 40th anniversary year, and our 35th anniversary year. Dick won the bean bag toss championship.

Last winter they spent a few months in Arizona. We had some great times including a trip to Phoenix for a Brewers Spring Training game.

In 2015 they rented a park model for a few months at the resort here in Yuma, and we had a great time.

In the summer of 2000, a group of friends visited Georgia and South Carolina.

In 1997 a group of us went to Disney World. Dick had sprained his ankle, but that didn't stop him.

These are just a few of the many wonderful memories we have. We loved Dick, and he will be missed by all that knew him.

Here at the resort in Yuma, activities continue. Last Saturday we attended a show by comedian, Tom Briscoe. He was great.

On New Year's Eve in downtown Yuma, they drop the lettuce ball. We didn't attend, but I thought it was funny. Yuma is referred to as the winter salad bowl of the country because of all the produce grown here, so the lettuce ball is perfect.

On Sunday we competed in the Canada/American Golf Classic here at the resort. We had a great time, but lost a close competition with our neighbors Brent and Jan from Manitoba. The Canadians won for a third straight year.

We decorated our golf cart for the event.

Many others also decorated their carts and golf bags.

Here we are with our team.

This golf ball was lodged in a palm tree on the 7th hole.

Kevin with a few of the American guys enjoying pre-game Caesars.

A group of the ladies and Harry.

On Friday afternoons we play in a scramble. Each week random pairings are made. It's a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people. Here was Kevin's team from a few weeks ago. Looks like they had a great time!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!