Still Having a Great Time in Yuma

It's been about a month since my last post. We've been keeping quite busy and enjoying ourselves so much, I've been negligent in blogging.

Last night we went to a dinner sponsored by the resort. The theme was "The Gambler". We had a delicious dinner of ribs, baked potato, baked beans, Cole slaw, corn bread, and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. After dinner there was music and dancing. Our friends the Patzers and Stanleys are staying in the park, so the six of us enjoyed the dinner with lots of fun and laughter.

 As you can see, Kevin doesn't like having his picture taken. He made up for his shenanigans by letting Judy take the picture below.

 The dance floor was full all night. The band played a special song just for the line dancers. They filled the space, and looked like they all knew what they were doing.

We had a great time, too!

Right around the beginning of the year, I got a toothache. I went to a dentist in Mexico that was recommended by friends that have been here for years. I needed the tooth pulled due to a broken root. They did root canals in the two surrounding teeth. Yesterday I got the bridge for the three teeth installed. It feels good, and I'm hoping will last for many years. It sure felt strange having a big hole in the side of my mouth. The extraction, two root canals and the bridge with all appointments and x-rays cost a total of $1,100. Lots of money, but much less than it would have cost at home as we don't have dental insurance. We'll see how well it lasts. I've read there are between 400 and 600 dentists in the small border town of Los Algodones. Many Americans and Canadians have dental work done there.

We've been playing quite a bit of golf. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we went down to the course with Dave and Judy and did some practicing. Here's Dave and Kevin on the putting green.

Today we're playing in the Canada versus US tournament. This is the first year we've been invited to participate. We hear its great fun, and are looking forward to it.

On Mondays we hike with the hiking group in the park. There have been around 35 to 40 participants each week. Last week we hiked in the North Gila Mountains. It was a great hike, but at the limit of my comfort zone for scrambling up and down rocks.

There are quite a few mine shafts out in the hills. In the mid 1800s many people came to this area to mine for gold, some even having success. They had to hike in with their mules and bring all supplies including water. I can't even imagine how difficult it was digging out these holes.

Here's the group from the January 21st hike.

One of the steep slopes we came down.

 Tired, but feeling successful after the three hour trek.

We've had more than normal rainfall this winter. The dessert is covered in greenery compared to other years. Look closely, and you can see the green carpet over the hills.

One morning after some overnight rain, the foothills were shrouded in clouds. I don't recall ever seeing that before. It was quite mystic looking.

I'm still quilting, but am finding it difficult some weeks to have time to get up to the quilting room. I really enjoy going up there and sewing and socializing with the many great ladies there. In January we had a mystery quilt project. Everyone got the same pattern. It's really amazing how different they all look based on the fabrics people chose. Here's mine. It's a crib size. I love how the colors turned out.

Last Friday we played in the weekly mixed scramble golf event. After it was over, a couple came up to us and asked Kevin if his name was Kevin. It turns out this couple, Tim and Dianne from West Virginia started reading my blog several years ago. Tim told us reading my blog was the reason they became fulltimers, and why they came to this park. It was so interesting talking with them. We plan to visit with them again before they leave.

The remodel is still underway. They have been working a bit slower than we'd like, but are making progress and doing a good job. They have a little work left to do in the Arizona room and then complete the outside painting. I'm hoping it will be done in a few weeks.

Removing the closet in the Arizona room and adding a window has really opened up that room. I love how it's turning out. Here's the before and after of that wall. We now can see out the back of our home, and enjoy the beautiful view of the golf course and see the sunsets from inside. The washer was moved to the shed where the dryer already was. Makes it much easier to do laundry.

So, as you can see we've been busy enjoying life. The weather was colder and wetter than normal for several weeks, but still better than up north. Lately, it has been in the mid 70s and sunny. No complaints from us. My thoughts are with our friends and family in the Midwest who are suffering through some brutal cold weather. Stay safe up there!!

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