Sitting pretty in Casa Grande, AZ

     Is it December 18th already?  Wow, I am behind in my blog.  I am the great procrastinator.  It's been so long since I wrote anything, half of what we've done I don't remember.  Let's see now...
Web access has been scratchy at best.  It's been hard to get on and all connections are unsecure so we don't use it that much because of the frustration.
      The weather of course has been wonderful.  Cold nights, yes Ella we know what you meant.  The days though are just perfect temperature wise.  The sun shines brightly.  It's the perfect weather I've been looking for.  Mike-are you listening? It doesn't even seem like Christmas time here.  Lots of homes and mohos have decorations on their buildings and vehicles and in their yards.  The palm trees are wrapped in bright lights and the radio stations stores and even the resort bathrooms have been playing Christmas carols since Thanksgiving (US).

     Today Mike asked me what I want for Christmas.  I told him this trip was my Christmas gift.  He's been wonderful to me.  He lets me sleep in, makes my supper, walks the dog at least once a day, encourages me to get in a good walk a couple of times a day and mostly doesn't nag too much about the state of the moho.

     We left Yuma on December 15th.  On December 13th Mike had his 58th birthday.  I'm afraid I never gave him anything but a birthday hug and a free dinner at the Cocopah Casino. We rented a car for the weekend last week.  That was a good idea and one that we want to do again.  It's Friday night and I forgot we did that. We drove around Yuma and area.  We visited the big Market and the little market.  There was all kinds of stuff to see and buy but I kept my hands in my pockets even though I wanted one of those neat loungers and a big patio mat.  The car we rented was a PT Cruiser.
     We visited Cocopah Casino and drove out to the Cocopah RV resort where we know some people who are staying there,although we didn't look them up.
     Yes, Ella we went to Los Algodonas.  What a hoot that was.  That little town on the Arizona, Mexico border was made up of dentists and more dentists, opticians and optometrists, pharmacies and gift booths selling jewellry and leather goods, linens and pottery and outdoor accessories.  Many Americans and Canadians go over to get prescription medicines, eye glasses, and dental work done.  I was disappointed to find that massage therapists were just as expensive as at home. 
     We met more Enderby residents in our resort.  Derek and Bertha Stevens and  Gary and Sharon Schmidt (?)  They live on Northern Street.

     Oh yes, we went to a parade last Friday nigth in downtown Yuma.  It was a Christmas light parade with floats all decorated with lights and marching bands with the students or instruments lit up with Christmas lights or those glow sticks that everyone buys for night time parades.  This truck was very well lit so I thought I'd post it.  There were over 70 floats and bands, including 4-H clubs with their sheep and dog therapy groups and dog agility groups.  It was a very enjoyable evening.  I'm glad we went. 
     On Tuesday, Dec. 15th we headed out to the Phoenix area of Arizona.  We made it to Casa Grande and very easily found the park that we are staying in now.  We are ensconced in the Palm Creek RV and golf resort.  As first time visitors we were told earlier by someone to ask for the special rate.  Buy one week and get one free.  Such a deal!  It really is a beautiful resort.  It has an 18 hole executive golf course.  No carts allowed.  There is league and pick up slow pitch, horseshoes, tennis, shuffleboard (outdoor), pickle ball, cards, lapidary, silversmith, sewing (quilting), painting, crafts, etc.  One lady said that if one was bored, it was one's own fault.  I agree. 
     Mike and I have learned to play Pickle ball, we've watched slowpitch (they call it softball), played cribbage, Mike played in a pickup slow pitch game today. He was being recruited by team members in the slowpitch league.  I went to a craft session where we all made bracelets with memory wire.  I took my own beads and shared them with the lady sitting next to me.  She bought a pair of my earrings.  My bracelet turned out really nice.  Mike walked to Wal-Mart to buy steak for supper while I went to a Mah Jongg game but there was only one table so I watched for a while then left and came back to the moho to take the dog for a walk. 
    I also visited the street of homes for sale here.  Some of them are really very nice and quite large.  The park models are more reasonably priced and they had a great special on land rent for 4 years at $1000. per year, but you have to pay County taxes on the homes.  Some of the homes for sale were being rented out and are selling fully furnished for $99,000. US.  Too bad the $ is not at par and too bad we are not looking for a place to live for 6 months of the year.  Not yet anyway.
   I think I may have caught up with the doings around here.  Brenden, Betty and Greg say hello.  Patty, Betty's son married Ray Russell's daughter in September.  Small world eh?

ttfn folks,
Mave n Mike