Service Project

Jan 5, 6, 7
We spent the entire day each day working to prepare Ivan and Milo's home for painting. It has been a much more extensive project than we originally thought due to considerable deterioration of the siding from sun and water damage that was not apparent to begin with.

Mon Jan 3
Today Dad found a needed part and repaired the furnace on the motor home that had quit. We then had to call Dish Network to reset our receiver since all programming had been lost for some reason. The internet was still not restored in the park so we called to cancel our subscription and went looking at alternatives. When we got back the internet was back up but slow. We may resume our subscription after all. What a headache. But in the evening we went to the clubhouse with neighbors we met from Arkansas and played Aggravation. We played six games. Dad and I each drew different partnes and every team shifted opposing teams with each game. Games were timed and fast moving. They play once or twice a week and many other games such as pinochle, poker and bingo are also played weekly. There was a large crowd and we had a lot of fun to end the day.
Tue Jan 4
There were no problems today for a change. Most of the day we were out to Milo and Ivan's home prepping the house to be painted by a church youth service project this coming Saturday. It has turned out to be a bigger job than anticipated and we'll be out there all day again tomorrow. However we feel blessed to be able to help where there is a need, particularly when it is family. On the way home we stopped at a Panda Express for dinner. At the park we were too late for a band concert in the clubhouse but decided to take our first dip in the pool instead. We were alone most of the time and both the pool and hot tub were very clean and perfect temperatures. It felt soooo good. The temperature outside was 50 degrees at 9PM and it was a clear, calm beautiful evening under the palm trees. There is always so much going on here in the park and around the area I can't see how we could possibly get bored for the next three months. When we came back to the motor home we had fresh squeezed orange/grapefruit juice and turned in after a tiring but very enjoyable day.

Sun Jan 2
We spent most of Saturday "nesting" (laundry, etc.) in our new home and meeting neighbors. The good internet was short lived but they are saying they'll have someone check it out on site tomorrow. We attended church this morning in the Goldfield LDS Ward in Apache Junction which will be our home ward for the next three months. The people were very friendly and we felt a warm spirit. It is not a "senior" ward although we found it a small world when at least three other snowbird families were from Pocatello and Idaho Falls and some knew people Dad knows in Inkom. To add to this irony we have been going to contact Katy Merrill (Dad's cousins Norman and Kathy Walker's daughter and Lindsy's friend) to give her some tangerines we picked from Aunt Eula's trees last week. We knew she lived in this area somewhere but then in Relief Society meeting there she was sitting in front of me!

Settled for the Winter in Apache Junction

Fri Dec 31
We visited several RV parks in the Apache Junction area to get a better feel for what is available. We then bid adieu to Milo and Ivan and moved to Countryside RV Park where we have reservations. They had earlier said it would not be a problem to move in a day early as the site was empty. The problems with internet access have apparently been corrected as it is working well this evening. The park is quite nice, seems quiet and has lots of large palm trees. It also seems nice not to be constantly concerned with conservation of power and water and to have continuous access to internet. We will be learning in days to come about all the activities that are available and we plan to make use of the laundry, exercise facilities, clubhouse, pool and hot tub. It is supposed to be another cold one tonight in the 20's but is supposed to warm up in the days to come. We stayed up to play games and usher in the new year. Happy 2011 to all! Our new address is:

Countryside RV Resort
2701 S. Idaho Road
Space 297
Apache Junction, AZ 85119

Who Said Arizona is Warm in the Winter?

Thu Dec 30
Boy what a night last night. The wind was howling, the motor home was rocking and rolling and the rain was beating down all night. It cleared up a little during the day but the wind kept blowing all day and it stayed in the 40's. In the afternoon we went to check in at the park and sign up for internet but the internet service was horrible. We sent a complaint and hope it improves. We plan to move there tomorrow. In the evening we played games with Ivan and Milo and had a fun time before we turned in for a night that is predicted to be in the mid 20's. So what happened to all that Arizona warmth I've heard about?

Frost Coming to Phoenix

Wed Dec 29
This morning we drove into Chandler to visit Dad's Aunt Eula and help her Grandson, Kevin, pick fruit. Aunt Eula is still not looking or feeling well. Tangerines will be damaged with the coming hard freezes that are expected Thursday and Friday nights. We picked about five bushels. Apparently grapefruits and oranges are less likely to be damaged so they were left on the trees. Kevin let us take all the tangerines, oranges and grapefruits we thought we could use and we are in hog heaven. Last night I bought a citrus juicer and the taste of fresh citrus fruit juice is unlike anything you can create with store-bought fruit. Shortly after we got back to camp it began raining quite steadily and it is quite cool. I guess the walk we were going to take will have to wait for a better day.

A Nice Day for a Hike

Tue Dec 28
Today we went with Milo on a 3-mile hike over the Goldmine Trail in the San Tan Mountain Maricopa County Regional Park near here. It was very steep and slippery (loose gravel) in places but provided nice views of the Phoenix area valley as well as lots of desert and mountain scenery. In the afternoon we went grocery shopping and finished the evening watching Red Skelton shows with Milo and Ivan from the collection they gave us for Christmas.