After all this time... And Bloggerfest

No great insights or anything to excuse the absence.  It's been a busy summer, mostly moving, first my Mom and then myself.  I hadn't gotten settled in when we took the motorhome on a trip back East, dropping Mom off at family in Kansas City and then going to a friend reunion in Kentucky.  I had fun, the motorhome is a bit worse for wear.  It was definitely a shake down trip.  Nothing that money and a repair shop can't fix.  

I'm moving down to the Valley for the winter this next weekend.  I kept saying Friday, but I need to see if anyone will be around to be a second set of eyes as I put the car on the dolly.  I am pretty sure I know the steps, but may not have the hand strength to tighten everything up.    I didn't take the car back East as I have too much difficulty getting gas in the motorhome with the car attached.  The gas cap is in the middle of the back, so placement close to the pump is mandatory.  I'm too long with the car attached to get in and out with my current driving skills.  One tank of gas per trip and everything is great.

Callie dog turned 1 this week.  She is basically settled in.  I haven't trained her as much as would best, but for our lifestyle it works so far.  Bosley cat got comfortable enough while traveling that he actually came out from under the couch a couple of times while we were going down the road.

I haven't felt well for the past week.  I went for a covid test Friday and yesterday got the negative results.  A neighbor had been exposed at work, and I had been around him.  It seems not to be covid, but whatever it is that hits me every year around time to swap places.  I'm clearing out my smaller storage unit and using the previous motorhome for storage, parking it in the storage lot here at this park.  Cheaper than the storage unit, and since I already have the motorhome it is the easy way out.  Also, I'm not sure I could get enough out of the motorhome to buy a cargo trailer to take it's place.

It is time to set the date for Bloggerfest.  Saturday, January 22, 2022 I will be at the shelter house at La Posa South to see anyone who cares to show up. More details once I get settled and can make sure nothing is a problem with that date.  If all goes as I hope, I'll have the motorhome there for the week or so before that date.  Feel free to get the word out.  This is a get together for bloggers, blog readers, and anyone else who cares to show up to get to know and catch up with each other face to face.  I don't know if I'll get George's fancy banner updated to post on the blog or not.

Caos

We had 24 hrs of off and on gentle rain that modified the temperature and brought up the humidity.  Luckily there was little wind or lightening.  Fire situation seems to be under control for now, although the towns north of us are still evacuated.  Payson is pulling together to help the folks displaced.

Mom's move is winding down.  Not as much sold as is I'd like, but what is left next Monday will be donated.

The door to my fridge fell off this morning.  Too much wrong with this motorhome now, too much money needed to bring it up to standards.  Said I'm rv shopping.  Less than 20 min later I've committed to buying my manager's Pace Arrow motorhome that be hasn't got time to use.  Now, once Mom's apartment is cleaned out I'll start clearing out this motorhome so Callie, Bosley and I can move into it.

If it's not one thing it's another.

Quick update

I'm sorry I've been remiss at keeping folks updated.

Mom bought a 5th wheel in the park where I live in the summers.  New manager at her retirement apartment was adding more.and.more.rules and she got disgusted and decided to go into the rv park.  That is where all my energy has been going, helping her move.

Friday a wildfire was started north west of Payson and the two towns north of us have been evacuated down here.  Highway 87 north out of town is closed tight.  The fire is still growing.  It is called the Backbone fire if you want to check it.

That leaves highway 87 S to Phoenix and highway 260 east to I 40 via Heber and Holbrook.  Just learned that there is a fire near Heber this morning.  I started loading the keepsakes here at the apartment to put in my storage unit intending to get closer to being ready to leave if they close 260.

While texting Sandy Dixon to keep here in the loop, got a text that a semi hit a power pole in town on 87 and there are wires down.

Also, it has been over 100* every day.

Mom is holding up well, I'm doing my best, Bosley cat and Callie dog are fine.

If it's not one thing it's another.

Puppy is 6 months old

Not much going on since I moved to my summer spot   as usual, pictures of Callie are taken by Sandie or Jim Dixon as I can't get a decent angle or get her to slow down enough to pose.

Moved, thanks to lots of help on both ends.

Time to move

On Saturday I will move back to my summer spot, out of the Valley heat.  I have a new to me tow dolly with surge brakes to use this time to tow the car as I go.  I'm hoping this will make the process easier.

The picture, if it works, is Callie a couple of weeks ago.  She is growing and settling in well.

This post is kind of a test as I'm doing it from my phone.  That hasn't worked well for me lately so I'll see if this works now.

I'm still alive

 I'm fine.  I am having connection issues this year, so my time online has been cut down.  I'll try (again) to do better.

I appreciate everyone who  came to Bloggerfest.  One of the things I appreciate about this more or less mobile life is the sense of community.  Between blogs and get togethers I feel connected to folks almost as much as when I lived in a sticks and bricks house and worked and lived in a constant community.  One of the things I'm not good at is doing the front end work of publicizing Bloggerfest.  George always took care of getting the word out about it, and I just showed up with the signs.  I am very much not the first to keenly miss George, for many reasons besides his gift for letting folks know about Bloggerfest.  Hopefully next January our Canadian friends can join us again, and I'm going to ask others to help get the word out.

I have a new puppy named Callie.  She turned 4 mo old this past Monday.  It is a challenge to give her the guidance she needs.  I'll put pictures up soon.  I'm constrained in that by the fact that my phone pictures are too large to post directly to Blogger.  I'm looking for a new laptop as my main machine is having issues staying connected.  Then my 20+ pound cat, Bosley, used the open laptop as a route to stay high and out of the way of the new pup.  The keyboard is now toast.  I now have a separate keyboard hooked up, and I'm slowly moving primary work to my small netbook.  It is all a work in progress.

I am making slow progress on clearing out my stuff.  I'm getting more and more ready to let go of things that I do actually like, and enjoy owning.  Most of it is things that don't work in my current life.  Also, most of my stuff is not high end, expensive things.  I tell myself that I give myself permission to buy a replacement of at least as good a quality, if not better, if I actually need something again once I get rid of it.

An example of what I just said is that my front air conditioner quit working at the end of last summer.  I have put off getting it fixed as I have been getting by on the rare times I've needed it by using the rear air conditioner.  It cools the bedroom off nicely, but the front of the coach stays hot.  Since I'm needing it badly already in February I was about to call in the service tech.  However, I really don't want to put a lot of money into the motorhome any more as it is having issues that show that I will need to replace it in a few years.  My answer is that I just ordered a portable 110V rolling air conditioner/heater that is a heat pump.  I'll need to move things around to make room near a window to vent it, but when I move to a different RV, it can come with me.  The part I could be unhappy about is that Mom had a really nice one that I sold for her a few years ago when she went into her apartment and no longer needed it.  Oh, well, they still make them and my new one will be here Saturday.

My other news is that on Monday, at 3:45 am I received my first of two Covid immunization shots.  I'm scheduled to receive the second on March 15 at 5:30 am.  The stadium in Glendale, AZ runs 24hrs a day giving shots.  Mom received her first shot on February 4, and is scheduled for the second on March 4.  Her shots are at a reasonable time of day, and are up in Payson, where she lives.  Arizona does seem to be doing this right.

Bloggerfest Saturday, January 23

I will be at the shelter house at La Posa South around 1pm on Saturday.  I hope to see some folks there.  George always took care of getting the word out.  I have the signs but am not so good at publicity beforehand.

I have a new puppy, Callie.  She will be with me.  She turns 3 months old tomorrow and I've had her 2 weeks.  She is a small chi-weenie.  Not a lot else is getting done other than keeping her fed and safe and keeping the place puppy proof.

Mom and I have appointments to get the covid vaccine on February 22 early in the morning.  Mom got tested on Monday and it came back negative.  Mostly all is well here.