It's Still Raining

We were hoping for a little fair weather.... you know golf and all those other outdoor kinda things. OH well I guess we'll just do all those things you don't do when it's really nice outside like clean your computer!


I know this may seem weird to write about but I've been having a bit of an overheating problem and all it took was a little old can of air! Seriously. Of course I also tipped it over and opened up the bottom to blow out the fan and then just for good measure picked up one of these inexpensive cooler trays. Hopefully this will hold off the inevitable(new laptop and transferring everything till I am in a safe and secure spot to do it...Like sitting between Jim and Chris!)


Trust me a little time learning how to not only clean up your computer system (back up , defrag, run your spyware and virus controls along with a bit of old fashioned dusting) works wonders.

Updating the"CAJL" Photo Album

Last night we headed about 40 miles north of where we are staying to try and find some good friends that were heading south for alittle sunshine(its been alittle damp lately in Washington).
Like the goof I am I didn't ask the name of the RV Park...what the heck there were only 3. We lucked out got them 1st try!!!


Annie, Claire, John and I go back all the way to Tahoe, a really nice place to start, where we worked and mostly played together. They are definetly "KEEPERS". No matter where we live(they were a big part of our moving to Bend Or....very good) or how long between visits it's like no time has passed. This was a quickie but on their way north we'll spend alittle more time(and I'll post a couple pics of the great woodworking they've done for their motor home. (Unlike us they don't sell their wares, you have to be a very good friend or familly to reap the rewards of their skills.)

LEPRECHAUN ?

If it's in the woods, in possession of treasure and a little Irish is it a leprechaun?


Not neccesarily !

It's Never Too Grey To Play

Here in Red Bluff "Mother Nature " has been dishing out extremely large doses of inclement weather but that won't stop us from checking out a few geocaches. It gets us out of the RV and Ariel loves the ride.
I remember this park from high school days(enough said) It has been preserved and even spruced up alittle.



Now that's a live oak! (See how little John is?)

A Little Champagne

MMMM champagne for a job well done? Ha it's Carl and Robin's anniversary we just happen to be there re-routing their dryer vent and crawling around in their attic.

Just another perk of construction... Happy anniversary !!!!

Stopping...for awhile

We left "Allen's RV Park and Spa" aka Lauri, Rich and Annie's place in Madera and arrived at Red Bluff RV Park . It will be our home for the next month.
We have stayed here many times before when Mom and Dad worked here. It has all the amenities(pool, green grass, close to shopping and food and dogs are welcome) .
Visiting friends and doing a little work is the plan ,with some golf tossed in if it ever warms up! SNOW???

Last fall as we were heading west from Minnesota we didn't take the time to visit my Aunt and Uncle in southern Iowa. We wish we had, so when I found out they were in central Calif visiting their kids we invited ourselves over. It was great.
It was supposed to be a quickie, you know "HI" and hugs. After a slight detour( I was navigator) We found Cousin Brian and his families place.

Here's Brian and Zack.

And Brianna (looking very studious) She is really into animals (alot like her mom)
Unfortunately I missed getting pictures of everyone. Like Rachel( Brians wife )and Emma (who was visting friends) Next time for sure!
But Uncle Lee and Aunt Betty convinced us to head a bit south and spend the night at Lauri's so we could see her and family. If we got lucky Diana and her husband Tom might come out.
As it turned out it was the next morning till we all hooked up.

Lauri,me,Diana and Aunt Betty.
Turns out Diana is expecting her first baby this fall. CONGRATS!
We spent another day visiting. Here's Uncle Lee. Yes I believe that is a smirk. I wonder what he's thinking.

I used to think as little kid it was a bummer to not have any cousins close. But now that we are all grown we can do anything we want its much more fun!!

Cartwheels and Mountain Lions

If you wake up the morning after a birthday and wonder if you can still do a cartwheel , go for it!! If you succeed stop while you are ahead. DO NOT continue trying to get that perfect picture to prove it or you might get hurt.( OOPS, pulled a hamstring!)


The weather was so great we decided to stay another day. It would give us a chance to go geocaching with Jim and Chris one more time and take a nice hike to the beach. (It would also keep me moving...slowly)


Notice I am bringing up the rear. I was just kidding when I said I was the lame member of the pack and sacrificing myself to the mountain lions. When we returned to camp as it turns out a lion was spotted in that same area while we were there .

Looms' New Home

Since moving full-time into the Cosmic Muffin certain things had to be left behind. Like a full size floor loom and everything that goes with it. We travel with 3 sewing machines and a large assortment of woodworking tools so I guess I can't complain but 3 years in the desert had taken its toll on the loom so this year my mission was to find it a new home.
Once again through the friend of a friend( or sister in this case) we were put together with Kathleen at the Strawbale Barn Weavers Studio and she said "yes" she would take it.
Of course getting it there was fun.



I bet we were quite a site driving down Hwy 101
But we made it and after unloading everything what we thought would be a quick visit became several hours. Kathleen was so gracious giving us a tour of the studio (a strawbale structure) and showing us everything and answering questions .

the first floor is spinning, dying, office and an extensive library with many foreign and antique objects used for spinning and weaving.


and the second floor gave me goosebumps.


There were so many looms of different kinds , in different stages of set up and John was loving hearing all about the different places they'd come and how they were made. Of course it doesn't hurt that they are wood!
And to think my little loom gets to live here and be used was so cool. Here's Kathleen and I by my loom.


We also got a tour of the surrounding property. Its the kind of place you don't want to leave but we'll be returning so it's only" Cya later".

SLO and Lopez Lake

This will be my view for awhile(minus the snow I hope)


But now that we are in San Luis Obispo Ca. the weather is nice and the company great.
Jim and Chris have introduced us to their good friends Liz and Stan and Liz has taken it upon herself to use our talents and introduce us to her friends.
We have been keeping busy doing doing a little furniture repair, upholstery, electrical, carpentry...well you get the idea. Hopefully we have made some new friends and we'll return later to complete some larger projects
But with us it's not all work, we have been staying at Lopez Lake State Park. A bit more kayaking and hiking

tree climbing and very big bird watching.

Travel Time

For this leg of the adventure we will be driving separate but having the work trailer done and with us will make all the difference in the world.



That'll be me...the kaboose bringing up the rear with all the really improtant stuff. TOYS!

D & B Leather

One more stop before leaving town is D & B Leather.
Bertha has been coming to Quartzsite for years and if you take the time you can get quality leathers and furs for a fraction of regular price. I'm picking up a nice New Zealand sheepskin for Chris, she likes to do her morning yoga on it. In fact I have upholstered funiture and the interior of our previous motorhome from leather I've bought here.

If you can't get to quartzsite in the winter this is a familly business and you can catch them at the Broadacres swap meet in Vegas year around. (email: sassiecheryl@hotmail.com)

One More Floor

One project we didn't know if we had time for was Dick and Carol Oehlers new floor in their Rv but "Ta Daa!" after a little more tear out time than usual (merely because of size) it went from this...


Dark and hard to clean, to this....


Bright and super easy to care for.( Thats's Lady checking things out)

Back in Quartzsite

We are back at the cabin to pack up the rest of our stuff and finish a couple more projects around the neighborhood.
We did squeeze in a short visit with Jan and Ted in Havasu City and got in on an early birthday celebration for Maggie.


Now here are 2 tarts(aka Maggie and Anita) with 1 very nice torte (aka birthdaycake)

Always Time for a Little More Play

We had just a little more time left in San Diego so after a nice paddle around Mission Bay on the kayaks it was off for a quick round of golf at Mission Bay Golf Course.


Scarey HUH ? And tomorrow it's on to Vegas to drop Ry off for his rendevous with some buds from Minnesota (now that is scarey!)

"Hot Curl"

Unfortuneately Steph had to leave early (school, work and Oh yeah Dr. appointments....I am going to be a grandma!)
I hope we didn't wear her out but we weren't done being tourists yet.
Jim, Chris , Ry, John and I headed for Balboa Park. A great place near the San Diego Zoo.
It was the former site of the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition and now filled with art galleries and museums like the Areospace museum and San Diego Hall of Champions where I snapped this shot of the guys with "Hot Curl"

The USS Midway

So much to see ; so little time. After brunch in Old town San Diego with Cousin Jenny and friend Patrick the whole gang headed for a tour of the The USS Midway.


It was so big but such small doorways!
Of course if you want to get 4 guys to sit down and listen just have someone explain how you catapult huge planes off a moving deck of a ship.


At the same time we were exploring this modern warship there were pirates fighting off our starboard bow.

The Wedding

Josh and Sandy Kinghorn !!!


The stage was set.... Beautiful day at the Southwestern Yacht Club ,friends and family gathered and the deed was done.

Let the Party Begin

Ry and Steph arrived this morning and we wasted no time taking in the sites.

We started st Seaport Village, then on to the Del Coronado Hotel


With a quick stop back at the RV Park to grab Jim , Chris and the pups we were off to John's sister Carole's home and a fun evening shooting pool ,a BBQ and laughing...lots and lots of laughing.(Pool sharks we are NOT)
This was the first time we had seen Carole and Fred's home since the remodel( a new kitchen that she really deserved!


and a family room to die for.

Back in San Diego... There Must Be a Celebration!!!

This time it is the wedding of Josh ( John's son) and Sandy (our soon-to-be-daughter-in-law) this coming Saturday.
We have set up camp once again on Mission Bay but this time Jim and Chris are parked next door (I sense some impending yakking)


It should be a ful week. Friday Ryan and Steph arrive from Minnesota and it'll be Steph's first time here so being total tourists is definately on the agenda!

Happy Birthday/Anniversary

7 years ago John wanted to do something for his 50th birthday that he had never done before.
So faster than you can say"Will you marry me?" we were off to Vegas.
Even tho we were alittle nervous here we are still going strong. It's not every day you find your co-hort in crime, business partner, playmate and last but not least lover all rolled into one.

One Thing Leads To Another

The decks are complete on the Williams house and "_ _ _ _" if they don't make the paint look in a little need of TLC.


Hmmmm now that's better.
Then alittle work on the shop garage...


But have now fear. I wasn't just sitting around watching John work.
I have finally finished reupholstering the interior of Mom nd Dad's Rv.


Trust me it is much brighter. We did all the valances also .
But first I turned Dan's bobcat seat from this...


to this...

Another Year Has Rolled Around

It's New Years Eve and preparations are being made for Mom and Dad's open house and year end celabration here on the desert.
Christmas was great with beautiful weather and just as wonderful friends and family to spend it with.
It started with a cute little tree to get us in the spirit.

A few presents to add to the excitement.

and a Christmas Day brunch.... with the bunch!

Happy New Year!! May the bumps in the road be small and your joys great. Love ya lots!

Have Tools Will Travel

No it's not just a catchy phrase. We really do break out the tools for more than trading work for a parking spot.
Here's John building a deck a few sites down from the cabin in Quartzsite.



John and Tom resting after a job well done. But wait there's more. The back looked so good the front porch must be replaced also. It's a good thing this Evergrain decking is so nice to work with and should hold up well under the extreme conditions here in the desert.

Of course on any restoration or remodel there are a few suprises like no insulation above the living room.


So the 3 of us( John, Tom and I) decided to do it ourselves....Yuk! But more importantly why does John always get to run the control and stay away from the insulation ?

The Absolute Very Last Yard Sale

Ya right!!
But its so much fun.

We say this every year but somehow we always find enough stuff to fill a pick-up truck.
It's a great excuse to visit with everyone just arriving back for the winter so I can't complain and of course it does put a little" jingle " in the pocket!