WELL, WOULDN’T YA KNOW IT………!!

  

SNUG AS A BUG

Rolled out of Congress Friday night & headed for Surprise Az to meet Aunt Jean being shuttled up from the Phoenix airport.  I always like to be places early so we were in Surprise in less than an hour.  First stop was FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES for a couple yummy burgs & home cut fries.  Only the second time there & it has become our favorite burger stop.  

 

BURGERS & FRIES ON THE WAY………‘HEY YOU GUYS, EYES OFF THE FRIES

Still lots of time before Jean’s arrival so we slipped over to Walmart for some groceries.  While in Walmart, Kelly’s cell phone rang.  It was Aunt Jean.

Using her Tracfone phone, Jean called to let us know everything was going as planned. She had landed & was just waiting for the shuttle bus to pick her up.  Finished up our shopping & slipped next door to the pre-arranged meeting spot in Golden Corral’s parking lot.  The blue SUPER SHUTTLE van rolled in about 40 minutes later from Phoenix.

AUNT JEAN ROLLS INTO THE GOLDEN CORRAL PARKING LOT

Although it had been a nice flight in a new Southwest 737 jet, the long sitting on the plane & shuttle van had taken it’s toll on Jean.  She was very stiff & we had to walk out the cobwebs in the parking lot for a bit before the final hour’s drive to Congress.  Coming from the warm 80 degree temps of Sarasota Florida, we had the Jeep’s heater cranked up against Arizona’s much colder night time temperatures.  We arrived back home about 10:30.  A long day for everyone but Jean was so happy to be here & we are so happy to have her here.  Pheebs was flying around upside down in her usual exuberant happy excitement.  She was all over Aunt Jean with lots of smooches.  Almost knocked Jean clear into the next county with her furiously wagging tail.

LOADED INTO THE JEEP & READY TO ROLL FOR CONGRESS AZ

Jean will be sleeping in my room while here so last night was the first night for  Pheebs & I sleeping in the Sunseeker.   Pretty cozy in there.  Very comfy bed & we had no trouble sleeping.  Pheebs slept on the bed right beside me all night.  We were lulled to sleep by raindrops on the roof.

GETTING SETTLED IN

Managed to sleep in to after 5 in the morning but when I opened the door to let Pheebs out……there was SNOW!!  Ground wasn’t completely covered, but snow nonetheless!!  We had so much been hoping for warm sunny days for Jean & wouldn’t you know it……her first night here the temps go down to freezing & it snows!!!!!!!!

  

Saturday morning dawned cold with a heavy cloud cover.  Busied myself taking some ‘snow on the cactus’ photos.  Later, we did manage to bundle up for a morning walk around the block.  Jean is an early morning walker & I well remember years ago one time when I went to visit her for a week.  She showed me her daily walking route.  It wasn’t just a walk to the corner store & back as we briskly followed her morning route through street after street in her neighborhood along Sarasota’s Bee Ridge Road.

THE GALS WERE LOOKING A LITTLE COLD ON OUR MORNING WALK

  

THESE ORANGES & GRAPEFRUITS WERE LOOKING A TAD CHILLY AS WELL

A SLIGHT SUN SPLASH IN OUR BACK YARD THIS MORNING

 

SAY, IS THAT A COYOTE I JUST HEARD OVER THERE

Aside from a few slightly warm, but brief sun splashes, the day remained cold & cloudy.  I typed this paragraph at noon & it was 36F outside.  Turned out to be an indoor day getting caught up on things interspersed with quiet times, Pheeber follies, & some zzzzzzz’s.

 

Latest Blog Follower DAYTON joins us today as blog follower 555.  Welcome aboard Dayton:))  And a shout out to Aunt Jean’s friends Don & Char way over there in that Florida place.  Jean is as snug as bug in a rug & says now that she can watch Downton Abbey on PBS here in Arizona….she’s gonna become a full time Arizona girl and set herself a spell:))

SO THAT’S WHERE I LEFT MY TAPE MEASURE THE OTHER DAY

A few more thoughts on the Sunseeker.  Soooooo nice not to have a stitch of carpet on the floor & that was made very clear with today’s wet grounds & muddy shoes.  Also figured out there’s not enough room for me & my cowboy hat in the bathroom at the same time.  One of us has to wait outside. 

  

We have a Jenson television in the rig & have heard good things about them, but the sound quality is really poor.   Poorest I have ever heard for a television.    We may have a solution for that before too long.  I like how the furnace & A/C fans work together to circulate the warm air.  Gotta figure out how to make this couch/dinette combo work more comfortably for us.  It’s always kinda fun getting the bugs out of something new.  And, talking about new, sure has been a long time since we’ve had a vehicle with that ‘nice new car smell’ to it.  Oh, & one other thing before I forget.  To get as much into a photo as I can, I use an 18mm wide angle lens for interior pics, so things may look a little more spacious than they really are in my photos.  No matter, you still get the idea.

Well, despite some light snow showers this afternoon, we are all optimistic here that our weather will improve shortly & we will soon be out in the desert somewhere bouncing about showing Aunt Jean the sites:))  

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A little girl had just finished her first week of school.
"I'm wasting my time," she said to her Mother. "I can't read, I can't write - and they won't let me talk!"

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

AUNT JEAN FLIES INTO PHOENIX ARIZONA FROM SARASOTA FLORIDA TONIGHT:))

PATIENTLY WAITING FOR SUPPER

An early post today.  We’re leaving here at 6 p.m. & slipping on down to Surprise Az to meet a shuttle van coming up out of the Phoenix airport around 9.  If all goes according to plan, we will be meeting the van with Aunt Jean on board in the parking lot of the Golden Corral.

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Mike over at MIKE & PAT'S TRAVELS has an interesting post this week on how he loads his own ammunition for he & Pat’s target shooting hobby.  It’s quite a process as Mike explains with words & photos the 4 stages of re-loading bullets.  It has turned into an enjoyable hobby for him since purchasing all the bullet re-loading equipment about a year ago now.  Might want to be a bit careful though….Mike works with gunpowder:))

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A few more thoughts on our new RV & tomorrow we’ll move on to some new topics…………..We all know the many advantages of having a larger RV such as much roomier living space, higher capacity holding tanks, bigger hot & fresh water tanks, etc. but when downsizing, one has to get one’s mind switched around to the advantages of having a smaller RV. And, here’s how I see the advantages. By the way, if we were moving from a smaller RV to a larger RV then I would be writing about the advantages of moving to a larger RV.

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In our new 23 foot Chevy Sunseeker, starting with the engine, I like the fact it is the newer more fuel efficient Chevrolet 6.0 in this rig. I know we will not see a dramatic fuel savings, but it will be better mileage than what we had.  Also like the idea a Class C is easier to service at any garage & will fit in most any bay. We will be back to dealing with normal size tires again. Something our air compressor will finally be able to handle. And, smaller tires mean smaller replacement costs. No hydraulic levelers or slides to worry about anymore. Standard exhaust system again means a substantially reduced replacement cost compared to the long dual exhausts on a Class A. The gas/diesel pros & cons go on forever but felt comfortable sticking with the more familiar gasoline engine.

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We now have driver & passenger doors & I like that. We will miss the big panoramic view out the huge Motorhome windshield but we’ll live with that. I like the idea of the smaller, cozier cockpit with better heating & air conditioning qualities. And, how sweet it is to once again have a great sound system & quieter ride. Really missed that with the Motorhome. Like the idea we have power windows now too. And, OMG what about all this new computer stuff I am seeing in the dash. I remember my first car never even had a gas gauge. (61 VW Beetle) How am I ever going to get my head wrapped around all this new auto technology. Blue tooth, touch screen, iPod, built in GPS, Sirius satellite radio & the list goes on. I am sure there are many features on this computer center I am not even aware of yet. Well, no matter, I just might surprise myself by somehow figuring things out eventually. One of the reasons I like our Jeep Wrangler so much is there is no fancy schmancy stuff in it, but here we are now with……………….oh well, despite myself I’ll probably be alright.

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And, here’s another reason for downsizing at this time which some folks may think about but rarely talk about. I’ve already mentioned about it being much easier for Kelly to drive. If something were to happen to me, Kelly wouldn’t be stuck with a large aging Motorhome she wasn’t comfortable driving. If she decided to keep right on RVing, the 23’ Sunseeker would be perfect for her. As I said, not something couples may talk about a lot, but something I think couples should definitely think about in their future plans. We’re not exactly ‘invincible teen-agers’ anymore ya know……………….

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After Thursday’s long post & many photos, I figured I’d try to keep things shorter today.

PHEEBS SAYS, THANKS FOR ALL THE NICE EMAILS, SHOUTS, & COMMENTS FOLKS:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  "My wife and I have structured conversations...
first, she gives me her opinion,
then she gives me my opinion."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

LIKE A COUPLE KIDS IN A CANDY STORE:))

 

(This is Thursday’s Post)

It was Kelly’s determination, perseverance, her financial smarts & a little bit of luck that put that 2013 Chevy Sunseeker in our driveway Wednesday night.

 

OUTDOOR SHOWER & UPGRADED ONAN 4000 GENERATOR

We both felt this particular rig (same one we first saw in Quartzsite) with all it’s options & upgrades, low mileage (3,300 miles) one owner, chassis warranties, & 6.0 Chevy engine was just too good a deal to pass up for us.  We already knew from internet research, that this same unit, even without all the upgrades, is worth far more money in Canada.  We know we will get dinged a pretty hefty 13% sales tax when we reach the border in a couple months, but we allowed for that. 

NICE TO HAVE A WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

Didn’t find out until Tuesday afternoon that everything was in place & the deal was done.  I tried my best to keep a lid on this whole thing until we actually had the rig home & in our driveway.  You can well understand the huge strain I was under.  As you know, I am not a fellow who is very good at keeping a lid on anything!!  Not even my peanut butter jar……………………….

 

LOTS OF STORAGE FOR A CLASS C

‘RVS 4 LESS’ service facility is in Parker Arizona.  Their prime winter Arizona location sales lot is in Quartzsite, north of I-10 on the southwest corner of the traffic light.   Sold units in Quartzsite are taken to Parker & processed there & that is how we ended up having to pick up the Sunseeker in Parker Arizona Wednesday.

  

PROPANE TANK & GLAD TO SEE THE SEWER PIPES ARE ENCLOSED

We ran into a few ups & downs Wednesday but we persevered until all the paperwork was finally done, etc.  We rode out the downs with patience & rode all the way home on the ups.  Things are done very differently here in the southwest than they are in Canada so we had to be very understanding of the procedures & how things are handled.

TRYING OUT VARIOUS COUCH CONFIGURATIONS

 

 

Finally got the Jeep hitched on the rig & rolled out of Parker Arizona around 3 p.m. heading for Blyth California.  It was immediately apparent to me we had made the right decision with this 23’ Sunseeker.  I was just amazed at how well it towed the Jeep.  That had been a concern of mine.  Just like the Damon, if it were not for the back-up camera, we would never have known the Jeep was hooked on behind us.  The Chevy engine was just as peppy with the Jeep on as off.  There was no lag, no pushing, no bounding, jerking or swaying.  What a complete joy it was to drive this totally smooth & perfect combination of vehicles.  It was as if the two vehicles were as one.  And, the Sunseeker itself is just a dream machine on the road all on it’s own.  Wow:))

ESPECIALLY LIKE THE PUSH BUTTON FURNACE CONTROLS ON RIGHT & NOTICE THE ‘ARCTIC’ SWITCH TO KEEP TANKS FROM FREEZING

   

REAL OAK WOOD, REAL LEATHER SEATS, & ‘WOW’….A REAL SUBWOOFER FOUND UNDER THE COUCH:))

Rolling south through the California countryside we were like a couple little school kids pressing this button & that.  A Will Ackerman CD showed us what a great sound system we now had.  Kelly fiddled with the upgraded rear view camera, I had the power windows going up & down like a yo-yo.  Cooling & heating knobs were turned, & I liked the cruise control right in the steering wheel.   We were feeling pretty excited about it all. How smooth & easy it was to drive.  And a much quieter ride for us too.  Reminded me of the Town & Country mobility vans I drove a few years ago.

 

GOTTA LOVE THIS HIGH POWER AWNING, NO MORE BANGING MY FACE INTO THE AWNING ARMS:))

Took us an hour & a half following the Colorado River to reach Blyth where we were to meet someone in the Century 21 Realty building.  This is where the final paperwork is done & it is done in California to avoid the Arizona taxes.  It’s just the way Arizona dealers do business in these parts.  Luckily, that only took about 20 minutes & we were FINALLY on the road headed home which was still over a 2 hour drive to the east. 

IT WAS UNDER THIS PLYWOOD WE FOUND THE STEREO’S BIG SUBWOOFER

Climbed aboard I-10 about 4:45 & crossed the Colorado River into Arizona.  Stopped right away at a Flying J for gas, a Wendy’s fish burger & coffee.  Normally, I only drink one coffee a day now but today I had 3 just to keep my head in the game.  The second was at a McDonald’s in Parker earlier.

<<< WE WILL TRY CLEARING THE CONDENSATION IN THE BACK-UP CAM WITH A HAIR DRYER

What a great feeling it was with the sun slowly setting behind us as we cruised right along down I-10.  .  We blew by Quartzsite where this whole adventure had began just a short week & a half ago.  Ten miles later we rolled off I-10 & made the turn onto highway 60 for Congress.  Kelly had the manual out & pretty much figured out all the super techno radio/stereo sound system Mossmagatorisms.  She plugged in my iPod & found my Playlists.  As the setting sun cast long shadows ahead of us across the desert floor, it also painted the mountain tops in an orange & amber hue.  It was then I heard a warm welcoming unmistakable sound coming from the half dozen or more speakers in the rig.  Yep you guessed it………….’The Sons Of The Pioneers’.  To the superbly melodious harmonies of, Along The Santa Trail, Empty Saddles In The Old Corral, Ghost Riders In The  Sky, & my personal favorite by the boys, Oh Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie, we merrily made our very tired way along an old desert trail to Congress Arizona, arriving home around 7 p.m. 

PHEEBS MAKES FRIENDS WHEREVER SHE GOES

We sure had one happy little doggy to greet us & she wasted no time in getting our new travel digs all checked out.  She was as excited about it all as much as we were.  I was tooooo tired to write a post Wednesday night so just included pics & called it a day.  And, what a day it was too………………

 

Now, I will quickly bring today up to date & try my best to keep it short.  And also try to keep a myself down to a dull roar over this great little RV we just brought home.

First order of business this morning was a big clean-up of the rig.  Living in a dusty desert makes for driving a dusty vehicle.  Kelly worked on the interior while I washed it, cleaned glass, sparkled up some wheels & shone up some fenders.  Whenever getting a new or used vehicle, I always enjoy that cleaning it up & decking it out part.  And no, we will not be removing any furniture, or painting & wallpapering any walls.  This little Sunseeker is fine just the way it is:))

  

Tweaked the sound system & cranked the tunes while we happily scrambled around inside first trying this & then trying that in an effort to familiarize ourselves with various couch configurations.  It can be made into a bed but we didn’t care for that.  We removed the small kitchen table & continued our look around.  Upgraded pillow top mattress on the bed is very comfortable.  Washroom….very small.  Not hard to get in or out of the bunk over top the cab, & it’s very spacious.

CAREFUL AL….THERE MAY BE A LOAD LIMIT ON THAT BED

Only problem we have found so far is condensation in the back-up camera.  We’ll try a hair dryer & see if that clears it up.  We have a water filtration system now as well.  And, a black tank flush connection too.  This little rig even has heated tanks underneath.  Two coach batteries under the steps & gotta love that power awning.  I like the push button furnace controls.  And, one thing I immediately liked when I stepped into this rig for the first time was the darker wood finish, & the fact that all the wood is solid oak.  No fiberboard panels in the cupboard doors.  Real wood:)) 

We do have some folks interested in the Damon but they live in Mesa.  We’ve been in touch so we’ll see if they take a drive up in the next few days.  A few other interests as well, so we’ll see.  We are both sooooo looking forward to putting all this buying & selling stuff behind us.  It’s been a very stressful couple weeks in the old Recreational Vehicle department for sure.

ANY ROOM UP HERE FOR ME IN THE TOP BUNK DAD? 

GROANER’S CORNER:((   A couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the wife sarcastically asked, "Relatives of your's?"
"Yep," the husband replied, "In-laws."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.