Nice Rack!

Bike rack that is...sorry, I just couldn't resist.:-)  It was time for a new bike rack for IRIS.  Since we are now towing the Tin Can, we lost the use of our bike rack and have had to carry them in the motorhome, which was no fun.

I did a lot of research online at Camping World and Amazon and found this ladder mounted bike rack at Amazon for $65, with free shipping, what a deal!

I like this rack because it not only holds the bikes out of the way when traveling, but it also folds to the sides to enable me to use the ladder once the bikes are removed.  

Lock Arms Into Position

Arms Swing Out For Ladder Use!

When I received it yesterday, it appeared that it may have been installed and returned, but all of the parts were there with only a couple of minor scuff marks, so I didn't go through the hassle of returning it, although I know Amazon would have had no problem if I did.  

Bikes Secure And Ready To Roll!

So I can't wait for our next trip, which isn't until November, to really give it a try.  I am just glad we don't have to see and hear the bikes moving side to side within our rig as we go down the road and it will be great having them along on our next trip.

Tracy and I are off to Wilsonville, OR to visit our daughter Stephanie and SIL Randy for a week and can't wait to see the Fall colors.  More to follow from there and we hope you are all having a safe and enjoyable week!

Scalped!

Well its that wonderful time of the year here in Arizona when the days become shorter and cooler and the nights start to get down right cold! (Well we say that its cold anytime it gets below 50, so we are wimps when it comes to cold weather!)

Along with this change comes the decision each year as to whether I am going to put in the time, energy and money to scalp our summer lawn (which actually stays green until the end of October) and plant winter rye, so that we can enjoy the green grass all year long and continue to mow :(. 

Before Scalping, Actually Looks Nice and Green!

After Scalping, Brown and Ugly!

Well the one year I didn't plant a winter lawn in the last 20 years, our house became the site for a family Christmas celebration, with family coming in from all over the country.  Well we had an ugly, brown, dead lawn with the kids and parents complaining about being covered in dead grass.

So this weekend, I worked for several hours scalping the lawn followed by my annual trek to Home Depot to spend $89 for 50lbs of perennial ryegrass.  I spread the seed night before last and the birds are having a field day eating it.  I thought a few were going to fall over dead or at least not be able to fly, because they were so full of my expensive ryegrass. 

So, now that the lawn is in, it will be guaranteed that no one will want to come for Christmas this year, even though our yard will look beautiful.:( 

I know many of you are reading this and saying thank goodness we don't have our sticks and bricks anymore and don't have to deal with planting grass each year.  I feel the same way and look forward to not having to do it for too many more years!  

So I will continue to chase the birds away and make sure that the water is coming on four times each day to keep the seed wet, and hopefully I will have some pictures of nice lush green grass to share in the near future.  

Thanks for the visit and hope you are somewhere where the weather is as nice as it is now in Arizona!

RV'ers Are Great!

Well I had a great time at Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low for four days.  I had every type of weather, wind, rain, cold and beautiful sunshine.  The nights got a little chilly and I was not as prepared as I should have been!

My Nice Spot!

Spent most of my days working on IRIS, hiking and riding my bike around the area.  Didn't particularly like the split campsite that I was in, as it didn't provide for much privacy.

With that being said, I did have some great neighbors.  The first day my neighbors were two women from Phoenix who wanted to buy our Suzuki Sidekick, which we lovingly refer to as the "Tin Can". They said they had been looking for years and had never came across one as clean and nice.  That was a very nice compliment for sure, but I told them that the Tin Can was not for sale!

My next neighbor was a couple in a tent trailer from the West Valley of Phoenix who were up to celebrate their Birthdays.  They were slow cooking ribs that smelled wonderful and I'm not sure if I was looking hungry or what, but they offered me dinner.  They said they had friends who were supposed to join them from the Valley, but they chickened out because they thought it was going to be too cold.  I invited them to join me in IRIS for dinner and I heated up their potatoes and macaroni and cheese in the microwave.  We all enjoyed a great dinner and conversation, while our electric fireplace kept us all warm!

Beautiful View!

I took a trek in the Tin Can to visit Ginny and Mickey who are neighbors of Jim and Sandie of Where Are The Dixons Today? fame, when they are in Apache Junction.  They were staying close to Fool Hollow Lake and Tracy and I had met them at McDowell Mountain last year when they were camping there.  We had a great conversation and it was as if we had been friends for years.  We have actually never met Jim and Sandie except through their blog, but it sure has been great getting to know their neighbors and I committed that we would all get together this year for sure!

Finally, my last neighbors arrived Saturday afternoon, a family with two boys and friend who were camping near them. They invited me for a beer and conversation around the campfire.  Unfortunately I had already fired up my campfire and was enjoying listening to ASU Football on my headphones, so I thanked them for their hospitality, but declined.  

Well, with all that visiting with great RV'ers, it was unfortunately time to head back down the mountain and back into the oven and reality.  I left my site at 6:45am and I arrived at home just after the start of the Cardinals game at 10:00am.  It sure was a great time to leave, as I hit very little traffic and the scenery was beautiful in the early morning sun!

My Walk Along The Lake!

It was great to get home to Tracy and catch up on all of the things she was up to over the weekend.  We dreamed about what it will be like when we have more time to travel and enjoy more of what I experienced over the last four days.  

Until then, we will have to continue to get away as much as possible and continue to connect with great people like I had the pleasure to meet and spend time with during this adventure. I hope your adventures are going great and thanks as always for stopping by!   

From Wind To Rain!

Well another great nights sleep, must be the clean mountain air. The wind let up around 8:00pm last night, so I was able to enjoy a nice fire, but with no unexpected guests this time.  My shoulders are still aching this morning from all of the waxing activity, but Iris sure came out great!

Woke up to overcast sky's and light rain this morning. The weather forced me to stay inside with the fireplace going and my favorite breakfast of eggs, bacon and hashed browns, Yum! Good thing I am only here for four days, otherwise I would gain 20 pounds!

Below is a shot of my view, not bad! Hope your day and weekend are off to a great start. Enjoy it and thanks for the visit!

Unexpected Guest!

I made it through the high winds yesterday to Fool Hollow Lake.  After getting set up and having a great dinner, the winds calmed down in time for a nice fire. 

While enjoying the clear night and the bright stars, I noticed that something was keeping an eye on me from a tree branch above. Not sure who placed this red bear in the tree branch, but he was a welcomed visitor into my campsite. 

After a restful night, I got up the energy this morning to wax the motorhome and clean up the oxidation. I used the 3M product that Rick recommended and it worked great on everything but the decals. I will have to figure out what to do with the decals, but I am very happy overall with the 3M Marine Restorer and Wax and would highly recommend it, especially on newer rigs.  

The wind is blowing like crazy now, so I am laying low and recovering from my waxing workout. I am sure enjoying the cooler weather, even if the wind is blowing everything around, even the small animals. I hope you all are having a safe and enjoyable day and thanks for the visit!

Headed To The Hills!

Well it has been months since IRIS has left her spot on the side of our house, so it is time to get her up and running again before taking her in for a smog test next month. Work has finally slowed down slightly, so I was able to book the last spot at Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low for four days.

Fool Hollow Lake!

Tracy is booked up at work, so I will be flying solo for this trip.  I am looking forward to some time resting, reading and waxing IRIS.  At the recommendation of Rick from Rick & Paulette's RV Travels, I purchased a couple of bottles of 3M Marine Restorer and Wax from Amazon that I am going to use on the passenger side of the motorhome that gets the most sun.  I tested it on a small spot yesterday and it appears to work great.  I will let you know how it goes.  

I will finalize things in the morning including getting the Tin Can hooked up for the trip.  Because I havent towed in awhile, I had to go back and familiarize myself with the towing procedures again.  

They are calling for high winds in Show Low tomorrow and Thursday, so I hope I won't get blown off the hill like our last trip up there in October 2012.  

I hope you are all doing well, thanks for stopping by and more to follow from Show Low!

Holiday Weekend in California!

We had a great weekend with my nephew and his family in California over the Labor Day weekend.

We jumped in Tracy's new Hyundai Sonata that we named "Silver Streak" and had a comfortable and fuel efficient ride over to Murrieta California, averaging 33 miles to the gallon as long as I kept the car under 80 miles an hour.:)

Fun to drive and fuel efficient too!

We had lots of visiting time, great meals, a shopping trip to Old Temecula and even got to watch Tom's son Evan's Pop Warner Football game! I would like to say that our weather in California was cooler, but the temps were in the high 90's with high humidity...Yuk!

Fun times!

Well as fast as the wonderful weekend started, it was time to head across the hot desert to our home.  I was happy that we didn't hit as much traffic as I thought we might and we are back to our routine today.

I hope your Labor Day Weekend was safe and enjoyable and thanks for the visit!