FAYE'S BROTHER. VISITS TT PALM SPRINGS - DAY 1 SATURDAY

Jan 28 - Saturday. My brother Nelson, from Chester, VA near our hometown of Richmond is working for a company that is in the process of performing inspections of the buildings on Air Force bases around the country. Next week they will be working in the Los Angeles area near LAX. He drove over to spend the weekend with us here at TT Palm Springs. He stayed nearby at the neighborhood Motel 6. It was really great to have him here!!

The first thing we did, after lunch, was to take him over to the Pickleball courts to hit a few balls and show him a little of what Pickleball is all about. He thought it was pretty neat! Had great fun hitting some balls.

Ooops! Oh well, it happens to the best of us!! Don't give up Nelson!!

Nelson commented that the area did not look like a desert. So after Pickleball we drove over to Coachella Valley Preserve Visitor Center and took the hike to McCallum's Pond Oasis. He had his taste of the desert!! It was only one mile to the Oasis but it seemed like much further than that because it was all desert hiking!!

We finally made it to the Oasis -

My brother, Nelson at McCallem's Pond. It was beautiful!! But then we had to hike back!!

After the hike, we took him for a drive through Indio. Showed him Wal-Mart, Costco, Home Depot! We stopped at Shields Date Farm and sampled all of their date varities!! He passed on the Date Shake, even though I warned him that Everyone would ask him, "Did you have a Date Shake?"!!! Then we had to take him to WinCo!! He won't see that chain of stores back home!!

The day was over but not the fun!! Nelson had said he wanted to take us out to dinner. We choose the Elephant Bar, of course. We have been to the Elephant Bar many times for Happy Hour, but have never been there for dinner. What a treat!!

The meals were magnificant!! I choose the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi over rice with fruit salsa! YUMMM!

Nelson choose the Bar-B-Q Salmon with Corn and Black Bean Salad!

Ken had a Shrimp Platter -- Fifteen Shrimp prepared in three different ways!! He had already dug into the Terrieki Shrimp before the picture!

Since it was a birthday celebration, The Elephant Bar treated Nelson to an Ice Cream Pastery! And we gave him a Ninty-Nine Bottles of Beer birthday card! What a fun and delicious evening!!

So glad you got out here to visit us Nelson!! See you in the morning!!

FAYE'S BROTHER VISITS TT PALM SPRINGS - DAY 2 SUNDAY

Jan 29 - Sunday. Nelson had stayed overnight at the nearby Motel 6. He came over to have pancake breakfast with us on Sunday morning. YUMMMM!

After breakfast we walked over to the Pickleball Courts to hit a few more balls. Nelson was much improved from yesterdays' workout!

In a little bit a nice young couple we had not met before (Phil and Cindy) came along and played a few games with Ken and Nelson. The foursome had some really fun games! Phil played with Nelson.

Nelson served.

Cindy and Ken are worthy opponents!

Nelson is ready to return the ball.


Oops! Oh well, you can't get them all!!

Nice game!! Thank you so much Phil and Cindy! See you on the courts!

Later in the afternoon I took Nelson for a drive around the area. We went over to Cahuilla Hills to see the Pickleball courts there (where the heavy players play). We went to the Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center and drove about 5 miles on SR74 into the mountains. Nelson loved the view of the Valley.

After that we drove East on Hwy 111 to downtown Palm Springs. Don't know why we didn't get pictures of that neat town!! Next was Cathedral City and the Cinemark theatre where we go to the $1 movie!!

Nelson was fascinated by the cell phone towers disguised as palm trees!!

We hated to see Nelson leave that evening! Looking forward to seeing you again real soon, Nelson!! Thanks for coming!!

HAROLD AND MARION, THE NEWLY WEDS!!

We posted an article in our Blog last June that we had seen Harold at TT Verde Valley. We learned that his former wife, Althea, had died in February. In June we met Marion, a friend and neighbor to Althea and Harold in their home park in Mesa.

It seems that Marion has become more than a friend to Harold and they are now much more than neighbors!! In fact, we received an e-mail that they were married at the end of 2011. Later, in January they had another wedding ceremony that their families could attend.

Marion and Harold exchange vows.

And the traditional eating of the cake! HA HA

Marion is a really nice lady. We are very happy for them both!! They seem really, really happy together!!

CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!!!

ASIA SEAFOOD BUFFET, MURRIETA, CA

Jan 24 - Tuesday afternoon at TT Wilderness Lakes, what do you do? Why, you go to the 50% Senior Special at The Asia Seafood Buffet in Murrieta, about 10 miles south of the campground. Diane had suggested the Pickleball players meet there for the buffet. We all quickly agreed and I made the reservations for sixteen!

Lois, Diane, Jim and Jenny in the first booth.

Around the big table: Phyllis, Ranger Al, Brownie, Jessie, Dick, and Bev. Ken and I are at the other end of the table but you can't see us!

In the second booth: Carol, Clint, Jenny, and Dale. Dale really knows how to work those chop stix!!

And here we are at last: Ken and Faye. Jessie and Brownie across the table from us. Brownie almost NEVER poses for pictures. This time he posed but made an exaggerated point of licking his fingers after eating fried chicken!! That's why I'm laughing so big!! I have on my sunglasses to hide the fashionable bandage mentioned in another article.

It was another delicious buffet at the Asia Seafood Buffet!! Thanks for suggesting it, Diane!

ANOTHER VISIT TO DOCTOR LESLIE, THE DERMATOLOGIST

Mon, Jan 23 - I had become concerned about a small place on the left side of my face, beside my nose very close to my eye. And, Ken had a place on his arm that worried him, so we had set up another appointment with Dr. Leslie Radentz our Dermatologist in Murrieta, CA (We had seen her in October). On Wednesday afternoon the 18th, after we moved to TT Wilderness Lakes, we kept our appointment with Dr. Radentz.

Dr. Leslie found several places on Ken's arm and back that she treated with liquid nitrogen (Cryotherapy). There was one place on his back on which she did a biopsy.

When the doctor examined me, she found several places on my right hand and on my face, in addition to the one I mentioned above. She also treated these places on me with liquid nitrogen. Finally, she then performed a biopsy on the skin lesion next to my nose.

I was surprised on Monday, January 23, to receive a call from Dr. Radentz's office telling me that my biopsy was positive, and could I come to the office that day for surgery. We had planned to drive over to Lake Elsinore for the afternoon but quickly changed our plans.

We had been told on Wednesday that we could expect the treatment sites to blister and scab in the next few days. Ken had no reaction to his treatment. I experienced the some blistering which I showed Dr. Leslie on Monday when I went in for surgery!!

Blistering on the left side of my face -- nothing to that!

and blistering on the right side of my face!! That's OK, too.

But, when Dr. Leslie saw this Cryotherapy blister on my right knuckle, she could not contain herself! "Wow!!" she exclaimed. "This is the biggest blister I have ever made!!" She immediately called her husband Dr. William to come and see the blister. He teased and said, "Blister! What blister? I don't see a blister!" They thought I should win a prize for having the largest intact Cryotherapy blister ever!!!

She told me to ignore all the suggestions that I prick the blister to let it drain. Leave it alone. It will heal itself.

When the excitement about the blister died down, Dr. Leslie excised the lesion beside my nose and processed the tissue for Microscopic evaluation. When this had been done, she declared the evaluation show that the margins were clear and all of the Invasive Cancer had been removed. She patched me up with this very fashionable bandage!!

I will go back on Friday to have the stitches removed.

By the way, Ken's biopsy results were negative.

Thank you, Dr. Leslie. So glad our friend, Jim P. told us about you!!

CHILI HAPPY HOUR AT TT WILDER!NESS LAKES, CA

Jan 19 - Diane provided the hot Chili and Lois provided the site and fire pit; the rest of us pitched in with our own contributions and we were ready for another Pickleball happy hour!! We all had a great time sitting around the campfire eating Chili, Chicken Wings, Lemon Squares, etc.

Here are our hostesses and host Diane, Lois and Jack. Thanks guys for putting this together for us. What a perfect evening!

Linda and Roger.

A happy group - Jennie, Linda and Jim.

Mark and Lorrie.

Ken and Faye.

One of many uninvited guests!! The local fowl worried us to death. This one is on the RV roof but others kept landing on the food table and buzzin' us around the campfire!! Get out of here!!

Lois with Phil and John. Welcome John to your first Pickleball happy hour!!

Linda cutting up with Ken!! Ken seems to be enjoying it way too much!!

So I had to cut up with Phil! He's not enjoying it so much!! HA HA

Thanks gang. It was a fun evening! See you on the courts!!

BURGERS WITH DEL AND JERRY AT DESERT POOLS

Sat. Jan 14 - We moved from TT Palm Springs to Desert Pools in Desert Hot Springs, CA on Wednesday. Del and Jerry were already there, a few sites down from us. We cross paths with them a couple of time a year when we are out West. They invited us over for hamburgers on Saturday afternoon. Del's brother Jerry and his wife Sue were also at Desert Pools so they joined us, too.

The picture looks as if we were at our site -- an Allegro Bus similar to ours, our Suzuki in the parking lot!! And, if I had taken a picture of the grill, it's the same as our, too. But, we are actually at Del and Jerry's place!!

Faye, Ken, Sue, brother Jerry, husband Jerry, Del.

Thanks Del and Jerry for a fun afternoon and delicious burgers!! We'll see you again when we see you!!

SO LONG TO PAT AT BURGERS AND BEER, PALM DESERT, CA

Jan 14 - Pat will be returning to Michigan on Friday to attend to her father for an extended time. We wanted to say Good Bye to her and wish her well; and to assure her that Bill will be well taken care of!! HA HA

We met at Burgers and Beer late Monday afternoon for the occasion because they have Happy Hour every weekday afternoon and Sliders are the Monday special -- four Sliders with all the trimmings for $5.99. YUMMY!

Hayden (aka Bill), Pat, Bill, Faye, Ken and Gloria.

Don't worry about Bill, Pat!! You've left him in good hands!!!

TO OUR SENIOR FRIENDS!!

POLO MATCHES AT EMPIRE POLO CLUB, INDIO, CA

Sunday Jan. 08 - During Pickleball this morning, Gloria's friends Mary and Keith rode their bikes pass the courts and chatted with Gloria. When they were gone, Gloria said Mary and Keith had said they were going over to the Polo matches at the Empire Club in Indio. Matches started about 1 p.m. We all said Hey! Let's go!! We can take something for tailgating along side the polo field during the match. So we did!!

During a time break in the match, a gentleman tailgating near us gave Ken a polo ball. He said if the ball goes out of bounds, spectators may pick them up.

Here is Ken with the polo ball. Note the Big E imprinted on the ball; proof that it belongs to Ken!! But, Ken returned it. FYI polo balls are made of high-impact plastic and are about 3.5" in diameter.

Gloria, Bill and Faye after stumping divots following the first match.

The Opening Ceremony prior to the match. During the Ceremony the National Anthem was sung to the simple strands of a single guitar. It was so inspiring, and in this beautiful setting, it was just perfect!


Some of the exciting match action!!

After the match, trophies were awarded to the winners. The young man standing next to the official is actually a kid eleven years old!! He was given Sparkling Apple Cider in stead of the normal champagne!

Here's the group at the Indio Empire Polo Club!! Hayden, Gloria, Mary and Keith (we ran into them at the matches), Bill, Pat, Ken and Faye!!

That was a lot of fun on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in a beautiful setting!! And, it was all FREE!!