THE AWNING SAGA FINALLY ENDS, WE HOPE!!

November 26 – Some people have been asking whatever happened with our awning problem. Well, we left TT Palm Springs very early Friday morning to get to Camping World in San Bernardino for our appointment at 8:30 AM. The awning fabric had arrived from Dometic and CW would install it at no cost to us. They took us in a little past 8 AM and estimated the time for installation was one and a half hours.

We decided that left us time to have breakfast at Denny’s. I will never understand their pricing. I started to order the Senior Starter for $5.95 – one egg, one bacon or sausage, one biscuit and hashbrowns. Ken asked about the Grand Slam – two eggs, two pancakes, two bacon or sausage, and hashbrowns for $5.99. I quickly changed my order. Why would I choose to be a healthy senior when I could be stuffed with a Grand Slam for the same price!!!

When we returned to Camping World, it turned out the installation would take another few hours.

So we just waited around until they were finished.

We left Camping World about 1 PM heading for TT Wilderness Lakes. Surely do hope everything is right this time around and we won't be back!!!

PICKLEBALL THANKSGIVING DINNER, TT PALM SPRINGS, CA

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

Thanksgiving Day – OMG!! OMG!! I could not believe the turnout for our Pickleball Thanksgiving Dinner!! About a week and a half ago we found out that Thousand Trails was not going to have Thanksgiving Dinner for the members this year. At Pickleball the next day I asked the players who were present if any of them would be interested in our having a Pickleball Thanksgiving Dinner, they way we used to do at TT Verde Valley, AZ years ago. We could buy a prepared dinner and supplement with pot-luck items. There seemed to be some interest so we got started organizing the affair. I was hoping for maybe 10 – 12 people. Imagine my surprise when the list kept growing until we had 30 Pickleball players planning to attend!!!

I checked with the grocery stores nearby to determine their offerings and prices for prepared Thanksgiving Dinner. One day I was explaining what was available when Rick who runs the Pickleball program spoke up and said, “I can cook the turkeys. I can buy the turkeys at a good price and I can cook the turkeys and a ham.” What a God-Send!!

So, Rick and Linda ended up cooking three turkeys and a ham. Everyone pitched in with a variety of food items including gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, salads, green bean casseroles, green peas, breads and of course lots of dessert!! It was wonderful!!

Our Turkey Roasters Rick and Linda at the far end of the table! Thank you so much guys!! They are joined by our long-time friend Peter.


The meal was enjoyed by everyone!!

Seated here are Lynn's son Greg, Lynn himself, Lee, Vicki and Phil.


Don, Larry P., Paulette, and Sonja.

Rita and Betty.

Nancy and Bob, Dancin' Dottie, Sally and Jerry. Dottie's husband Larry could not join us.

Here I am with my helpers for the day, Bob and Pam, Pam and Joe, and Ken, of course!!

I say they were my helpers, but in fact, everybody pitched in to help prepare, carve turkeys, serve, and clean up. Thanks to all of you guys.

It was a great Thanksgiving Dinner -- one I shall never forget!!

“FLORIDA” PLAYERS TOAST OUR MISSING FRIEND!

On our way home after our Thanksgiving Dinner, we happened to pass Bob and Julie’s site where a group of “Florida” Pickleball players were getting ready to have their own Thanksgiving Dinner. (I call them (Ken and myself included) the “Florida” Players because we met all of them in Florida, except Oland and Merralee, but they also came east so they are included with the group.) We stopped to say HI and have a quick drink with them.

Bob happened to mention he had some of Sally’s wine. Back this summer Sally took up wine making when we were all at TT St. Clair in July, and she had honored us by giving us some of her home made wine. We decided to toast Sally, who is back at Torrey Oaks in Wauchula, FL, with Bob’s bottle of Sally’s wine!!

A toast to you, Sally, from Chris, Mark, Barb, Dennis, Julie, Bob, Ken, Faye, Merralee and Oland! We miss you and all the other Players back in Florida!!!

A TRIP TO WINCO, INDIO, CA

November 23 –When we first arrived at Lake Minden in California back in Mid-September, I forgot to Blog that one of the most exciting things for us was that we could go shopping at WinCo again!! We do not have WinCo Foods back east. That’s because, as Marty told us, they are only located in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon.

Well, there is a WinCo in Indio, just a few miles from TT Palm Springs. Ken and I went shopping today.


As you can see, WinCo is a big grocery warehouse!! Food stuffs are stacked from floor to ceiling! The produce and meats are endless!!

But the thing I like best are the big dispensers of bulk foods – cereals, candies, dried veggies, peas, beans, nuts, etc.

Here I am dispensing some pecans into my bag. What fun!!

Or, you can scoop items from the barrels. We have gotten some dried cranberries. You put the amount you want into a plastic bag, then close it with a twister and write the item number on the twister. At the register the Cashier keys in the number, weighs the item and you get charged the appropriate amount.

We went to WinCo today because Peter told us they had Dungeness Crabs for $3.99 a pound. In the Seafood Department we found the Crabs just as he had reported.

The seafood lady told us they were fresh – never frozen, $3.99 a pound, and she would clean them for us.

And then she gives Ken our package of crabs for dinner tonight.

Unfortunately, it was too cool and windy to eat outside, so we had the crabs indoors. We did not have any crackers so we had to pound the hard shells with a wooden mallet. Crab shells and juices flying everywhere -- all over us and our clothes, on the windows, and all over the motorhome!! But it was worth it!! UUUMMMMMM!! But I have to say, they are not as good as our Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs!!!

Wish we had a WinCo back in Richmond or Gloucester!!

BIRDWATCHING AT TT PALM SPRINGS, CA

There are lots of Roadrunners running around in the campground. I captured this one when we were leaving the Pickleball courts.

Also some Hummingbirds. Our friends Pam and Joe kept telling us of all the Hummingbirds flitting around their site. We saw them for ourselves. In the meantime, our feeder sat vacant for about five-six days before the first bird arrived. This one would come over, flit around a little, and then settle down like this. Another bird comes over and flits all the time and never settles down. And then there is another Hummingbird that is a real bully. When he is there he will not let any other birds come near. We’ll have to tell him about the Anti-Bullying Laws!!

I know one thing about myBird Pictures and that is: I need to get Mark (Pheaton Place) to take the pictures for me!! HA HA

MORE PICKLEBALL AT TT PALM SPRINGS, CA

November 22 – More and more players are arriving at TT Palm Springs. Eight AM sees them out on the courts, ready for more action.

Neal and Bob. Neal is wearing his Wild Hair this morning!! A black visor with gray spiked hair!!


Mark and Larry.

Chris and Ken.

Don and Jessie playing left handed because of she has right shoulder problems.

Husband-Wife team of Dennis and Barb.

Lynn and Linda.

Jim and Bob.

Paul and Dottie playing against Jim and his partner. Side Bar: Paul is right handed and is blind in his left eye. I am left handed and I'm blind in my right eye. We kid each other that when we play together we make a whole person!! HA HA

Ken and Don. Ken is showing off some of his fancy moves!!

Chris and Betty.

New Player and Don.

Dennis and Larry P.

Jim and Mark.

It was another fun day on the Pickleball courts!!