FAREWELL TO DELL AND JERRY

Jan. 01 – Dell and Jerry have been good friends for years. We last saw them in September 2008 when they came to TT Chesapeake Bay. We remember the occasion because Hurricane Hanna came through. We had to evacuate the campground and go to the Elk’s Lodge in Richmond.

Anyway, it was great to see them again here at TT Palm Springs. But they are leaving tomorrow morning to go to Lake Havasu, etc. Our mutual friends, Carol and Bob invited us over this afternoon to bid Dell and Jerry a fond adieu and safe travels.

Heinz, Dell, Jerry, Faye, Carol, Bob and Renate. (Ken is behind the camera!)

SATURDAY PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT AT TT PALM SPRINGS

Jan. 01 – Even though today is New Year’s Day, we still had our weekly Saturday Pickleball Tournament. There were 16 participants.

Here is some of the action:

Renate and Ray.


Phil and Jessie.

Larry and Lynn.

Phil and Ken.

Judy and Roy.

Mark and Richard.

Dell and Ray.

Jessie and Faye.

Paul did a great job of keeping score.

Brian came over to watch Judy play. He has just had toe surgery!

Bob and Mark.

Larry and Olan.

Judy and Ken. Brian in the background watching.

Larry and Bob.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!!!

TT Palm Springs held a New Year’s Eve Party on Friday night.


Some of us Pickleball players went over for the occasion!!

Mark, Merralee, Dennis, Julie, Bob, Barb (taking the picture), Olan and Chris.

We had wanted to all sit together but the seating arrangement did not allow for it.

At our table: Jerry, Dell, Ken and Faye on the other side. The other four people at the table were unknown but became friends.

Across the room was the Hiking Group. On the right of the table: Bob, Muriel, Bob, Carol. On the left side are other hikers but we do not know them. Sidebar: Carol is also an excellent Pickleball player and is even better at Horseshoes!!

There were lots of appetizers and snacks. Everyone brought their own drinks and ice. Music was provided by Stan Wayne. He was a little too subdued for my taste.

Some of the crowd.

All in all it was a good party but Ken and I could not last to midnight!! We wished our friends A Happy New Year an hour early and went home to watch the ball drop on TV!!

A $265 FUSE??!!

Tuesday, Dec. 28 – We left TT Pio Pico today and went to TT Palm Springs where we hoped it would be warmer!! It’s been pretty cold, especially at night. The higher elevations got a lot of snow!!

View of snow capped mountains en route to Palm Springs.


When we arrived at Palm Springs we found a site next to Mark and Chris. As soon as Ken plugged into the 50 Amp electric, I smelled an electrical burning odor! And we lost electric. In a matter of less than 30 minutes, the house batteries had run down and the generator would not start!! Mark and some other Pickleball friends came over to see if they could help Ken figure out the problem, but to no avail.

We went to an RV Service shop nearby. They thought the problem might be the Switch Box where all the electric comes through – 30 Amps, 50 Amps, generator. That made sense, but they could not get to it for a week. That night we ran an extension cord from Mark’s motor home to our Lasko electric heater so we would not freeze overnight!

The next morning we called RV Medic mobile service. Their serviceman came out within an hour. He checked the Switch Box, and this, that and the other. Finally, he determined the problem was a blown fuse in the inverter! He did not have the right size with him, so Ken and I went to Radio Shake in Indio for the fuse. When we returned, the serviceman replaced the blown fuse to the tune of $265!!

We were just glad to have electric again!!

But, we’re not finished yet!! When I started to wash some clothes, the Washer/Dryer was dead as a door knob!! The Splendide representative thinks the power surge may have “fried” the circuit board!! That can’t be good!! We have a call in to the Splendide repairman!! The saga continues!!

TOURING THE USS MIDWAY MUSEUM

Dec. 27 – Today we toured the USS Midway Museum in the San Diego Harbor. The Midway is an aircraft carrier that in 2004 was turned into a naval aviation museum. No other aircraft carrier served America in the 20th century as long as the Midway – from the end of WWII to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.

Ken next to one of the air planes on the hanger deck.

And tying the sailor’s knots. It was a breeze for him since he used knots when he was in the tree business.

An engine, I think!

The anchor cranks.

It was pointed out that one link of the anchor chain weighs 130 pounds!

I just happened to catch this midshipman in the shower!! HA HA

And Ken caught me in the Brig!!

(PS. The midshipman in the shower is a mannequin!!)

ALL TOO QUICK VISIT WITH A CHILDHOOD FRIEND

Dec. 27 – Jeannette, a really good friend with whom I grew up, now lives in San Diego. She has been living here for years now. When we finished touring the Midway, I realized we were not too far from her home, just north of La Jolla. I gave her a call and we were cordially invited to visit, even at such short notice.

We were greeted by Jeannette and two of her daughters-in-law, and five of their off spring!! After meeting everyone, we indulged in a much appreciated Jim Beam and water. (Touring the Midway was exhausting!!) It was wonderful to see Jeannette again and to meet her family and chat. I’m sorry we had to cut our visit short.

Jeannette had told us some of her sons and husband John were off playing golf. They arrived home just as we were leaving, so we got to say Hi to all of them, too.

We’ll be back in the area again in February and hope to visit when there is more time.