March 12 - 31, 2024
Tombstone, Arizona
Spring is dragging her feet this year. Looks like it's the same pretty much everywhere. We had hail and bitter winds, the kids in the mountains of SoCal had snow and chilly temps. We've had enough heat in our lives so delaying that is always a plus. I do hope it doesn't mean we jump immediately into Summer with none of Spring's milder days.
 |
| A rare foggy morning. |
 |
| The winds kick up dust that sets the skies on fire. |
 |
| I think I love the more subtle show even more! |
 |
| Staying ahead of one of our Spring storms coming home from the big city. |
Rebecca and Michael head out early this year so no more girl trips for now. She and I enjoy a final-for-now brunch before crafting day. I'm happy that I'll still be able to join the rest of the gang for our Tuesday craft time.
 |
| We all bring very different projects - so fun to see what gets made each week. |
 |
| I've been working on little needle-felt landscapes. This is my first 3D attempt. |
 |
| One of my photos from Fall in Upstate New York is my inspiration for this one. |
After Bill's consultation appointment with his surgeon we stop at La Mesa RV in Tucson to check out smaller RVs to see if they could work for us. We only look at Class C units, under 30 feet, and believe the smaller space and different floor plan might be okay. Back at the house I look online at small Class A's which we didn't see at the dealer. There's a 31' Forest River that I really like, and a week later while Bill is having his out-patient surgery I go check it out.
Initially I'm sold, even though it's bigger than I want for a downsize, and the quality is nothing like our Tuscany. But we're unable to make a deal on the trade-in, and before I even pick Bill up I'm convinced we dodged a bullet.
Our motorhome is just so perfect for us, and I still enjoy driving it. And it's so, so much nicer than anything we've looked at so far. What I really need is a trip without the major drama we had on our last three (!) adventures to love it again. It will work well for Bill's in-home treatment set-up which is a big deal for our continued travels. It needs all new furniture and a couple other repair/replacements, but I believe we can continue to enjoy it for a while longer.
So with that off the "list", I spend several days cleaning and updating, and generally falling back in love with our rolling home. I'm excited about our reunion trip in April. It's about 400 miles away so a good re-trial.
Bill's latest "install" is another success. He's healing well and started training for doing in-home treatment. We're both encouraged that he'll be much happier not having those three days at the clinic every week!
It's been a quiet few weeks, mostly getting ready for upcoming events, travels and visits. Cooler temps make for more indoor time for me, so I'm redecorating some areas - just because I can. Sometimes Bill even notices :-)))))
Our contribution for Bill's 50th high school reunion next month is the memorial that we have each year for those who've passed . We've also organized a large collection from his dad's World History class - Coats of Arms we all did when we were sophomores. Folks will be able to take theirs and those of some friends no longer with us - hopefully it will be a fun memory for many! I'm happy with how nice it all turned out (I'll post after the reunion).
 |
| Oh Oliver you're getting so big! |
 |
| Lucky M & M get bunny pancakes :-) |
 |
| Henry sends me a pic of how he's enjoying the stickers we sent him. |
 |
| Reese and Penelope celebrate two years in Virginia with their folks - already! |
Losing confidence in your rig or truck is no fun at all. We have been there, just waiting for the next thing to happen. On top of that, the stress of thinking about getting a new rig, dealing with dealers....Ugh. I wish the best for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely something we travelers all deal with, whether with a single RV or with many. Fingers crossed I'll be loving ours again soon!
DeleteLOVE your felting landscapes!! Lovely sunset photos! I'm starting to wonder if spring is going to happen this year. We often regret selling our big motorhome but are now very happy with our toyhauler. Glad Bill is doing well and those grandbabies are so adorable, that photo of Oliver is stunning!
ReplyDeleteThanks Janna! It's been a lot of fun free-handing some creative art. This latest storm has me convinced we may never see Spring :-)))
DeleteAwesome that Bill is doing so well! He's still my hero ... bilateral knee surgery!
ReplyDeleteso glad you're able to keep up an RV lifestyle.
All the photos of the grands are awesome, but Oliver in the tall grasses ...
We're very happy with his progress, and will be even more so when not dependent on the clinic for treatment. I love that some of the grass is still taller than Oliver :-))
DeleteThe felting landscapes are absolutely gorgeous Jodee. You know you could sell these! And the AZ skies are the most beautiful skies we have ever seen… a huge draw for us to live where we do. I love Henry’s stickers. Edith did the exact same thing except she only put the yellow bunnies on her shirt…yellow is her favorite color.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gay! Yellow is a definite fashion statement so yay Edith :-)))
DeleteI hope you can get your rig ready for more great adventures. The first time out will be scary, I'm sure, but I know things will work out and you'll be seeing and doing again soon. Love the "grands" pictures, as always!
ReplyDeleteFortunately this last trip was a success :-))))
DeleteYou do have a prime location for gorgeous sunsets. Leaving all the space of the large MH was tough. But my anxiety level now traveling in it was handicapping. I always had anxiety but as I got older it has gotten terrible. Deciding to move smaller has meant I can enjoy traveling again comfortably. We did have one main necessity and that was recliners. Between the recliners and the large bathroom we're happy campers again. Glad you worked out that your present second home is perfect for you:) It will be exciting to hit the road again. So very excited to hear Bill is moving towards his home treatment. What a relief for both of you stop the travels to SV :-))))) Wishing Bill much success. What a talent for felting you have Jodee. Love your color choices for the Upstate NY fall. Awesome 3-D felting!! The grands are growing up way too fast. That means time is moving way too fast!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're smaller rig is making happy traveling available for you again!! It's a gorgeous rig and I agree recliners are a must (we're looking at putting them in ours). Seems we've always traveled to SV way too many times every week, but not having it be a requirement will be wonderful for sure. Oh dear yes, time is a blink of the eye now.
DeleteHow gratifying that you explored your RV options and came to the conclusion that what you already have is still the best option for you. I agree that so many of the rigs now just aren't as well made. (And that's putting it nicely.) Much better to do a few repairs and upgrades to the quality rig you already have. I'm so glad to hear that you guys are going to be able to get back to your travels!
ReplyDeleteYour felting projects are gorgeous. We're finishing up our new sunroom/studio, and I'll have a space for my art endeavors. You're inspiring me! Love the photos of the grandkids...not only are the kids cute, but so are those bunny pancakes. :-))
I'm glad we looked at other options which made us appreciate what we already have. Being able to have the large slide out makes a huge difference after three months with it stuck for three months last year! Felting is a lot of fun, and is something I can do in small spaces - so I'm hoping to do some more when we travel.
Delete