Local Stuff

We had talked about taking our first trip to Idaho Falls this season but decided to save the gas. There really wasn't enough reason to go as far as shopping, so the day was spent doing local stuff.

Josie did our laundry in our "free" laundry room here at the Elk Refuge. I did some stitching on my new piece that I started for next year (or for whatever). In the afternoon, we drove to the post office to pick up our mail. The RV park in AZ is forwarding our mail to this location and yesterday was the first time we received those items. While out on that errand, we drove past the Gros Ventre drainage where the moose like to hang out. We saw one that was too far away to photograph, so we'll wait until we can get closer. We also took advantage of our second day off to just hang-out and not do much of anything. I took out the grill and we had a couple burgers for dinner.

There was a balloon spotted over the mountains this morning and I grabbed a quick shot:

I bet that there are some spectacular views from that location. The balloon took off in Idaho, so the riders are seeing the Tetons from the back side.

I'll end this post with a couple photos we took while on our drives through the park and while getting the mail yesterday:

Not too shabby, right?...

Terrific First Day Off

Our initial activity for our first day off was meeting our friends Donna and Rachel, for breakfast at The Bunnery in town. We got caught up on how everybody is doing and enjoyed a great breakfast and conversation at one of the highest rated breakfast restaurants in town:

Donna is Rachel's mother but they act and look more like sisters. We will be doing more things together with them over the summer.

We then had to stop in town to pick up a prescription for Josie which was not ready, so we headed out to the park while the Pharmacy filled the prescription. It is starting to look like normal now as the game is moving around and we are able to get some photos. We drove through the familiar areas where we have seen game in the past and these shots show some of what we spotted:

The first shot is of a small deer that was very close to the road:

The next shot is of an elk that was grazing about 200 yards off the highway, and was actually with at least one other elk of which I couldn't get a good shot:

This next shot of a herd of Bison was the first that we have seen this year of that animal:

Along the way, we took some more shots of the always spectacular mountains in the park:

We never get tired of seeing these wonderful views of what we believe to be the most spectacular and scenic mountains in the country.

There is a shot below of the Jackson Lake Dam which shows the release of snow runoff into the Snake River with fisherman lining the shores and the mountains in the background:

Our afternoon ended with another stop in town to get Josie's prescription and a stop at the Verizon store to ask about hot spots and tethering of our phones to save some money. We got some good information and we are now using our phones as hot spots. Should have done this long ago...

One Week Down

Here is a brief summary of our first week of the new season.

Our new manager, Angelica, is a very good manager and people person. Our first week was more of a familiarization with the Visitor Center and learning new procedures in some areas from last season. The training was much more intense from last season and lasted for 1 1/2 days versus less than a day last season. Our new RV space is very different from last year, and the jury is still out on whether or not it will be better than our space last season. We do miss the extra privacy and animals from the site at the Gros Ventre Campground, but we are enjoying the convenience and less commute time from the Elk Refuge site. The people we are working with this season are very nice, but we are short a couple folks now that will be required for the long haul this season. Right now, we are being worked harder than normal and the stress level is elevated as a result. We believe it will all work out and we will have a successful season.

This morning, we are having breakfast with two friends from the Virginian Lodge. The restaurant will be The Bunnery, and we will meet them at around 7:30 AM. I will (hopefully) get some shots of our first visit in two years with them.

Have a great Memorial Day everybody...

First Week Wrapping Up

Here is a shot of the mountains as we approached our RV in the Elk Refuge last night:

When there is a clear, blue sky, the views cannot be beat.

And, here is a shot from this morning from our RV as we get ready for work:

This weekend is a big one in Jackson as the Memorial Day celebrations kicked-in yesterday with the Memorial Day Parade. We had never been to one of those, and we worked through the one yesterday. Our final work day of the week is today and we open at 7:45 this morning. We hope it is not as hectic as yesterday when we had lots of people in the Visitor Center with a smaller than normal staff. The staff is not at full strength yet and we can notice the difference.

Our "weekend" starts tomorrow with a breakfast at the Bunnery with Donna and Rachel from the Virginian Lodge. We look forward to seeing them again...

End of Training

It's over. Our final training day was yesterday - actually, training in the afternoon. The training turned out to be more of an information program rather than hands on, new procedures program. At any rate, it is done for now.

We also have our first late start today which is welcomed. Our start time is 11 AM today. We closed for the first time last night and will close again tonight with the first day of our new, summer hours. It will be the first day with a 7 PM close. Previously, we closed at 5 PM. So, we have two days yet before our first scheduled "weekend" on Monday and Tuesday. We have planned breakfast on Monday with two of our former associates and friends from the Virginian, Donna and Rachel. Right now, we are planning our first trip to Idaho Falls on Tuesday. In between, we will go to some old favorite locations and try to get some good photos of local wildlife.

The summer season is now in full gear and we are excited to get on with the new experiences...

Training Day

We started our training day yesterday at 8:15 AM and, except for a couple short breaks and a half hour lunch, we had sessions that lasted until 5:15 PM. Much of the information was material we already knew, but there were also duties that we will be working that are different from last year. Those areas are in the sales of permits that we didn't have to be involved with last season. I took these shots during the day of the Visitor Center:

There are more visitors expected this year than last and much of the additional crowds will be here during the week of the Total Solar Eclipse on August 21. Obviously, there will be no rooms available in town and we expect the Visitor's Center to be mobbed with people here for the event. That should be an exciting week.

We still have more training for today, only it is in the afternoon. Josie and I are already anxious for our first day off which won't be until Monday. These are especially long days with all the training.

There was a social gathering last night following work at the Lift Restaurant where we had just eaten dinner the night before with our friends Ed and Eileen to celebrate our successful hot water heater installation. We only stayed for a short time as we are both pretty much shot and ready for some rest.

Our later start today - 8:45 AM - gives us a little more time this morning. Also, we expect some rain today, so we'll see a different side to the area...

First Day and HOT WATER

Our first day at work for the new season yesterday went about as we expected. It was an especially long day - 8.5 hours - and we were back into the swing of the job in short order. It was surprising how quickly we remembered all the register functions and other responsibilities of the job. We had a meeting in the AM with the GTA (Grand Teton Association) management who went over procedural changes for the new year. I also found time to go out back of the Visitor Center to snap this photo of some of the geese families that were roaming our property:

Our new hot water heater arrived in the afternoon at the Visitor Center and I loaded it in the car and prepared to leave work at 5 PM to meet Ed and Eileen at our RV where Ed was going to help me install the heater. The shipping weight was 47 lbs, and it was every bit of that weight. This is the new heater and a shot of Ed doing the bulk of the installation:

It took just over two hours for the installation and we again have HOT WATER! As a result of the help from Ed, I saved several hundred dollars in RV tech expenses. We took Eileen and Ed out for dinner to thank them for their help. Our dinner was at The Lift, where we had eaten once before last year. They are moving on to the Colter Bay Campground in the Park today, and will head out for their trip to Alaska in about 10 days. We didn't get a shot of our lunch together the day before, so this time we remembered and had the waitress take this shot of all of us:

It was great a time and a good way to end our visit together this season.

We have another long day scheduled today as we have a full day of training followed by a social after work at The Lift again. It should be an interesting day...

Lunch at Sweetwater

We met Ed and Eileen at our RV near noon yesterday. We went to lunch at a restaurant in town - Sweetwater - that none of us had been to before. It was a different kind of restaurant in that it catered to Vegetarians, but also had menu items for all types of diets. In our group, Ed and I enjoyed our meals but Eileen and Josie weren't as happy. They ordered one of the home made salad dressings that was a disappointment. We would still (probably) return again.

Sorry that we forgot to take a photo at the restaurant but we got so engrossed in our conversation that it never occurred to us.

Ed has volunteered to help me with the installation of our new water heater which is expected to be delivered today. He has some experience in these types of RV repairs, so we will get together - probably on Friday AM - to perform the installation. I have already cleared it with our manager that I will most likely be late to work on Friday AM and it is not a problem. Everybody understands that we have gone without hot water for about a week now. I hope it all comes together.

Today is our first day of work and it will be long one - 8 AM till 5:15. These first few days will be filled with training and a social gathering for cocktails and dinner tomorrow evening. It is a great way to kick-off the new season...

Paperwork

Our meeting at the Visitor Center was very good. We met our new manager, Angelica, for the first time and also met with Natalie Fath who is in charge of the entire Visitor Center, including the volunteers and housing. She set us up with all the required paperwork and information that we need to perform our jobs. There are some new faces and some old faces this year. We also received our schedule - which is always subject to change - and we are starting out working 5 days per week and having Monday and Tuesday off each week. Our starting day is tomorrow and we begin with a day and a half of training along with all of the other staff. It should be a fun and rewarding experience again this year.

We have a delivery date of Wednesday, the 24th, for our new water heater. I will contact the RV Tech either today or tomorrow when I receive confirmation of the delivery. We are so anxious to get that completed. I will have to take a couple hours off from work to make sure it gets done.

Our schedule today includes a lunch with our friends Eileen and Ed from last year. They are on their way to Alaska and stopped in Jackson for a few days to enjoy the area. Hopefully, we will have a couple shots tomorrow of our visit with them...

Drive Through Park

Our first priority yesterday was to get a water heater ordered. We have received no indication from any of the RV techs we have contacted that they can get one at a decent price, so we bit the bullet and ordered one ourselves - with two day delivery. Even with the extra fast shipping charges, we will spend less than any quoted price from a Tech. We now have to get the installation scheduled when we have a solid date for delivery.

We took our first drive of this season through the Grand Teton National Park. We stopped at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and saw that one of the folks we worked with last year was behind the counter. We had a nice reunion with Nancy who is staying at the Colter Bay Campground this year. That Campground is the northernmost campground for the GTA (Grand Teton Association) workers. She is the one whose husband is a FedEx pilot and they are from Louisiana. We then stopped at the Jackson Lake Dam and took this photo:

This one is taken from an area close to the Jackson Lake Lodge and looking out at the lake:

On the way home, we took this shot of the Oxbow Bend turnout:

When we arrived back at our site, we took this shot of the mountains as they appeared from our site:

The clouds were beginning to clear so we could get a better shot.

The rest of our day was spent doing laundry, watching some golf on TV and putting out our carpet and chairs on the outside of our RV. It is very chilly this morning (28) but is also very invigorating.

We have a meeting scheduled this afternoon at 3 PM with our manager to finalize all of our working arrangements before we begin work on Wednesday...

Just Like Home

It is a wonderful feeling to be back here in Jackson where it feels like home. We didn't waste any time getting out to some of the familiar areas. We left our RV at 7:30 AM and drove to Schwabacher Landing that is one of our favorites. These are a couple of shots of the Tetons as they look in all their glory with lots of snow:

By the way, I was in error when I reported the record snowfall in the Jackson hills this past winter at 195 inches - it was actually close to 500 inches from what I was told yesterday. Anyway, these shots were taken from one of our favorite locations along the Schwabacher Landing:

Our next stop was in town where we got our car washed to get rid of all the grime from our days of traveling through snow and then to the Virginian Lodge Restaurant for a great breakfast. Following a stop at Smiths Grocery and a short drive through the streets of Jackson to check out the area, we went back to our RV to try to get more details ironed out on our scheduled repair for Monday. As soon as we arrived back at the Elk Refuge, we saw these sheep - seemed like hundreds of them - strolling along our street:

There was one huge Ram:

and many others that were starting to walk up the hill:

We had never seen so many in one place before and they were all losing their winter coats. It was quite a scene to start off our wildlife encounters for the new season.

I am getting very concerned that we may be stood up for our appointment to replace the water heater on Monday. I left three texts for the repair tech and he acknowledged none of them. I did get the name of another tech from one of our neighbors and also sent him a text explaining our situation and requesting some emergency help. I have not - yet, at least - received any response from him. It is certainly not fun going without hot water.

We had conversations with a couple friends to try and schedule times to have breakfast and/or lunch with them before we begin work on Wednesday. Donna, our friend from the Virginian and Ed and Eileen, our friends from last year who are in the area on the way to Alaska this summer. Lucky them. They sold their motor home and purchased a small R-Pod to travel in.  That will make their journey to Alaska a lot easier.

The priority for today is to make some progress nailing down a firm time to get help for our water heater replacement...

Finally in Jackson

We drove through another (3rd) day of some snow and very close to freezing temperatures yesterday:

After leaving Coalville, UT, at around 9 AM, we had a couple potty stops and one stop for gas and arrived safely in Jackson at 1:30 PM. There was a section of I-80, between Evanston - where we exited - and Cheyenne that was totally closed in the morning as a result of snow. That is about a 300 mile section of the highway. What is the deal with this winter weather all over the west? This was, by far, the worst trip we have ever taken since we hit the road in 2009.

We got set up at our spot in the Elk Refuge and I took these shots of our space:

and our view from the space:

We actually saw two elk walking in the Refuge as we arrived, but they are all gone for the summer season. We heard that there were a record number of elk in the Refuge this winter - 9,500 - and that the winter took a heavy toll on the herd. Also, we heard that there was a record snowfall in the Jackson hills this year - 195 inches. That is hard to imagine, but we know that it seemed like snow on a daily basis when we checked the area forecasts from AZ. At any rate, it is all gone in the Elk Refuge.

I made contact with the RV repair guy who plans to come to our site on Monday AM to replace the water heater. The only problem now is to figure out where he will pick up the new unit. We have seen prices from $465 at an online store that would take a week to arrive if we ordered from there, to over $700 at Camping World which would be an immediate acquisition but would break the bank. We'll see what he comes up with.

We had a gathering outside in the afternoon to renew old acquaintances from last year. We are the only couple staying in the Refuge that will be working for the GTA (Grand Teton Association) and the others will all be volunteers. They will only work 20 hours a week, but we are the only ones that get paid. Maybe someday we can also be volunteers...

Coalville, UT

We only had to travel about 160 miles yesterday and it is a good thing. We once again had to deal with some snow and some scary driving on the two lane highway:

Our arrival at the Holiday Hills Campground in Coalville, UT, occurred early at noon. We got set up in another forgettable campground and tried to connect our water with the same result we had the night before - water leaking everywhere from the hot water heater. I took this shot of our site and then began a search for a mobile RV repair company that could send someone out to our site to help with the problem:

I finally connected with  a guy from Kamas, UT - a town about 30 miles away - who could come out and provide some help. He was a fireman from that town who worked his Mobile RV company on his off days from the fire house. He was able to locate the by-pass switch that would, at least, allow us to have cold running water until we can get a replacement water heater after we reach Jackson. He was a terrific person who tried to do everything possible with our "shot" water heater . The problem was not with the heater itself, but with the tank that is so corroded the whole assembly needs replacement. We also connected with a mobile RV Repair guy in Jackson who will help us after we arrive in Jackson. In the meantime, we will do without hot water and either take our showers at the campground showers and/or heat water in the RV and do our washing.

It has not been a very good trip for us so far. One thing is for sure, and that is we will not chance taking this route again because of the unpredictability of the weather and also the two lane highway which may be great in the summer.

We will travel the 230 miles remaining to Jackson today. Our goal is to leave as early as possible so we can get there early in the afternoon. Josie still found time to dress up our fifth wheel with some nice, very fragrant lilac flowers from a bush near our site:

We are off and running on the final leg of our trip to Jackson...

Travel to Salina, UT

Before getting into yesterday's events (5/17), I have almost all of the photos from the last two days to show. Below are the shots from Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Recreation Area.
Starting with our site at the Wahweap Campground:

where we had this view of Lake Powell:

Our initial trip was to the Horseshoe Bend area where we had the two mile round trip hike to see this:

It was well worth the hike and you will notice a small boat in the water on the left.

Our next stop was at the Lone Rock where you are able to camp on the beach and enjoy the water:

Next, we stopped at the Hayden Visitor Center and took these shots of the Glen Canyon Dam and the bridge next to the dam, and then the Visitor Center:

It was around 9 AM yesterday when we left the Lake Powell area - that was after turning our clocks ahead one hour. It was not the best travel day we have ever had. Shortly after passing through Kanab, UT, we ran into a snow storm - yes, SNOW - that, at times was a white-out. Here is a shot I took while driving:

The snow wasn't the scary part as much as the temperature swing - from about 45 in Kanab, to 32 where this shot was taken. It was white knuckles driving for almost 100 miles before getting some clear views. We arrived at our destination in Salina, UT at 2 PM and got setup in one of the worst sites we have ever had while traveling. The town is pretty nice, but this park is completely forgettable. I cannot get the RV level, and when we tried to connect to water, our infamous "leak" returned - in force. We had water running out from all over the underside of the RV near the hot water heater. The net of the set up and the night we spent is that we were totally not level and without running water. We did have water containers and were able to get through the night but we sure hope things improve at our next stop in Coalville, UT near Wyoming tonight. We are leaving extra early to make sure we get there in time to handle any potential problems...

Doing Glen Canyon

I still cannot get any of our photos downloaded for the blog entries. Please bear with me until we get to an area where we have decent internet and can get them downloaded. We have some great photos to share from some real nice places that we visited. We are so glad that we allowed an extra day for this area.

Yesterday, we visited the Horseshoe Bend area and hiked two miles, round trip, to get the views overlooking this beautiful section of the Colorado River. That officially kicked off our hiking season as it was not an easy hike up some hilly country and through some fairly deep sand in some areas.

We followed that with a visit to Lone Rock which is a neat area where there is a nice sandy beach and is an area where folks can pay a fee and camp right on the sandy beach.

Our next stop was at the Glen Canyon Dam and the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. We also drove around the town of page where we have never been before. The highway doesn't pass through the town, so the only way o see it is to take the side road into town. It is an interesting town that has one street with all the churches - we saw every denomination of church, all side by side in a two block section of town. It must be an extremely congested area on Sundays.

Today, we travel about 230 miles to Salina, UT, where we will stay in the Butch Cassidy Campground. I hope we can get some photos published from there...

Good First Day Travel

Our departure from Pioneer RV Park occurred at 8:30 yesterday morning following goodbyes to our neighbor, Peter, who left at the same time to travel to Maine to spend the summer with his brother. It was an uneventful drive all the way to within 5 miles of our destination when we were stopped - for a half hour - for a construction delay. We still arrived at 2 PM and checked in to our site that is not far from the office or the Lake. Our views are terrific, our site is great and we are here for another day today. The only problem, so far, is that I cannot get my photos downloaded to the blog as a result of the slow data transfers. I will post them when I can.

Our plan is to see some of the nice areas that exist around Lake Powell. We will take a short hike to see the Horseshoe Bend and another short drive to the Glen Canyon Dam and other neat attractions in the area. We could probably spend another day or two to see more of what we would like to see in this area. It will be a nice day with lots of sunshine and plenty of exercise...

Another Eventful Day

We spent the entire day yesterday doing final prep for another eventful day - today. The excitement is there, as always, for the start of another chapter in our traveling ways. The return to Jackson, WY is an occasion that we have grown accustomed to for 6 years now. It never gets old.

I completed everything outside that had to be done with the exception of taking down our hoses and cords and stowing our satellite dish. Of course, hitching the truck is also on the list. Josie is feverishly packing away items inside and is almost ready for our planned departure between 8 - 8:30 AM this morning. Both vehicles are gassed and ready.

We'll see you tomorrow from (hopefully) Lake Powell in Page, AZ.

Have a great summer everybody...

Crunch Time

The Mother's Day floral holiday has ended for Josie (at 7PM last night) and she is off today before we head out in the morning. She had to do one last arrangement - her own - when she got home to end the working (floral) portion:

That means there is only this one day to get everything together for travel. It will be a very busy day for both of us as we plan to leave by 8 AM tomorrow morning. I gassed up the truck, so it is ready to go. We will make a run to Sam's Club for some items, Josie will do some laundry and the inside of the RV will be put into travel mode. We have done this enough times to know what to do and can get it done with no problem.

The first day of travel tomorrow is around 260 miles to the campground on Lake Powell in Page, AZ. It is actually on the Utah border and we look forward to spending two nights there. The plan is to arrive in Jackson on Friday, get set up, and enjoy a few days of relaxation before starting work on Wednesday the 24th of May.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Water Heater

Our RV repair guy came at around 1 PM and took out the water heater from our RV. Well, he got it out as much as he could which was enough to see behind it and also enough to see that the inside of the water tank was very corroded. The net of the situation is that he put it back together and closed it up as there are a couple considerations. The first one is that there is no time to acquire and install a new one. The second is that the leak wasn't so bad that it had to be addressed before we return in October. At least that is the guess from our repair tech. He didn't want to charge me anything for the effort, but I gave him $25 just because he took the time from his day to help me out. The water heater is working fine again and  - get this - there is no leak that I can see. Go figure.

I made a final trip to our storage yesterday and also finalized out details for the site so we can return in October. We will be taking a chance over the summer that nobody rents it while we are gone. The only option for us is to make it an annual space again but we don't see any sense in paying for a site over the summer which we are not occupying. It worked OK that way for us this past season. Our fingers are crossed.

Josie worked until 7 PM again last night and today is the final working day for her - cheers! We only have today and tomorrow and then it's all over for another season...

Eleventh Hour Problem

As I was opening our side storage compartment on our RV yesterday, looking for items that could be taken to storage, I discovered a wet spot not far from where the new water inlet was installed. It just so happened that our RV repair guy, Doug, was driving by in a golf cart when I discovered the leak. He stopped, opened the compartment by the new inlet, and inspected the area. It appears that there is a new leak that is coming from the hot water heater compartment above the new water inlet. Doug knows that we are heading out on Monday AM so he promised to come by today - in the afternoon - to take out the water heater and investigate the problem. Doug is a very good RV service tech and it turns out that he lives here in his fifth wheel and works for the park in the mornings before tending to his regular RV repair business in the afternoons. He gains the benefit of rent free living for that arrangement. Anyway, I expect to have the problem fixed, whatever it is, by the end of the day today. As always, there is an eleventh hour problem to address.

Josie worked late yesterday - what else is new for Mother's Day - and didn't get home until 7 PM. It will be another late one today and again tomorrow before she sees some real rest. I'm sure she is looking forward to the end of the day Saturday when she is scheduled to end her time for this holiday...

Mail Issue Resolved

I think we have the mail forwarding issue resolved - for now. It appears that one (or both) of the shops that Josie has been working for this Mother's Day season want her back in the Fall to be on their teams. With that good news, we will most likely return here in October. That also means that we can have our mail forwarded to the PO Box in Moose, WY, for the four months we will be gone and then continue our mail service at our present address on site #90 at Pioneer which we really like. I took some mail forwarding labels to the mail station here yesterday to implement the change, beginning Monday, May 15. So, unless something happens that totally changes our plans, we will sign up for another season here.

With only four days to go before our departure, I am lining up one last trip to our storage unit to take some last minute items we will not need over the next several months. It is a major goal of ours to take on the elimination of that storage unit when we return in October. Short of blowing up the storage facility, it may take a miracle to make it happen...

Good Timing for Cool Weather

Fortunately, we have a good forecast for the remainder of the time we have here in AZ. The last few days have been nice and cool - 70's - and the forecast for the remainder of the time here indicates that we will escape the wrath of the 100+ degree days. That means the A/C will not be cranking, and we can enjoy some nice, cool days outside. It also means that any outside work can be completed without sweating to death. The temperatures will be in the 90's by the time we leave, but we'll take that. It also appears that the winds may have run their course and will be calm for the rest of the way.

Josie is back to work and this morning she indicated that the shot she was given has probably "kicked in". She is feeling good and is ready for the stretch run to Mother's Day. She indicated that business this year for Mother's Day appears to be heavier than last year. Of course, she is working at a different location this year, so that has some impact on the volume. At any rate, she is very busy every day and will be until Sunday.

We have been following the weather and conditions in Jackson using our Jackson Hole Webcam website. It is always fun to see the live activity in downtown. Pretty soon, we will be one of the vehicles going through this intersection...

Shot Completed

We were about 15 minutes late for Josie's epidural shot yesterday as a result of an auto accident at the intersection before the site where we were headed. Of course, the accident caused a ripple effect and lots of others were late also. The shot was given to Josie and it took about an hour from beginning to end. She was put under with anesthetic and it changed her schedule for the rest of the day. It was all done by about 11:30 AM and she was instructed to rest the remainder of the day so she called work and told them she wouldn't be in until today. We just hope that it is effective.

When we returned home at around noon, the RV repair guy was finishing up with the installation of our water inlet. We are set to go now with an easy connection to water with the new inlet and "quick connection" device on the hose. That pretty much completes the planned improvements before we leave.

I snapped this photo of a huge saguaro cactus that is outside the office here at Pioneer. The blooms are all over the cactus at this time:

Tis the season for these to show their glory. Most of the cactus only have one or two arms with blooms, but this one had them all over.

Our final push for the week involves, among other things, finalizing the mail forwarding issues and creating labels for the office to use while forwarding our mail...

Stretch Run

Exactly one week from today we will be on the road to Wyoming. I want to say that we are about ready, but there are always last minute details to work out. One of them is our mail situation. I'm still not totally comfortable with the plan to forward our mail from this address to our PO Box in Moose WY for the summer. The problem is that the PO Box is a place where only mail can go and not any packages. We will have to use the Visitor Center address for packages and I'm not sure yet how that will work. I do know that we had a coworker using the Visitor Center for packages last season and he seemed to be happy with that arrangement.

I will be taking Josie to her doctor appointment this morning to get her epidural shot. Then, I will take her to work and pick her up when she is done later this afternoon. I hope the shot works for her as she suffers every day with her back pain. It isn't as bad as George's pain, but we don't want it to get any worse either.

We will also have our new water inlet installed this morning while we are gone at the doctor's office. I hope that goes well as we are certainly running out of time to get these things fixed. There is no time left to reorder parts through the mail and rely on getting them in time.

It looks like we will have some cool temperatures this week. Possible rain is also in the forecast, but, hopefully, we can give our air conditioners a break...

Kentucky Derby Day

It was hard for me to get excited about the Kentucky Derby this year. There were no "standout" horses or horses that were overwhelming favorites to cheer for in the race. None of the horses - with the exception of maybe Patch that ran with only one eye - had a story that made you want to root for them. Always Dreaming won the race on a very muddy track, with off and on rain, and it was kind of a ho-hum race experience. I guess some years are like that.

Josie made it home from work in time to watch the race, but is off and running again today with an earlier start at 8 AM. This is the tough week for her.

I tried to do the installation yesterday for our replacement water inlet on the RV and couldn't finish the job. There is very little room to get my tools in a position to remove the old one, so I had to call my friend, Doug, the RV Repair guy in our park. He couldn't make it out to fix it yesterday, but I made an appointment to have it done on Monday while Josie and I go to her doctor for an epidural shot before she goes to work. Since it is an outside job, we don't have to be here for him to do the switching of the old device with the new one. That, once it is done, will wrap up the repairs that we will have done before leaving next week...

Storage Issues

We have been using the Extra Space Storage facilities for years. We used them in CA when we worked there a few years ago and we now have our household goods in the one located in Glendale, AZ. When we signed on to our space early last year, they gave us a "loyalty" rate which was very attractive for the size of our space - 10x30. We have received two rate increase notices over the last six months which have resulted in a 32%+ increase in the rate over the last year. It is not only inappropriate, it is unethical. I am working the issue now with the company management. It is a shame that we are leaving the area and have very few options to do anything about it at this time. Be assured, we will be eliminating that storage space as soon as possible.

I picked up the correct water inlet valve for our RV yesterday. The one that was sent to us that I purchased from Amazon was returned. I had to go to the Orangewood RV dealership in Surprise to find the correct part that I wanted. I hope to get that installed either today or tomorrow. That should be the last "significant" repair before we are ready to go next Monday. I hesitate to do any repairs outside while the temperatures are hovering around 102-105. We set a record yesterday at 108. Sheesh!...

Back on Schedule

We received our leveling jack pad yesterday and I installed that with no problem at all. Our RV is about ready to go, with just a few minor jobs left to do.

Our trip is finalized. We will spend two nights in Page, AZ at the Wahreap Campground on Lake Powell. We originally only had one night scheduled there, but there are lots of things to see and do and with the extra day we are taking to get to Jackson, it seemed like that would be logical place to spend an extra night. We will only be traveling 250 miles - or less - each day this year. Our second stop will be in Salina, UT, on the 17th at the Butch Cassidy Campground, and our final night on the 18th will be in Coalville, UT, at the Holiday Hills RV Park before heading to Jackson on the 19th. It should be a nice, leisurely trip.

Josie is working away at making a nice Mother's Day for lots of mothers. She will work straight through to Mother's Day, including this Sunday which is normally a day that the shop closes. With the temperature climbing to 105 today, it will be good day to work inside...

Printer Problem

Just as we were sailing along getting things done and accomplishing our to-do lists, we get a problem with our printer. There was a part that we received from one of the RV parts suppliers that was the wrong design and we have to return it to them. The problem occurred when I went to print out the return label. I could not get the black ink cartridge to work, even after buying a replacement cartridge at Walmart. We have no time to have it repaired, so I went to Office Max and purchased a new HP All in One Envy 7640. The printer we are replacing has served us well over the years and it is probably time for a replacement anyway. The day was pretty much lost resolving this problem.

There is another part that I am concerned about receiving in time. It is one from DRV - our RV manufacturer - and they have not sent any confirmation or tracking info on the part I ordered from them. We have 10 days remaining before heading out for Wyoming and we need to wrap up these loose ends.

Josie is now working at the 19th Ave store and will be working through Mother's Day. Her first day was yesterday, and all is going well there - so far...

Eye Exams

The appointments we had yesterday AM with the eye doctor produced pretty good results for both of us. Josie has a few more issues than I have, but we are both cleared for another year without having to change our glasses prescription. There were some small changes, but not enough to generate a new prescription. Josie has some "floaters" that need to be watched, and I have cataracts that may need surgery  sometime over the next couple years.

Following the eye appointments, Josie had her hair done while  took the Escape in for service. The car is ready to go and, I guess, Josie is also ready to go with her hair.

We also stopped at Michael's to pick up my completed cross stitch project. Below is a shot of the final product:

I feel real positive about the prospects of this winning again at the Teton County Fair this summer. I hope I'm not disappointed.

Josie begins her final leg of the Mother's Day work marathon today  at the 19th Ave store. We are hoping for a successful 10 days or so and then be ready to head out...