Quartzsite Cruiser

Good afternoon from a rather lazy Sunday in central Texas. We added the coolant to the car a/c, switched the cars around and put the covers on two cars. That leaves the Smart accessible for errands. The Land Rover and Smart can be towed, and the LR is for hauling big loads. The convertible is our fun car and the one we use when going further than town. Annie, I agree Jamaica is beautiful island. We were back there in the late 1990s docking in Ocho Rios, and it had changed. In 1975, when we rented a car, we drove from Falmouth to Ocho Rios with stops at Dunn River Falls and Martha Brae, but just to look. Another day, we drove around the area near Montego Bay, and the last day, we drove to Negril which is known for it's black sand beaches. The other days, we enjoyed the all inclusive and just relaxing. Many in our group complained about the poverty, but after seeing the poverty in Mexico, Jamaica with all the vegetation and crops, didn't seem as bad. Carolyn, spray painting a racist symbol on the erratic is horrible. Sadly a fence around the erratic might be the only solution to stop the climbing and defacing. Pennie, I'm sorry you also had to get a new wheel. We've replaced two on the convertible, and they are not cheap. However, we did find two online places that had refurbished wheels at a fraction of the price. Our neighborhood station owner mounted the new tires on the new wheels. Sharon, going through Phoenix instead of Dallas might not be a bad idea. Ever since the 1985 plane crash at DFW, the airport has been super careful about shutting down during really bad thunderstorms. For us, DFW is really the only big airport around. Susan, I hope you won't have to make the decision to move any time soon. Could you sell your condo and buy a ground floor unit to help ease some of the problems? Jacqui, I never thought you'd move anywhere that Ivan was unwelcome. You are now a family and need each other. You will know when the time is right for such a move, which I hope is a long way in the future. I'm lucky I can still do most of the work around here, and that we have a neighbor who can and will help as needed. Lorraine, DH is an engineer who likes to work on cars, even though now, much of it has to be done by others. He has quite a collection of tools, parts, and who knows what else. Lenda

@cruzn single Mary Kay, I hope you are going on your cruise and have just been very busy. If you are cruising today, I hope you have a wonderful time. Lenda

@Mtn2Sea I hope you have a wonderful time on your crossing. Lenda

Good morning from a mostly sunny central Texas. It 76F with a predicted high of 93F. The clouds will move in this evening, and the forecast now calls for thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, with more rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. The main item on the agenda today is adding coolant to the car a/c unit. I hope we get it done before it gets too hot. Donald Duck has never been a favorite of mine. Archives day and Celtic art are interesting days to celebrate. The Jane Wagner quote is interesting. The meal sounds interesting, but I think I'd serve the shrimp alone and have vegetable rice as a side dish. We'll pass on the drink and the wine. We visited Montego Bay in 1975 when we spent a week at an all inclusive resort in Falmouth. We flew into and out of Montego Bay, and also explored the town when we rented a car for three days. At that time, only Kingston was to avoided, and Montego Bay was nice. That is when we learned speed bumps were called "sleeping policemen". Of course, all our pictures are pre-digital and in albums. Today in history marks the debut of Donald Duck. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the doctors can find the cause and then cure your pain. I hope a move to an independent living facility can be avoided, but it's good there is one that will also take Ivan, and that you checked it out. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I hope today is the beginning of the restful vacation you sought. @ottahand7 I'm glad your back is feeling better, and I'm sure you won't over do the gardening today, Nancy. @smitty34877 Terry, I hope the teenager and his girlfriend have a great and safe time at the parade. @aliaschief and @DWAliaschief Welcome home, after your fabulous cruise. @luvteaching Karen, welcome home. I hope your cruse was all you wanted it to be. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad Wayne is doing well after his heart ablation. Lenda

That's great news, Terri. Lenda

Good afternoon from a hot, 93F, central Texas. It wasn't too bad outside this morning since the humidity was lower and there was a good wind. The wind helped a lot, but the gusts kept trying to blow my hat and cooling towel off. I couldn't believe how much the grass had grown in the past week, and we only had rain one day, but got 4 inches that day. It took about three hours to get all the yard work done. Now, I'm inside until after dinner, which will be salmon for me and cod for DH cooked in the air fryer. I think we'll have red skin potatoes with it and also cooked in the air fryer. I am also doing my happy dance. My new passport arrived today, exactly one month after they received the application and old passport. I expect the passport card to be here by the end of next week. 🤞 I will celebrate the good news of the release of the four hostages. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad your DB is doing better after this knee surgery. I hope he continues to do well, and the PT helps. Welcome home, @Mr. Boston I'm glad you enjoyed the cruise, and that the Volendam is in good shape. I miss the Crow's Nests on the S and R class ships. I'm sorry about your cousin passing away from a glioblastoma. DBIL's stepson has been battling a glioblastoma for several years. We get little news about his condition, but it seems he is doing better than most so far. Rich, thank you for the explanation of today's quote. Even with the explanation, I still don't care for the quote, and have found it does not work. Carolyn, I'm sorry you didn't get to visit the island. I'm surprised the ship didn't pay more attention to the tides and the tide tables. It is worth a visit. Brenda, thank for your the beautiful flower pictures. It seems like this is a good time to hook up the rv and head to one of your beautiful national parks for the week, or however long it takes to repair the water main. Ann, I'm happy your appointment was moved up to next week. I hope you have a plan and an early date for the lumpectomy when you leave the appointment. I'm glad Pat is having a good time visiting his family and celebrating his cousin's 96th birthday. Vanessa, I hope the PT will help the lower back and the knee when you resume the sessions. Joy, I guess DH was lucky when he got the supplemental lobster in the Pinnacle Grill on Koningsdam. It was very good and cooked just right. He also liked the Morimoto lobster in the MDR this year, and got it several times. I like lobster, but didn't care for the Morimoto lobster because the sauce masked the taste of the lobster. Thanks for the pictures from your friend's veranda. Debbie, are you sure Boston is prepared for the three of your on the loose, even for a day? 🤣 Terri, I'm so very sorry your vacation turned out to be such a disaster. I'm glad Jim was not seriously hurt. Your housekeeper sounds like the bright spot in all this. Maybe, you can find a good beach vacation just a few hours drive from your home later this summer. Joy, I'm sorry your friend fell and broke her arm. I hope the surgery will allow her to be able to do more than just letting it heal. Graham, our condolences to your friend on the passing of his wife. Dixie, that sounds like a good idea. I would like the bubble wrap concession for this group. 😁 Lenda

We've been to Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Kiribati at least three times. This is a tender port, with the ships anchoring in the lagoon. It is very shallow in places, and the tender drivers have to be extremely careful. However, that was not enough as one tender ran aground, and it took a while to get it refloated. Fortunately, we were not on that tender. The first time there was in 1997, so no pictures from that stop. I'll see if DH has videos of the sunset that day since it as the best sunset we've ever seen. The water was glassy and you could see the clouds looking like they were rising from below the curvature of the earth. They were not thick clouds and we were able to see the sun set and IIFC the green flash. Christmas Island is a fairly undeveloped island. These pictures are from our 2007 b2b Hawaii-Tahiti-Hawaii cruise on Pacific Princess. As we left the dock the pre-school class was there to serenade us. The local "tour bus" we picked up at the dock for a tour of the island. Notice the "sturdy step" to help get in the truck. In 1997, they had a old school bus donated by the state of Hawaii as their tour bus, complete with a view of the road as you passed over it. 😀 At the other end of the road is the Captain Cook Hotel, the only one on the island. It offers air conditioned rooms and non-air conditioned rooms. Fishermen would fly in for a week's fishing trip. It was a week long trip, since the only flight was a weekly one from Hawaii, as of 2007. The beach at the hotel. Where some of the islanders live Back from our tour, some of the adults put on a show for us. They even had an Internet Cafe, with very slow speeds. The shopping for the tourists Add the shopping for the locals, but of course, they would take our money too. Looking down the beach from the dock If you ever see an itinerary with Christmas Island, it is well worth a visit. Lenda

Good morning from sunny and very warm central Texas. It is currently 81F and feels like 87F. Our high will be 94F. I wanted to heading out to mow the yard about now, but I slept later than I intended. I guess I needed the sleep after yesterday. I will celebrate my best friends and honor brain tumor awareness and Caribbean American HIV/AIDS awareness. I do not like or agree with the quote today. The meal sounds good, and I might cook salmon in the air fryer tonight, but it won't be with asparagus since we don't have any. The drink sounds refreshing, but will pass because of the grapefruit juice. I would definitely try the wine. We have been to Kiritimati three times, but once was pre-digital. Two interesting but sad days in history. Thank you, Sandi, @StLouisCruisers for the article about the USS Liberty. Mickey Mantle was a great ball player, but he did have his issues. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm sorry your relaxing vacation is not going as planned. I hope the new room is much better, and that your DH gets a good report about his leg injury. @LambKnuckles Lambie, what a nice memory about meeting Mickey Mantle. @smitty34877 Terry, I hope the weekend goes well without the extra help. I hope the teenager and his girl friend have a great time at the parade tomorrow. @aliaschief Bruce, again, thank you for taking us along on your wonderful cruise. Safe travels home tomorrow. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm sorry your back bothered you last night, but glad it's a bit better today. @marshhawk Annie, I hope the new washer and dryer arrive on time and work well. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I hope Allen can regain some of the weight and that his kidney numbers improve. It's never easy to break-in a new doctor. @rafinmd Roy, you remember correctly about Mary Kay's @cruzn single health problems. IIRC, her COPD had progressed to pulmonary fibrosis. I also doubt she will be boarding her ship tomorrow. @Nickelpenny Pennie, I hope you can get the new tire today, and the new restaurant is good. Lenda

@swin26 Have a wonderful cruise. Lenda

@Suslor Susan, I'm glad you enjoyed Amsterdam, and I hope you have a great cruise. Lenda

Sharon, in the case of this battery and the one we bought last year that also only lasted a couple of months, heat was not a factor. The one last year was bought in February, and this one we bought April 5. The weather didn't begin to get really hot until the last week or so. Besides, the car was in the port and with a car cover on it most of the time. The man who replaced the battery told DH they had been getting a lot of bad batteries. Lenda

Good hot afternoon from central Texas. It turned out to be a long day. We did get the windshield replaced, and like they said, it took about an hour. However, we had to wait almost another hour for the glue to dry even though this windshield has a gasket to hold it in place. The fun started when DH tried to start the car, and it would not start. The techs had a battery operated jumper that got the car started, but they said the jumper registered that the batter was dead. The battery was new, installed on April 5, and had worked perfectly until then. The only thing that might have done it, was they left the front doors open the entire time they were working on the car. With a 2 month old battery, that should not have made any difference. Instead of stopping at Sam's on the way home, we headed straight to Wal-Mart where we purchased the battery. Once we were parked at the service bay, DH turned the engine off, and it would not restart. We now have a new battery, and have our fingers crossed that this one is not defective. This is the second battery we've gotten there that was defective and lasted about two months. Joy, I'm glad the ankle feels so much better. Congratulations on winning the game last night. That rock looks wicked. The next time Claudio is there, ask him to get rid of it. Great memes, John. Thanks for the great pictures of Bermuda, Tony. Annie, I'm glad the behavioral specialist called and could do the evaluation over the phone. I'm sorry that your DH is having memory issues. HUGE HUGS! Brenda, I hope they can get the water main repaired soon. It's good to have an RV as a back up when something like this happens. Thanks for the beautiful pictures of the national park. Vanessa, I hope you don't have a bigger reaction to the shot than you did. I have been wondering about Mary Kay @cruzn single for a few months. I hope she is all right and just busy. Great pictures of Bermuda, Vanessa. Thanks for sharing them. Edi, I hope you can get your hip surgery sooner. Ann, that is good news that DD's arm has healed, and that you had a called about your upcoming treatment. DH also walks a head of me as I stop to take pictures, and he has two hats that he wears depending on the weather. I know to look for them. Paul, thanks for the explanation about Shavuot. I learned something today. Debbie, the cake looks good, and you put a lot of work into it. I'm sure your DSIL will love it. Lenda

Our favorite donuts. Too bad there are none close to us. The ones we get here are the next best donuts, but not the real thing. Lenda Lenda

Good morning from another sunny day in central Texas. It is 73F with 92% humidity and a dew point of 71F. Our predicted high will be 93F and no rain. Since we got the heavy rain the other day, our grass started growing again. So tomorrow, I'll try to get out early before it gets too hot to mow and trim. We are still not sure if we will be heading out to the get windshield replaced on the car today or not. DH called Wednesday to see if they had gotten the windshield in, and he was told they wouldn't get it until late yesterday, but they would call this morning to confirm. So far, no call or email. We still have a working VCR and a few tapes left. DH converted a lot of the tapes to DVDs several years ago. We also have the original Betamax in the attic along with some tapes. DH also copied our 8mm home movies to memory chips, except the two oldest, which are too brittle to copy. Those two were ones my DF took when I was little, in other words, real antiques. World caring and world food safety are import. The Jackie Kennedy quote is good and I agree with it. We'll pass on the meal, and instead, we'll be having fajitas tonight. We'll pass on the wine, but might try the drink on a BHB. We have not been to Bermuda. A good day in history for The Vatican. @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I'm sorry you have kidney stones and are in so much pain. I hope you are better soon. @LambKnuckles Lambie, I agree about needing a sweater inside sometimes in Texas during the summer. Our grocery store can be so cold that it feels good to get back to the 90+ temperatures when we leave the store. @cat shepard Ann, I liked the meme about power. I think real power is when you call your cat and they come, a very rare event. 🤣 @marshhawk Annie, I'm sorry about what happened last night, but don't know what else to say. ((((((HUGS)))))) @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad your back was better last night and this morning. I hope the prednisone is working. @Denise T Safe travels tomorrow, Denise. @cunnorl Congratulations on the new car, Charlene. @aliaschief Bruce, I'm sorry to see your cruise ending. I've enjoyed "tagging" along with you and Sue. Thanks for sharing your adventures. Lenda

@Mr. Boston A belated Bon Voyage to you and your DH. I hope the cruise is going well. Lenda

I'm doing my happy dance. I just got a notification that my passport has been mailed and I should get by the end of next week. Mine took a bit longer then DH's to process because I could not find the passport card to mail in with my passport and application. I had declare it lost, and then use the same form as if I was applying for a new passport. Those are handled differently, but it's done and on the way. It's still not taken that long, since it was sent in on May 7. Lenda

Good afternoon. It is still sunny and getting warm, 92F, but there is a breeze from the north. I think I'll take advantage of the breeze and sit outside in the shade for a while. I haven't been able to do that too often this spring with all the rain we've. Otherwise, it's been a lazy day around here. Jack, that was such a nice thing to do for your father. He received an impressive array of medals. Safe travels to your cottage, Fred. Our condolences to the family and friends of the neighbor's daughter. She was way too young to day. Thanks for the pretty flower pictures. Vanessa, I'm glad your surgeon was pleased with your recovery. Please remember to slowly and carefully ease back into more activity. Tony, thank you for your D-Day tour pictures. Elizabeth, I think your DH would enjoy visiting the museum. You would have to get to the museum on your own as it is not on any tours. It is too small for a large tour group. It is filled with information about the Big Red One and D-Day. Not only are there a lot of pictures, but also items from that area. Many of the items were donated by families of D-Day soldiers and others were left behind as they pushed toward Germany. When we were there, the young man, who was young enough be our son, and who ran the museum had a lot of information. He also told us he flew to Texas to interview Joe Dawson in 1998 before he died. If you're curious about how we know so much about Joe, he was DH's DB's FIL. We also got to visit with him and his wife over the years. He never talked about his war service, but he was selected by the Army to represent the soldiers in 2004 at the 60th anniversary of D-Day and to introduce President Clinton. He even invited us to join them on that trip, but we sadly had to pass. We had a cruise then, but watched the ceremonies in our cabin that day. Lenda

This is what I posted on April 28, 2021. These pictures were taken in 2012 on the Amsterdam when we did b2b2bs, and in 2018 on the Zaandam when we did b2b2b2bs. Your go to Alaska and you see The World. As we were approaching the glacier, which I believe was North Sawyer, we saw two people camping. On the next visit two weeks later, the campsite was gone. Captain Mercer told us they were doing a survey on the area. North Sawyer Glacier While we were sailing through Tracy Arm in 2012, we were on the little deck behind the Main Deck, and we had a stowaway. Someone told us it was a stormy petrel. After resting a while, he/she flew away. This as close as we could get to one of the glaciers due to ice. The last two at South Sawyer in 2018. Lenda

Good sunny morning from central Texas. We have a sunny morning with beautiful, clear blue skies. It is 75F and feels like 75F even though the humidity is 84% with a dew point of 70F. Our predicted high is 94F, and we'll be in the 90s through Sunday, There is not much on the agenda today for a change. Today I'll honor all the brave men who landed on the Normandy Beaches 80 years ago. Creative Educators is an interesting day, and thank you, Tina, @0106 for the information about this organization. I'll save my gardening exercise for Saturday when I do the mowing and trimming in the yard. Drive-in movies were always fun, and there are still a few drive-in theaters left. Today's quote is one I've heard all my life. I'd like the meal if someone else prepared it. We'll skip the drink, but would try the wine if we could find it. We've visited Tracy Arm many times when doing the 14 day roundtrip out of Seattle. The beginning of Operation Overlord began the liberation of Europe from the Axis Powers. @cat shepard Ann, thank you for posting DDE's letter to the troops. @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I'm sorry the shot hurt, but I hope that it along with PT and OT will keep you from having surgery. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm glad your back is feeling better, but please be careful when you are gardening. Glad you hand pings on the fish finder. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm sorry the all inclusive is not as nice as you'd hoped. Still, I hope you and your DH can relax and enjoy a time away from home. I hope his leg is healing well. @marshhawk Annie, thank you for the update from the visit with the new doctor. I'm glad you found one who listens and understands the need to include you in the discussions and decisions. I hope they will be able to help DH. It sounds like all the cats hand a great adventure yesterday. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad you were spared all the damage other areas had. @rafinmd Roy, I'm glad you were spared from the tornado cells. When we lived in DE, PA and NJ, I remember thunderstorms but no tornadoes. @aliaschief Thanks for the beautiful pictures, Bruce. @dfish Debbie, leeks are not difficult to cook with, but they need to be thoroughly washed since they can hide a lot of dirt. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I'm glad you saw a doctor about your foot and that they cleaned it out. I hope it heals quickly now. Did they give you a tetanus shot? With all the debris in the wound, if yours is not current, you might think about getting one just to be on the safe side. Today, instead of memes, I have a few pictures from the area near Omaha Beach. Whenever we've been in Cherbourg, we've rented cars and visited the D-Day beaches and the American Cemetery. We were at the 60th anniversary ceremony in 2004 and saw a ceremony with French Navy sailors on June 4, 2011. There is a small museum in Colleville-sur-Mer dedicated to the First Division, The Big Red One. Colleville-sur-Mer was their objective on D-Day. The ceremony on June 4, 2011, two days before the D-Day anniversary. The Big Red One Museum Captain Joseph Turner Dawson single handedly took out a machine gun nest with a good throw of a grenade. He was one of the first officers off Omaha Beach and led his men up a ravine that was named Dawson's Draw. He was wounded in the leg on D-Day, but recovered and fought with his men through the battle for Aachen, where his company held off the Germans for 39 days on a ridge. The ridge became known as Dawson's Ridge, and is still called that by the U. S. Army. On June 6, 1944, Joe Dawson his men sought shelter in this church. Lenda

Joy, I hope the clinic can help you with the foot tomorrow. I hope if it's an infection, it is easily treatable. Our condolences to your DS on the loss of her friend. Lenda

A very late good afternoon. It's taken me this long after three tries to read all the Daily. It was a long day cleaning house since I decided it was time to move most of the big pieces of furniture and vacuum and mop behind them. The only thing I couldn't move was the china cabinet, which will wait for another day. I also vacuumed under the bed and dusted the tall pier cabinets and light bridge that goes with the bed. I'm just glad we have tile floors which made moving everything relatively easy. After a busy week, there is nothing major planned for tomorrow. We also enjoyed happy hour with our neighbors. Once I finish here, it will be time to fix dinner. Thank goodness for leftovers. I'll heat up some of the stuffed peppers from last week and make a salad. Our weather after the rain was hot and humid most of the day, but we finally had clear skies this afternoon. It is 91F and feels like 98F. The humidity has dropped to 48% with a dew point of 68F, so with the 8 mph wind, it is not too bad out now. Our rain did not last too long this morning, but it rained very hard while it lasted. We got 0.94 inches in less than a hour. Annie, first of all, feel free to vent and in form us of what's happening as much as you feel like. That's what families do. I hope the appointment with the new doctor went well, and he is able to help your DH. I hope the oncologist has some answers for you both on Monday. I'm sorry your friend is now in hospice. I hope he can be made comfortable and pain free in the time he has left. HUGS! Annie, I agree totally about Miracle Whip, just disgusting. DH liked Miracle Whip but eventually came over the mayo side. Jack, thanks for answering my questions. I hope Sam has more good days left. Thanks for the story about Pauline's uncle and WWII, Graham. So many were heroes but not recognized as such. Thanks for the beautiful pictures, Tony. Debbie, I'm glad the test injection went well and you have less pain. I'm glad you could get your mile in and in less time than yesterday. I hope you can get the ablation soon. Vanessa, I hope the rain held off until you were finished with your errands. I also hope the surgeon was pleased with your progress since the surgery. Thanks for the pictures, Bruce. We visited Pompeii in 2002 and Herculaneum in 2019. Carolyn, thanks for the pictures from Mystery Island. Terri, I'm glad today is becoming a better day after your awful day yesterday. I hope your DH's leg heals quickly. I'm glad you went to the medical center. Roy, I hope your upcoming tests are not too bad, and they give the cardiologist some answers. Thanks for the pictures from Mystery Island. Elizabeth, I hope the doctor says that PT and injections will help with the tear, and that surgery is not needed. Pretty rose, Carolyn. Safe travels to Bellingham, and enjoy your visit. Thanks for sharing the pretty sunset. Jane, I hope you do not have bronchitis, but just a cough from the Covid. Edi, I'm sorry you need a hip replacement, but I hope there is a cancellation so you can get it soon and be ready for your October TA. Lenda

Good morning from a rainy central Texas. A thunderstorm rolled in just after I got up. It is 69F with a predicted high of 90F this afternoon. The rain should be over in a couple of hours. It is a good day to stay inside and clean the house. I am part of the early wave of Baby Boomers having been born in March 1947; however, DH was born the year before there were Baby Boomers. Thanks to Graham, @grapau27 I will recognize Popular Delusions Day. It is good that many can survive HIV long term. A funny quote from W. C. Fields. I like deviled eggs, but I'm not fond of spicy ones. We'll pass on the drink, and the unavailable wine. We have not been to Mystery Island. George Marshall's plan in 1947 to rebuild Europe after WWII was the beginning of the rebirth of the countries devastated by that war. @StLouisCruisers Thanks for the cute picture of Milo and Sadie, Sandi. Good news that Ren and Colton will be able to graduate high school in December. @kazu Jacqui, I hope all goes well with your time consuming appointment today. @Heartgrove Jack, is the new harness helping with getting Sam on his feet? I hope it's not needed often. @swin26 Welcome to the Fleet Report/Daily. Safe travels to Brussels today. Enjoy your cruise on Rotterdam. @richwmn Rich, thanks for the pictures of Mystery Island. It looks inviting and peaceful. @smitty34877 Terry, it was good to read that today is starting off well. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm sorry you are still in so much pain. I hope the Prednisone works soon. Lenda

Terri, how awful to not get the service you ordered and were promised. I hope Your DH's leg injury heals quickly. I also hope the sun comes out today, and that ypu can enjoy the rest of your trip.. Lenda

Sharon, that's good there is no infrection. I hope he's not incontient, but ar lesst now there are doggie dispers. Lenda

Tonight when we took our ride there were four deer in the field. A couple ran to the other sidw of the field, but a couple watched us as we rode by.. ifany are this year's fawns, the have already lost their spots. Happy C c anniversary to both of you. Lenda