Thanksgiving at Havasu Falls RV Resort

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Out of the RV and across the park
To the Havasu clubhouse we go;
See the Nescos all set up
And the tables all in a row.

Out of the RV and across the park,
Look at the snowbirds go,
As they limp and shuffle all the way
The going is awfully slow.

Out of the RV and across the park,
Hurry-up don’t be late.
Line up at the buffet table
And fill-up your paper plate.

Out of the RV and across the park
Bring your dish to pass.
Lime flavored Jell-O with peas on the bottom;
It’s sure to give you gas!.

Out of the RV and across the park
Bring your bottle of Tums;
And don’t forget your false teeth set,
Or you’ll be chewing with your gums.

Out of the RV and across the park
I’m sure that you have heard;
The park has donated a great big turkey
And the staff has cooked the bird!.

Out of the RV and across the park
After the dinner’s done;
It’s back to the RV for a nap
Isn’t retirement fun?

.                                                                                    Larry Page 11/27/2008

Home Improvements (shutters)

As a homeowner when we had our home in Appleton, WI, I tended to be what I call "project oriented", meaning that I enjoyed "do-it-yourself projects around the home. I always felt that it was better to tackle a job that you could do yourself rather than pay someone else. My theory was that I should at least start the job and if I got in over my head then that was the time to bring in the experts. And through the years I gained valuable skills in carpentry, roofing, plumbing, electrical etc. I would be working on a project and heading out to the garage for something and my next door neighbor, Norbert Schemm would yell over at me, "What'cha doin' now, Larry!" and my standard answer was always, "Home Improvements, Norbert." Well...when we sold the house and started the full-time RV lifestyle I originally thought that my home project days were over, but it was not to be. Owning and living in an RV presents the same if not more challenges as living in a "stick built" house. As well as normal maintenance I am always looking for modification ideas. (see our blog of Sept. 24)
The latest was to replace the pleated curtains in the Cardinal with something more substantial. Pleated blinds and soffits are de rigueur In just about all of the pull-behinds, fifth wheels and motorhomes sold and ours was no different. They look nice and work reasonably well for occasional casual use. However, with the repeated use of a fulltime living the pull strings wear out and/or the pleats get distorted. So when the strings on the large blinds on our rear picture window failed recently Teddy and I decided to go with something different rather than restringing them. On a shopping trip to Lowes we spotted moveable shutters and I decided that I could adapt them to the Cardinal. I just finished the job and we are well pleased with the result.Here are the original pleated blinds...

...and here are the new shutters.

They should outlast the blinds by a long shot.

House on the Rock

All Wisconsinites are familiar with Wisconsin's famous landmark"The House on the Rock". From time to time we see an example of an Arizona house on a Rock, .ie., a home built high on a mountain ridge or mountain side. They always appear to be quite palatial and isolated from nearby homes. To get to such a home one would also have to have built an access road, not always apparent to the casual viewer. Here is an example that I shot the other day from a city street in Lake Havasu City. While it must be nice to have that kind of money, I think that I would prefer to live in closer contact with others. Here in the RV park there is always someone around with whom to share a howdy, a cup of coffee, or a story with. ;-)

Why are we voting for Barack Obama?

Why are we voting for Barack Obama? One reason is the difference in the tenor of their campaigns. Is Barack Obama saying nasty things about John McCain or Sarah Palin? No, he has always spoken respectfully about McCain and simply blew off Palin as the divisive ploy that she is. Are the Democrats or any of their supporters spreading false hateful, racist, fear-mongering literature and phone messages in these final desperate hours? Not a one.

Perhaps we no longer recognize true leadership because of the vacuum that has been created by the two party system, and the resulting nasty politics has not encouraged the best and the brightest to the forefront, but instead promote the most politically malleable. But Barack Obama beat the system with his leadership abilities. The Democratic Machine did not have him in mind as the candidate - the heir to the throne was supposed to be Hillary Clinton. Instead, Senator Obama inspired millions of people who had never voted in a primary in their lives to come to the polls and the caucuses and, because he inspires respect and ability and trust, (you know, the stuff that leadership entails) he was chosen as the nominee.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a really really smart person in the White House? Someone who is an expert on the Constitution, who will listen to divergent viewpoints and make well-informed decisions that are best for the entire nation instead of his own political party?

Obama is a Christian- not a Muslim. But, even if he was a Muslim, as Colin Powell says, "Why would that matter? It shouldn't in the United States of America," a country founded on the very notion of religious tolerance.
When a party is out of ideas- when they have nothing positive to run on, they use fear and and wedge issues as a platform. FDR cleaned up after Hoover- Clinton after Bush I. McCain and his party are not equipped to clean up after the mess made by Bush II- Obama is.

And lastly, McCain is 72 years old and has had four melanomas. There are many doctors who believe his life expectancy is less than one term in office. The idea of a President Palin scares the hell out of us and it should you too.