Our Christmas Tree

Our "Bitty Home", as Becca calls our motorhome, is space challenged. So we have a a big problem at Christmas time. There is just no room to put up a live pine Christmas tree, which we like. We have struggled over the years with one solution and another. But none was satisfactory. But this year we may have found it.

Above you see our presents under the new Christmas tree. You may need me to zoom in.

See it now?  It's called a "Christmas Tree Grow Kit". It contains, in a tiny bucket, 3 Spruce seeds and a "growing medium" with potting instructions.

It explains that there has been an 80% germination success rate in test seeds. In any case it won't be an actual tree this year. We'll see about the future. But for 2012 our presents are under a tiny bucket with a virtual Spruce Christmas tree. It makes us smile.

Caroling in the Desert

Yesterday, 12/21, we took advantage of one of the many activities offered by Valle Del Oro RV Resort

Above is the "title graphic" projected on one of the three huge screens in the ballroom. They had loaded in the computer the words of hundreds of carols. The projectionist would show them on the screen as we sang.

The event invited park residents to come over in the afternoon to have holiday pupus and sing together.  Gramma drove her candy apple red scooter from our site to join the 200 plus folks. She was dressed in her Christmas party outfit.

Becca was rockin' in red. She loves to wear her Santa hat around Christmas time. If you look closely you can see her holiday necklace with tiny lighted flashing Christmas lights

VDO does not skimp on decorations. Below is just one corner of the stage. I'll try to get a few more shots when we go over for the Christmas dinner celebration.

We miss being with children and grandchildren at this time of year. But we enjoy spending time with the other folks who make this their winter home. We had fun.

Below you can see the size of their tree.

Mele Kalikimaka to all.

Cody

On our Kith and Kin Roadtrip this summer we met Cody. This 150 pound gentle giant quickly became fast friends with Becca, who identified him as a "wolf dog". 

Cody's family had him in this Michigan RV park where we stopped for the night.

He is an Alaskan Malamute, a breed Papa had when growing up. Seeing Cody brought back a flood of memories.

When he was in the third grade his Dad brought home a female that we named "Princess" to our house in El Monte. He and Aunt Catherine had fun with her. When Papa's family later moved to Rialto they had another of this beautiful breed.  

Our  connection with this breed continued after Papa and Gramma were newly weds. Nana's Malamute had puppies and we were involved in selling them. The pups were beautiful, fat and sassy. We remember when Gramma was pregnant with Jon, she would put a leash on one of them and both of them waddled outside to take it for a walk. The pup had his own agenda, and tried to pull Gramma in another direction. After all they are sled dogs. Gramma would almost have to drag the pup along. We would laughingly call it taking the dog for a strangle.

When it was time for us to go, Becca wanted to say goodbye to Cody. He was a great old dog but for many reasons  he certainly would not be a good candidate to travel in an RV

New Bed

It was time for Bigfoot to get a new bed. Actually we only needed the mattress. We bought the rig in '04 new, so we had a brand new mattress that has served us pretty well for almost 8 years, through 48 contiguous states and over 70,000 miles. The mattress was tired. So let's find a replacement. Sounds easy, yeah?

Well it wasn't. 

First of all the measurements had to be exact because it had to fit the built-in frame. 60X74 is what we found out is called a "Short Queen" or "Small Queen". 

Secondly Gramma wanted a particular kind, specifically a Beautyrest "covered coil" mattress.

Our research was frustrating. We found some of the right size and some covered coil, but none together. Beautyrest was no longer a stand alone company. They had been bought out by Simmons. But we found a big dealer here in Mesa who could have a custom mattress made to our specs. 

Finally, we found out that a good covered coil mattress cost a zillion dollars. Even a so-so good mattress cost a half zillion dollars. Yikes!

So we haggled then ordered then waited two weeks until the delivery was made. And here it is. It's a Spring Air custom. It fits in the frame. It is very comfortable. Gramma is very happy with it. That's very important in this home.

Stake Fair

Last evening, 11/3/12, Becca and I went to the activity sponsored by our Skyline Stake. Among the things to do was a photo booth, complete with a Sony printer. So here is evidence that we were rocking at the church social. 

Out in the parking lot we stood in a long line. I asked the lady in front of us if this was the line for Shave Ice. She said, "No, it's for Snow Cones".

Then we stood in a longer line for hot dogs. When we got them we found a place to sit at a round with a couple of retired age couples. One guy asked about my Boise State hat. I explained that I had a son-in-law from Boise.  And another Idaho son-in-law from Ashton. Then the other guy at the table said (and I'm not making this up) "I have a son-in-law from Ashton". What are the chances? He told me the family name is Green. Maybe the Ashton Reynolds have heard of them.