Charlie and I are two of those American know-it-all, Covid pandemic-induced, relationship-starved nincompoops who traveled during the Christmas holiday season…exactly what the Centers for Disease Control advised against.
We couldn’t help ourselves…we had to get out of Mesquite for a breather.
Besides, we visited with our good friends, Dan and Peggy Quinn, at their compound in Yuma which is 100 percent Covid-19 free. We’re all old farts and we’re careful about wearing facemasks, socially-distancing, and such. So, it’s just us and the dogs killing time in the pleasant Yuma climate.
We all enjoyed a great Christmas together. Life is good here in Yuma!
The Quinns have a cute Boston Terrier named “Katie”. She LOVES playing with our two Energizer Bunnies, “Baby” and “BonBon”. Our other Boston, “Booger”, is too old to really mix it up with the young ‘uns, but she’ll try…and then be sore for a day or two. Still, there is the occasional furious scrum with all four Terrorizers wrestling with each other to see who can snag and run off with some important toy.
There are probably three dozen dog toys (bones, rope, balls, etc.) scattered about the Quinn’s large lot and, just like little kids, the Boston Terriers insist on arguing about one of the items. They can’t help themselves…they are who they are.
By the way, Katie and BonBon look a lot alike: they could be siblings. Katie is full-grown, at about 18 pounds, and BonBon is three to four pounds lighter at 8 months old. The next time they see each other (maybe next year?) the two should be virtual clones.
Poor Booger is really showing her age. She can hardly walk up and down the steps into the RV. Her back legs seem to have lost most of their muscles. Or, maybe, she’s loaded with arthritis. The poor dog also has an eye ulcer that we’ve been treating for about a month; that’s got to hurt, too. It’s very sad to see your precious companion (we’ve had her since she was 9 weeks old) reach old age and begin the inevitable descent toward the Rainbow Bridge. Booger is 13 years old, the same age as our beloved “JayJay” when he passed on.
Unfortunately, these household fixtures that really make a house a home don’t last forever.
On a brighter topic, we are enjoying our time with the Quinns for the second Christmas season in a row.
They normally stay the Winter in the Southwest and then hit the road in their luxurious 5th wheel trailer for six or seven months. They’d really like to attend a Big Green Egg event in Georgia this year but, just like in 2020, it appears that the pandemic might keep them a lot closer to home…in the eastern Arizona mountains where it is 20 degrees cooler than in Yuma.
Charlie and I suffered a similar fate in 2020, when we were unable to hit the road in the RV because of the pandemic. We plan to try again this Summer to vacation on the Oregon coast; we’ve got reservations. However, it remains to be seen if we can venture out or if there will be RV park shutdowns due to the coronavirus.
Both the Quinns and the Mannings hope to be immunized for Covid by the Summer.
Dan Quinn is a sharp guy and mechanically-inclined. He does a lot of fix-it and improvement stuff on his 5th wheel trailer. Thank goodness, because I brought a couple of repair honey-do’s to Yuma and Dan was nice enough to lend a hand. We were able to replace a leaky water line and also repair my undermount sink which had fallen due to some bumpy highway travel.
By the way, Dan likes Bud Light. He might be one of Anheuser-Busch’s best customers. Those suds are one of his fewest indulgences.
I’ve still got a few fix-it to-do’s left that will have to wait until we get home: the washer-dryer isn’t right and I’ve got to find new hinge hardware for a cabinet or two.
We’ve eaten well at the Quinns: Goulash, Ribeye Steaks, Prime Rib, Beef Nachos and Dan’s Special Chip Dip. Later today we’ll go to the A&R Grill which is locally famous for exceptional hamburgers.
Charlie and Peggy have enjoyed doing some crafts in the Quinn’s multi-purpose shed. It is one of a couple of improvements that the Quinns have made to their lot out in the eastern Foothills area of greater Yuma. The lot is roughly 60×100 (?), maybe just slightly smaller than our lot in Mesquite. On the lot they have installed two RV full-hookups, a large paver patio, a couple of hundred s.f. shed (which houses a washer and dryer, a refrigerator, table and chairs, and storage), and a large metal shade structure with covers the Quinns’ RV and the paver patio.
The property is a very nice set-up that has only cost the Quinns around $60,000 according to Dan. They are in an unincorporated area with maintained dirt roads, full utilities, and such. It’s just what they need, and it’s nice for RV traveler guests, too. Also important: the property is fully walled and gated, so the Boston Terriers are free to safely roam and have fun.
One day we went to the local outdoor marketplace so the gals could do some retail therapy. I was there last year and the difference is striking: about two-thirds of the vendor booths are empty. This probably has a lot to do with the pandemic and the fact that Canadians, who normally spend Winter in Yuma, are stuck at home under travel restriction. The dearth of these “Snowbirds” in the Yuma area this year is probably having a significant effect upon the local economy. That plus the government-mandated coronavirus restrictions on businesses.
The end of this plague can’t come soon enough.
We played cards last night and had fun. Everyone won at least one game and Dan won two. We’re hoping to play some more before we leave. Dan brags that he was a “professional Hearts player” at some point. Well, I’ve played Hearts for money, too, but not at a pro level, whatever that is. I’ll bet that our old neighbor, Karin Pace, would kick his professional ass: she’s the best card player that I’ve ever seen. Ah, the good old days!
(Update: We played last night and I was lucky enough to win a game. But Dan may have set the world record in total points for a “Shit On Your Neighbor” card game: 136. He didn’t lose a hand! He and Karin Pace need to go at it, mano a mano.)
I remounted a painting on the bedroom slide-out wall yesterday with industrial strength Velcro. That stuff flat-out works.
We hit the A&R Grill on our second to last evening. They have world-class hamburgers. There were only a few customers in the place due to the pandemic. We watched football highlights and enjoyed our burgers. I had the Yuma burger: lots of goodies including a fried egg and chile peppers stradding a huge patty. Yummy! I also found a go-to hot sauce that I ordered on Amazon Prime right at the table.
On our last full day in Yuma I patronized the Classy Cactus nursery a few miles from here. Last year I bought a 42” Saguaro and a 24” Argentine Toothpick. They have unusual specimens of all manner of cacti, so going there for me is like a kid wandering through a candy factory. This year, on a $150 budget, I bought a 24” Organ cactus and a 24” multi-trunked Mexican Fencepost cactus.
Charlie and Peggy went shopping yesterday. I think they like each other a lot and they both need girfriends to do stuff with. So, our trip to their place in Yuma is a blessing for both. Charlie spends way too much time by herself in her office at home; I feel sorry for her. She bought a cool gift for friend Sandy.
Our last day of vacation will be a 377-mile slog north to Mesquite. Most of it is via U.S. Hwy 95, a two-lane curvy (horizontal and vertical!) road, which features 18-wheelers flying by at 65 mph, just a few inches from my driver’s side $1,200 mirror. It makes me a bit nervous, especially when there are 30 mph crosswinds like there were on our way south.
It’s a lonely battle, as my travel companions cuddle up on the sofas in the living room portion of the RV. It’s probably pretty lonely and cramped for Charlie, who has nervous dogs laying on her. However, she would be a lot more nervous if she was in the passenger (“shotgun”) swivel chair up front with me, experiencing the adventures of Hwy 95 up close and personal.
(Update: Oh, Boy! We found out today that our eldest son Tim has apparently contracted Covid-19. That’s not good at all because he has a few medical issues (weight, heart, and who knows what else) and his wife Shanon has significant medical issues. We are very worried. Charlie got Tim and Shanon and emergency Covid test today through one of her clients who owns an urgent care facility. Gee, I hope they are going to be OK. Our family has been pretty lucky thus far in the pandemic.)