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Jeff, I've stayed at the Shell station in Gila Bend many times. The only problem I have with it is the ever present smell of diesel fuel, even in the RV park in the back. Solar Mike called about 6:30 PM and said the Pro Remote monitor DIDN'T get there and told me I'd better not come there in the morning but wait till Tuesday because he don't open on Mondays. 15 minutes later he called again and said he had no more than hung up when the UPS truck pulled in with the Remote so come tomorrow morning. That suits me just fine. Now all I have to do is figure out where I want to spend next week. Maybe Borrego Springs or cottonwood campground in Joshua Tree National Monument. OR possibly back track to Yuma and spend a few days with Denise.

I got the Navion into the solar shop about noon. They got most of the wiring done but had to order the Pro Remote which he says will be here late tomorrow evening. I'm to bring the rig back Saturday morning to finish up the installation. Everything looks good so far. I'll stay here a few more days until I make sure everything works as planned. I'm bushed from sitting there watching all day.

I left Benson this AM heading for Gila Bend planning to stay at the Quail Trail RV Park. When I got there I found that it is now the KOA. There is no way I'm going to stay at a KOA. There use to be a very good Itailian restaurant in Gila Bend but when I went there for lunch I found a joint called Little Italy that was set up like a fast food joint where you select what you want from the menu on the wall and pay for the food. They tell you to go find a seat and they will bring the food to you. They brought the coffee fairly soon but then I waited over an hour for the food. They didn't even refill my empty coffee cup. If I hadn't already paid 10 bucks for the food I would have walked out long before. Anyway, I decided I cross Gila Bend off my list and go on to Yuma. When I got to Yuma the traffic was so thick I didn't even try to find an RV Park. It dawned on me that I'd gain an hour when I crossed over into CA so I buzzed right on through and ended up here at the Slabs. The Slabs has changed for the worse also. There are only about a quarter of the people here that used to come. I'll get the solar put on the Navion and leave again. To where I have no Idea.

My mail came about noon today so I headed west. I'm now holed up in Benson AZ at the Saguaro SKP park. When I left Deming NOAA said tonights temperature in Benson would be 28°. When I got here I checked again and NOAA says 17° for tonight. I think Murphy hiched a ride with me somehow. I'll head for Gila Bend tomorrow. It better not be frigid there or I'll turn around and head East. The TV said Grand Canyon AZ will be -15° tonight and the coldest place in the lower 48 states. Weird.

Julie, I'll be there but don't worry about the limes for me. One glass of cranberry juice is my limit. I never have been a drinking man. I have too much trouble keeping my brains strait even without the drinks. But the quesadillas are are another thing. A few of those may come up missing when I'm around. I was planning on heading west in the morning but my mail didn't get here today as planned. If it comes before noon tomorrow I'll head out and plan to stop in Benson. The Cristmas rush is probably why the mail is slower than usual. I wanted to spend some time at Organ Pipe on the way but I guess I'll do that on the way back. I want to get some solar before going to Q. I could get by with the generator for a week but don't want to get exiled by the rest of the classmates. I have NO place to set a Blue flame or Ceramic Brick heater in the Navigon. All the wall space is used already. I'll have to use the furnace to keep warm and I only have two batteries so need lots of recharging ability. See ya when I get there.

I got the two rigs swapped today so I'm all ready to take the Trailer to Jimmy's RV Repair in the morning so I'm pretty much on schedule. I about had a frosted tush out there this morning hooking up the trailer to move it to the other site. The real test of my fortitude will come Tuesday morning when I head West. The forecast is for 18° and high winds but it improves as you go west. So If the divide just east of Lordsburg is clear and Texas canyon isn't icy I should be ok. Julie: Does that 13th to 18th mean will start on the 13th and break up on the 18th or simply mean we will start some where between the 13th and 18th?

I seem to be pretty much on schedule getting ready to hit the road but I think I already got to my distination. I think I ended up in Siberia. It is cold and windy. It drizzled rain all morning and wind made it miserable working outside the rest of the day. It is supposed to go to the 20's tonight and into the teens in the coming week. Tomorrow I need to swap sites with the two rigs then Monday after I get back from Jimmy's RV Repair I'll dump the tanks on the Navion and be ready to head west out of this cold. Arizona, keep your kids off the street. Here I come.

Steve, Don't you dare get that Ice Cream Machine all wet and muddy playing around out there on the Left Coast. I don't want it to get my Navion dirty when I catch up with you and steal it. My parts all got here and I have an appointment Monday morning to install them so I'll be hitting the road Tuesday morning. I've got a lot to do Sat and Sun to be all ready to leave. Tomorrow I'll button the trailer up and trade sites with the Navion. That way it will be ready to pull out to the rv shop Monday. I'll dump the tanks on both rigs before I change places with them. The sewer line on the trailer site has a break in it and I'll need to leave it empty so they can dig while I'm gone. When I come back from the repair shop I'll park the traile truck and golf cart on the Navion site. Lock up and stay overnight in the Navion parked on the trailer site. Then leave for AZ the next morning which will leave the trailer site completely empty.

I finally got some work done today. I got most of the stuff that can't stay in the trailer or that I'll need on the road moved into the Navion. I had to rearrange every cupboard and basement compartment to get it stored but I made it. All I have left in a couple of packages of frozen fruit and veggies to move over there. Now lets hope the trailer parts get here Friday. I'll send for my mail tomorrow which should get it here on Monday and if the parts are here Friday they will install them on Monday also. If not I'll winterize it myself on Monday and try to leave Tuesday morning. Our weather will turn cold and windy on Saturday. Then Tuesday it really gets frigid (23° at night and only 49° in the daytime). That's a big drop from 33° and 71° today. It's been like summer for the past 10 days or so. These storms headed this way are the remains of the PNW storms but they say they will be dry by the time they get here.

I did come back to Deming today. I decided I'd better do some cleaning of this trailer and transfer all liquids and food stuff to the Navion. I sure hope that water heater and awning for the trailer gets here Friday. If it doesn't I think I'll winterize it myself and take off for AZ anyway. After I crawl under the trailer to drain the fresh water tank and low point drain, I hope I can get back out.

Spent most of the day yakking with cowgirl Margie who I didn't know was here until I got here yesterday. I thought she was still in Benson AZ. I also watched the Panther / Saints game. It's the first football game I've watched since 2008. I picked a good one. I should go back to Deming tomorrow but I'm enjoying the long walks and solitude down here so may pay for another day or two. The weather is beautatious. Sun, no wind, mid 60's. Are you Florida people ready to trade in your water wings and become desert rats again?

Ajo no longer has a hostital. The old hospital building is for sale. They have a fairly large clinic with limited services. The town is too small to support anything more. The nearest full service hospital is in Casa Grande and of course Tucson isn't much farther away.

I changed the scenery for the weekend. I'm down at Poncho Villa state Park in Columbus NM. I'll probably go back to Deming Monday. The new Sending unit for the propane guage on the Navion came in yesterday but when I took the Navion in to have it installed they found that they had sent the wrong unit again. The problem seems to be that all 4 of the RV supply houses have been taken over by one company and the individual houses can no longer make decisions on their own. They have to refer everything to the parent company so nothing gets done in a timely fashion. If Jimmy can't get the correct part by next friday I thing I'll just forget about it until I get back in February or March. His dad use to own the local LP plant and Jimmy worked there until it was sold. Yesterday he even drove over there to see if they had the part but no luck. Anyway I'm going to enjoy the peace and beauty of this park till Monday and not worry about the trip west until next week.

Didn't do much today. It was a beautiful day so I can't blame it on the weather. I cleaned up the trailer a bit and refilled the fresh water tank. This evening it was L E O (lets eat out) but I didn't feel like eating out so I begged out. I was checking the general weather situation today and found that the people in the PNW better be wearing there water wings for the next week. The Desert SW is scheduled to have sun for the foreseeable future. So I guess I won't have an excuse for not getting anything done.

I didn't do anything today except go to town for a sandwich for lunch. John from Jimmy's RV called this afternoon and told me that he called the supplier to see why my water heater and window awning hadn't got here. The supplier said he didn't know anything about it. He asked If I wanted him to order it again from a different outfit. So it looks like I'm starting at square one again. He said he would schedule an appointment to install it as soon as it came in. If the job isn't done by the 15th I think I'll winterize it myself and tell him to hold the stuff until I get back to install it. I'm also thinking about going to RVsolarelectric in Scottsdale AZ instead of the slabs to get a solar system on the Navion. They don't install but he has a man he sends you to that is real good. Doug at RVsolarelectric has good prices on parts and he is very knowledgeable and will spend the time to discuse the system with you. Boy that activity in San Bernardino is tragic. It looks like a bunch of Isis wantabees trying to get recognized by ISIS

25° Last night and a sunny 64° this afternoon with a promise of clear sunny days for the next week. I think I can live with that. I went to the bank today to cash a check and get some more money for the trip west. When the cashier put the bills in that counting machine they use and it counted the money in the blink of an eye. I commented that the machine counted the money almost as fast as I spend it. The Cashier cracked up and dropped the money. Part of it fell on the floor. She had to gather it all up again and recount it. I'm a bad boy. I'm really getting hitch itch now that it is closing in on the time to head west. I sure hope those parts for the trailer get here soon.

Beautacious days yesterday afternoon and this morning but freezing at night. Took my laundry in and checked on the RV parts I have on order (not in yet) this morning. I'm trying to get this trailer mucked out a little so I can keep it stored here while I go west this winter. I also have to go to SD in May to renew my drivers license. I should grow a pretty good crop of cobwebs before I get back to the trailer. Does anyone have a combination printer/scanner/copier with Bluetooth so you can print from your Android tablet? If so let me know the make and model and how you like it and especially if you need a full computer to set it up and control it.

I went into town this morning for breakfast. After breakfast I was passing WalMart and noticed very few cars in the parking lot. I went in and walked around just looking. There were still a lot of things on sale and shelves were well stocked. Yesterday you couldn't even get in the parking lot. Makes me wonder about those people that get up early and stand in line on Black Friday. Today is a bummer weather wise. It's still in the 40s and it's almost 1 PM. All my windows are fogged up so I can't see anything. There are football games on TV but I just can't get interested in any of them. All my friends are down in Mexico at the pink store so there isn't anyone to shoot the bull with. I think it's going to be a Steve Day. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I backed up my computer about 30 years ago. Or was that my abacus? I have a Windows XP computer that still works but I'm currently using a Windows Vista. I bought a Windows 8.1 and hated it so I gave it away. I have an iPad and don't like that any better. I have an Android tablet and use it more than any of the others. I have an external hard drive with about 15,000 photos on it but haven't fired it up in so long I'm not sure I remember how to access it. I think my computer days are over. I use my phone to look up stuff and the tablet when I have to write something, like now. I haven't started the Navion lately so I drove it to lunch this afternoon. I think it's time to scratch the hitch itch again.

BURP!!

It got up to 75 today but the clouds came rolling in this afternoon. Looks like it's getting ready to douse us tomorrow. At least we'll get doused with a full belly. At happy hour tonight every one was talking about what they were going to bring to go with the turkey, ham and dressing the ranch is furnishing. I went to Walmart today to get some chicken for me tomorrow. They were completely out. So, I went to KFC and got an 8 piece bucket. I hope it doesn't launch my blood pressure into orbit tomorrow. Everyone have a very Happy Thanksgiving. I'll be giving thanks for having all you folks as friends. No Steve, I don't need a second opinion.

A very nice day today. Sunny in the lower 70's and very light wind. I got in a very nice walk this morning then fried up a bunch of hamburger to put in the freezer for adding to my frozen veggies for dinners. I was going to dump the tanks on the navion and fill the fresh water tank but got talking with a few friends in the bunk house and that job got put on the shelf until tomorrow. It gets dark so early now that I don't seem to get much done in a day. I get up early but it's so chilly I wait till it warms up befor going out to do anything. The next thing I know it's getting dark already.

I don't know where in the heck this month went but it's almost gone already and I still have a lot to do before heading west. I have good intentions every day but nothing seems to get done. I got a haircut this morning then went past the RV place to check on the guage I ordered for the LP tank two weeks ago and it still isn't there. At this rate I might have to depend on the generator to get me through the gathering at Q. I'm shore you guys would just love listening to that at 5 oclock every morning when I make coffee. Maybe I should start getting ready to go to S. Dakota now. I don't have to be there until the end of May. Steve, I was under the impression that Carol had some old Crab at the table for every meal. My wife loved Crab. I felt pretty safe. That is one treat I don't like at all and wonder how anyone else can eat the stuff. When I took my wife to a crab joint I'd order something I could eat with one hand because I knew I'd be cracking crab for her and eat my meal by cramming it in my mouth with one hand while the other was all messy with crab juice. Her favorite was Dunganese crab and they are the messiest to crack.

Today wasn't as bad as they predicted. No real strong winds just a little breezy. But they are predicting 25° for the low tonight. I hope they miss that one too. I didn't do much today except fill the fresh water tank and shoot the bull with my friends. Every one was watching their favorite college football teem. And most of them were unhappy with the results. The ranch was busy planning the turkey day dinner. They came up with Turkey and ham. I can't eat ham and don't like turkey so I'll pass on their get to gather. I think I'll go to Walmart and stock up then head for one of the state parks for turkey day. Maybe get a nice pork chop and some pumpkin pie. Or get some fried chicken which is almost as bad as ham for being salty unless you cook it yourself.

Steve, you have to hold the Therapik in one hand and stick it in the coffee then poke the index finger of your other hand in the light socket. ♤♡◇♧ I don't know where the day went. I got up this morning and desided I'd better fill my fresh water tank. It's 10:15 PM and the water tank is still needing water. The ranch started an event they call the singles night out. We all met in the Liesure Room and they served hot buttered rum and Texas Bull dogs plus several types of wine then several things for hors d'oeuvres. Every one stood (or sat) around yaking. The group seemed to enjoy it. However, I had to take one of the gals back to her rig in the golf cart. She wouldn't have made it walking. I had my usual one glass of cranberry juice then sat there laughing at everyone else.