Remember me??? 

Yes, it has been a month of Sunday’s since I last posted. 

Main reason?  I would have bored you into a trance.  Y’see I spent most of this year typing my fingers into arthritis. First, I wrote and published THE BOOK:

Here is where you can learn all about it: video, pictures, etc. http://www.getwhatyouwanteverytime.com/InspirationalGoaling/wordpress/ 

Came up for a breath and immediately dove back down to write and publish the CD SET & ACTION BOOK:

 All the information plus a new website can be found here:

http://www.GetWhatYouWantEveryTime.com

 Along with these two gargantuan tasks, I was under the tutelage of Ali Brown and James Roche, my coaches in the Millionaire Protégé Club and spent countless hours in training by phone and in person travelling to L.A. (twice), Scottsdale (AZ), San Jose (CA) and Las Vegas. And, of course, making the trek from our winter home in Yuma back to BC in the spring, and reversing the process just a month ago.

Now? I’m in the coaching trenches. Implementing all I have learned about the myriad intricacies and trends of operating a business online as well as welcoming a number of superb new clients and doing what I LOVE to do; help people choose the right goals and how to go get ‘em!

Okay. Let’s back up to spring 2010 and the trip back to BC in the ‘covered wagon’. At least you can’t lose a windshield at 110 km in the wilds of the California desert in a real covered wagon; maybe an elderly horse at a clip clop.  Well when a gap the size of DB’s fist opened in the upper left corner of our Class A RV windshield, we slowed to a crawl, held our breath, carefully crept into a tiny town by the name of Needles and called our Good Sam Roadside Assistant.

Spent the night, in an abandoned service station and next day a tech made really good use of some windshield super glue and off we went.

Fast forward to October 20^th, departure day to the south. Didn’t even leave our park at

 home before problem #1. The steps won’t retract when we close the door. Drove 30 minutes to Kelowna to our RV repair shop. At least 25 people in cars tried to draw our attention to the fact that our stairs were still extended. Well, they were being helpful.

Turns out the magnet that sends the signal to the control module had shifted, so no signal, stairs remain out.  Now fixed.

We arrive in Yakima, WA next day and hook up with our friends Dean, Sue and Sophie (dog).  We add another vehicle (car) to our train as Vicky & Wilber (giant dog) join us on the trek south. Plan was for Vicky and Sue to take turns driving Vicky’s car, but as Sue broke her right foot and had it in a ‘boot’ the size of the of a small hotel, that was out. But she rode in the car to keep Vicky company while Wilber rode in the RV keeping Sophie & Dean company. Us? DB, me, Atma and Solomon; lots of company.

Ahh, the life…CB radio in all three vehicles, smoothly cruising down the 4 lane highway somewhere in Oregon…and BANG! Our car-hauler trailer blew a tire. And I mean BLEW!

It’s amazing what two older gentlemen, one with Parkinson’s and one with a recent shoulder surgery and a disintegrated hip waiting to be replaced, can accomplish. DB can’t get up and down, so he found and handed tools to Dean who stayed ‘down’ and together they got the tire changed.  All the while crazy traffic is hurtling past just inches from this procedure. Of course, it was the driver’s side tire.

Couple of days later, somewhere in Utah, it begins to rain. And it begins to blow. Then it RAINS AND BLOWS! We all take refuge off the highway in a Days Inn parking lot for the night and due to the RV being on air bags, the strong wind makes it feel like we are on a cruise ship in high surf!  Vicky, Sue, Dean, Sophie and Wilber are safe in S&D’s RV until in the middle of the night some of that ‘surf’ is pouring into their ‘living room’.  Out with the towels and buckets.

Morning dawns calm and dryer but COLD.  The snow line on the mountains has crept waaay down and it’s time to get outta there!  Heading into lower elevation and it warms up. Stop for a break and…..our stairs will not retract!! S&D are still trying to dry out their RV carpets and furniture.  All we can do is tie up the stairs and carry on, but then the linkage inside our door breaks and we can’t open the door from the outside (better than inside, I think later). 

Another night in a WalMart parking lot in southern Utah. Dang, I sure could use a glass of wine. Turns out you can’t buy wine in stores in Utah, only at gov’t liquor stores which have now closed. Ahh, such clean living in the Mormon State!

Next morn we awake to a sound not often heard in city streets…. the baa-ing of at least 2000 sheep being herded down the boulevard by Basque herders on horseback!  What was that I said about ’clean living’? There was a shipload of sheep shit left on that street and not a shovel in sight!

We make a beeline for Las Vegas where we have reservations at the KOA. To our good fortune there is an RV repair shop a block away. We get the linkage for the door (DB does the labor) and a super friendly and talented RV tech lies on the ground under the stairs, opens up the control module and gets a face full of water. That torrential rain? Shorted it out. Module is replaced.

S&D’s flooding problem was caused by a broken spring in the rolled up awning, leaving some awning stuck between the RV and the slide-out meaning said slide-out could not close all the way.  Spring replaced by same super friendly RV tech and his quieter assistant.

The three dogs and Solomon have been real troopers. Wilber is a Golden-Doodle (aka: giant dog) who thinks he is a truck driver. Every time Dean leaves the driver’s seat, Wilber is in it. Sophie is the diva of the menagerie, Atma just wants to get out, go for walks to give her nose a workout sniffing at all the new temptations at every stop while Solomon sleeps on the bed for hours and hours.

Our friends go on to Yuma while we remain in Vegas another 4 days for my

business event, ‘Shine’, at the Wynn hotel with about 600 other attendees. The Vegas sky reminds me of gridlock:

Once we are on our last stretch to Yuma, I’m like a homing pigeon straight to a truck stop in Searchlight just south of Vegas where I KNOW there are Krispie Kreme donuts! With my bag of four Artery Blockers and a vanilla latte clutched in my hands, we keep on motoring through the Arizona desert until we finally arrive at Sun Vista RV Park and are greeted by our many winter friends and neighbors welcoming us ‘home’.

Three days later I sport a ‘Rudolph’ the size of a dime on the end of my swollen nose. A gift from the Krispie Kremes!

Well my friends, I hope I have made up for my loooong silence.  There is another way you can keep up with me on a pretty much daily basis and that is to ‘friend’ me on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1466943487050&set=a.1466935126841.61835.1637431373#!/goalcoach

I post loads of picture albums and post almost every day.

If you forgive me and like anything you have read or seen on this post, please leave a comment in the appropriate place.

I leave you with this image:  Last spring a group of us again went out to Spook Mountian (earlier story on this blog).  Of course all the spooky happenings are much better seen on a moon-less night.  But it turns out there were at least TWO MOONS out that night!

When these ladies see this?  I think I’m dead meat!

Cheers!

Lynn 

Mean Dean

Sleep Stealin' Sue

Illiterate Lynn

Deadbeat D.B.

They may be armed with false knees and/or hips and carry bags of dangerous prescription drugs so do not approach but report sightings to your local SBI who is equipped with backup hearing aids, canes and walkers that may be necessary in the apprehension of such individuals.

The above  fun and games was inspired by our visit to the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park, one of Arizona’s key attractions and right here in Yuma.  Unfortunately, cutbacks by the AZ gov’t may see this park closed by end of March.  There’s a big push on locally to find ways to keep it open.  The museum and history is fascinating and you can learn more here www.azparks.com .  Enjoy some more pics…

Finally Got DB Behind Bars!

Prison Was Built By InmatesPrison Was Built By Inmates

6 Inmates to a Cell!

No, No I Don't Want To Go! Entrance to Museum

Entrance to Museum

Another trip out onto the desert was to an amazing place that has several names, among them ”No Name Canyon” so I will stick with that.

On the way we came across a stunning sight!

Miles of undulating desert floor where for many decades people have made commemorative signs of names, dates, etc. with the rocks and stones available.  Look closely at this picture and in the distance you can see these designs gradually fading from sight.  The oldest one found was done in the 1950′s. On both sides of the desert dirt road as far as the eye can see these extend to the horizon.

Desert Commemorations

Miles of Memories Sue suggested we make one for our very much missed puss, Sid. So we did.Sid on the Rocks

 

Sid in the Sand                                                                                                                     

 

Squeeeeze

Sid on the Rocks

Jeep Squeeze

 Between earthquakes, sandstorms, torrential rains and below normal temps we are enjoying our third desert winter. About 2/3 of the annual rainfall pummeled us in January. Great fun taking Atma out to pee, me with an umbrella in one hand, leash in the other, dog twined around my feet and a wind trying to wrench the bumbershoot out of my hand but only succeeded in turning it inside out!

Friends Bob & Elaine deserted us, how dare they! They read this blog too and I cannot resist doing one more guilt poke, They bought a house in Phoenix (actually they ‘stole’ it), sold their 5th wheel and moved. The upside is they have 5, count ‘em, five bedrooms (!) and we, including Solomon and Atma, can visit. Heaven help us if we came without Atma!

Speaking of said dog, we have friends and neighbours fighting over who is at the top of the list to get Atma in our Will. In order to not get murdered in our sleep over a dog, I just tell everyone they are at the top of the list and not to tell anyone.

Ahhhh, the citrus blossoms are popping out on the trees and a heady fragrance wafts tantalizingly past out noses. It is odd for us to see a fruit tree, which just after the fruit is picked, immediately blossoms.

Grapefruit Greg

The pink grapefruit were so juicy and sweet, DB got the squeezer out and within no time he had a gallon of the good stuff.  Hmm, wonder how you make grapefruit wine??

An annual feast around here is the Monnonite fund raising dinner.  Oh groan, I ate like a piglet!  All the food was made by the Mennonites and pretty much all if it was home grown.  For dessert there were eight different kinds of pies and all served with home made ice cream. Well, we had to help them raise money for their kids’ school!!

Are you familiar with the famous author and psychic Sylvia Browne?  If you are a big fan, you are going to be soooo jealous!  She was here in Yuma!  And I got tickets to go! AND MY TICKET WAS DRAWN TO BE ONE OF THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO ASK HER A QUESTION !! Fifty questions keep flashing, one at a time, like a neon sign in my brain.  We could only ask one and I couldn’t choose, so when I got to the mic, I just blurted one out.

I have been working like a sandbagger with water lapping at her heals. My book is done!  It is now in the publishing stages, currently on inside page design.  The covers are AWESOME! I can’t wait for you to see it. Feedback is also AWESOME! (For a writer I seem to be suffering from adjective-lack). My excitement knows no bounds as I imagine holding my book in my hands by the end of April.  Title? “Inspirational Goaling”, sub-titled: How Intuition, Passion, & a Taste for Adventure Create Goal Victory When Other Methods Haven’t. It is a weaving of the story of my Nepal adventure and what it taught me about a brand new way to set and reach goals. You’re gonna love it!  Of course I had help….

Who's the Author?

Oh! Did you want to know what question I asked Sylvia???  I asked how my book was going to do on the market.  She said “Very Well”.  From God’s mouth to her ears!

Other than a birthday party with free Margaritas and huge spread of delish goodies, I won’t tell you anything else to make you long for early retirement.  It’s getting near my bedtime so I’ll let Atma and Solomon say ‘Nite, Nite’

Heading home first week in April.

Cheers!

Lynn

Zzzzzzz

"Napper" Expert

Been down the mine & survived!

THIS time I did not fall into an abandoned mine.  Determined to overcome crushing claustrophobia, I walked into it with my trusty dog and three companions. For those of you who are snake phobic (add this one to my list too), I have been thoroughly assured that they are all in hibernation at this time of year.  All I would need is to see the hind end of one slithering away from me and I would instantly climb a Saguaro cactus screeching all the way to the top.  Sidewinder or rapier sharp cacti barbs?  No brainer for me.

Armed with three flashlights, the four of us and Atma picked our way on a downward sloping, loose rock strewn mine floor.  As I kept glancing over my shoulder I could see the daylight of the entrance way getting smaller and smaller and then disappearing.  Pitch black without those flashlights. A fair ways down we came to an area which gave us a choice of several branches of tunnels.  Our friends, Sue and Dean, had been in this mine a few times before and mentioned that there is one branch they just won’t go down because you can really feel the passageway getting warmer the further one goes.  I don’t believe in this place, but the word ‘Hades’ comes to mind!

I had turned myself around a couple of times while shining my flashlight down the various tunnels and suddenly realizing I did not know which one was the way out.  I put a 100 pound manhole lid on my panic and was at the front of the line when Dean said, “Let’s go back” and pointed down a tunnel that I would not have chosen. 

Don't let go of my hand!

We stopped to take pictures by flashlight on the return hike on a now upward slope when Dean pointed out a murky green glow coming from a wall about 50 feet back from where we had been.  OOkayyy, I’m outta here!!  Finally seeing the daylight in the entranceway it felt like the Pearly Gates beckoning and I was so happy to climb over the last few rocks, out into the world again and succeed in not giving in to the claustrophobia.

BTW, Dean finally told us the

Welcome back to daylight

 green glow was just the phosphorous in the rock wall that had retained some of the light from our flashlights for a short time.  If you come across a man with a long white beard and a ball cap pinned to a Saguaro cactus by a few hundred long barbs that’s Dean and that’s where I put him!

We're saving up to buy this beauty

We’ve been to a taco fair, a tamale festival and a balloon glow.  Three separate events.  Loved the tacos but could very nicely live without eating another tamale (Atma ate most of mine).  All was made well afterward when we went to the date farm and partook of a succulent, thick date shake.

The balloons were magical.  The baseball field was crammed with a plethora of eye-popping colour in the form of propane heated orbs bobbing lightly in the currents of air. 

Glowing balloons

The general public was welcomed onto the grounds to explore, inspect and ask questions of the pilots.  At this evening event, the balloons did not actually leave the ground, but as dusk approached and it became gradually darker, the voice on the loudspeaker would do a countdown whereupon all the balloons would turn on their burners and every balloon would instantly glow from within.  Of course it was more and more spectacular as the darkness deepened and the contrast of light and dark caused the myriad of colours to produce a chorus of oh’s and ah’s from the onlookers.  The sound effects of all those burners hissing and roaring only added to the excitement. It was a perfect night with no wind and an infinitely clear sky.

Atma got her first haircut!  You may recall seeing her

Atma before first haircut (there's a dog in there somewhere)

very first picture earlier on this blog where she is hairless and scrounging for any morsel of food that might be left in an already cleanly picked over garbage pile on the side of a Kathmandu street.  We were so thrilled when her hair began to grow that I was loathe to cut it, but her face had disappeared behind a thick veil of hair growing in several

Ah-Ha! I knew she was in there

directions and she was soon going to be tripping over her own hairy feet! When she ran and played with other dogs she resembled a flying blanket.

 I found myself the recipient of a rather stimulating 45 seconds while in the Bath & Body Works store recently.  It started out as me looking for a practical substance with which to treat my onion-skin thin, dry epidermis which passes for my skin while I live in this arid desert climate. I quickly became thoroughly lost in the enjoyment of a phenomenal sale of exquisite scents, bottles, colours and variety of products with which to pamper myself.  I had been given a store shopping bag while I browsed and had been filling it with luscious sounding lotions, shower gels and crèmes with names such as Coconut Lime, Dancing Waters and Sandalwood Rose that I barely realized the earth was moving.  It was only when bottles started tumbling from the shelves and hitting the floor that I was stunned into the realization that an earthquake was happening!

The brain says ‘earthquake’, the body just stands there, the brain again says ‘earthquake’ and the body still stands there but the eyes look around as if there is a safe place to go.  By the time the brain and the body connect, it’s over.  All the customers chatter and nervously laugh with each other as we all stoop to pick up bottles and return them to the shelves. 

I have been remiss with this blog since arriving in Yuma for the winter.  I usually write at least once a month.  We had a sad event take place in early November and knowing I would want to write to you about it, it has taken some time for me to be able to do it without being plunged deeper into a grief that I am just now beginning to cope with. 

In my last post I kept you entertained with the struggle to keep Sid, our cat, in diapers, medicated and regularly bathed in the bathroom sink.  It was all worth it to get his problem healed and him back to normal, and he was well on his way back to that.

Sid, artistry by my friend Sue

Two days before driving our RV up to Las Vegas for a business event I was to attend, we took Sid to our Yuma vet for a simple enema.  The vet made a decision to do a small surgery on his rectum instead.  While in Vegas Sid became very sick and we doubled his antibiotics and increased the Betadine cleansing of his surgical area, but he just got more and more ill.  Five days after his small surgical procedure we rushed him to the Las Vegas Emergency Animal Clinic where a wonderful Vet took him well in hand and literally saved his life.  We were told that if we had not brought him in he would have died by morning.He was in shock with temperature too low, had a vicious bacteria in his colon slowly killing his tissue, in pain, dehydrated and in need of drains and strong intravenous antibiotics.  The exceptional people at this hospital kept him alive and comfortable until the following Monday morning when he could be transferred to the Las Vegas Veterinary Referral Hospital where tough cases go and surgery for Sid to be performed.

A renowned surgical veterinarian spent a fair bit of time with us explaining all the possible scenarios and outcomes and Sid’s chances were 50/50.  Just after beginning the surgery he called us to tell us there was a tear in Sid’s rectum through which feces had entered his abdomen and caused the infection.  Unfortunately this tear was in already dying tissue and could not be repaired.  We had to make the devastating decision to allow Sid to go.  We went to the hospital to be with him where I held him, soaked his head with my tears and sent him over the Rainbow Bridge. The worst was that he did not have to die.  Both attending Vets agreed that it was the procedure performed by the vet in Yuma that had caused the damage, it should only have been done by a specialist if at all. 

After a few weeks DB and I went to visit this Vet and quietly and calmly spoke with him about Sid’s case telling him we were not interested in pursuing litigation, but that we felt he should reimburse us the cost of Sid’s care in Las Vegas.  To his credit he took ownership and responsibility for his mistake, did not try to defend his position, was very apologetic, thanked us for coming to see him and a few days later we received his cheque in the mail for the full amount of the Las Vegas costs.  It was thousands of dollars.

The bottom line is we lost our beautiful, inside and out, Sid and we are still adjusting.  He was a very special soul. How do we cope with the fact that he died ‘needlessly’?  Well, many of you are aware of my philosophy to create value in all things.  We all have a life purpose including our pets and if one of Sid’s reasons for being here was to teach a Vet to be a better doctor for subsequent patients, then so be it.  It was the choice of Sid’s spirit and we have to honour that.  We enjoyed and exchanged such love with him for almost 12 years and for that I am supremely grateful.

We are also extremely grateful for those of you upon hearing the news sent us your love, support and comforting words.  They helped so very much!

We wish you all a very Happy New Year with your dreams of 2010 unfolding into abundant reality for you and your loved ones. Bless you in this exciting and energy filled new year.

Cheers!

My Boy Sid

Our wedding anniversary today!  Won’t tell you how many years ‘cause then we’ed seem old! But a clue is it’s over 40 (by one).  Yes, we were married at 12!

Up at 7:00 am to a fresh, sunny morn and we prepare the wagon to hit the trail.  All cupboard doors latched? Check.  Pocket doors locked? Check. Nothing left on counters? Check.  Towels stuffed in dish cupboard? Check.

#1 slide pulls in and locks, #2 slide, #3 slide, #4 slide…#4 slide?…#4 SLIDE?? Why aren’t you moving?? Dadgum it, first it’s the stuck awning leaving Vernon now it’s the stuck slide leaving Edmonton.  So much for the early take off.  DB gets out the manual. Dan & he get out the tools. One & a half hours later they trace it down to a bad connection which is easily fixable and I give the Talented Two a standing ovation. After parent/kid goodbye hugs we are on our way east on cattle trail #16.

I never cared for long road trips in cars, especially across prairie vistas of endless, strait highways disappearing into the distant horizon as if they fell right off the edge.  Now in an RV it’s a pleasure!  I can read, write on the computer, heat a cup of tea, sleep on the couch, use the bathroom and all the while separated from the world of TV, internet and anyone I don’t want to talk to.

Today I did all of that as the sun shone, DB whipped the horses and I enjoyed hours of field upon field, occasionally interspersed with small towns, of canola crops wearing their bright yellow flowers stretching up t’ord the sun.

More Canola

It was at one such town, Lanigan (2,300 population), that we stopped, right smack dab in the middle of the province of Saskatchewan, to thoroughly enjoy an anniversary dinner in an old-fashioned Mum & Pop eatery with the welcoming name of Grandpa Sam’s Family Restaurant.  Vittles of roast beef dinner stuffed me to the roots of my hair, while DB feasted on a cutlet dinner. Deelicious!

Mom 'n Pop Diner

A few days later, after we trotted into the big city of Moose Jaw, DB bought me a gift called “Blowing a Kiss”.  The beautiful sculpture is pictured here. Ain’t I just the luckiest gal in the West?

Blowing a Kiss

After a walk through the neighbourhoods with Atma, it’s time to call it a day and rest up for the next day on the trails.

Nighty Night.

Cheers!

PS:  See how creative you can get in the ‘comments’ box.

Let’s catch you up on the last of our Yuma days for this winter season.

Spook Mountain

We finally made it to Spook Mountain, a place that has been on our adventure list the whole winter. Doesn’t look like much does it?  However, wait until dark…a true Halloween creepy sight!

We set out to reach Spook Mtn. well before dark taking with us a supper picnic, lawn chairs and great expectations. As darkness falls, here we all sit in our chairs staring at this mountain…and waiting….and waiting.

Now I think my eyes are beginning to play tricks on me because I’m sure I see the centre segment of said mountain getting brighter. Yup, it definitely is getting brighter…and brighter..the glow is creeping to the right and left getting larger…there is a sudden flash.  And it’s all gone!

In one form or another this ‘glowing’ repeats itself every 20, 30 or 45 minutes.  There is no schedule, no two the same.

And there are no answers as to what this phenomenon is. Stories go back to stagecoach days prior to electricity. Everything from certain gases and minerals to ghosts circulate as to what causes this entertainment.

My answer?  Inside the mountain is a space ship landing dock and here the aliens make welding repairs!

No doubt we will return next season for another show.

Our Yuma RV park is situated not far from the Yuma airport and a Marine Base with the result that we are treated to the sounds of every kind of flying machine in use. One gets used to it, except for the day I heard a droning that was like nothing I had heard before.

I stuck my head out the window, went outside, looked and looked but saw nothing and the noise disappeared. Later in the day we were walking down the street to enjoy a happy hour with Elaine and Bob only to find traffic cones cordoning off one of the citrus trees.  Upon further investigation (you know traffic cones aren’t enough to stop me from seeking ‘why’ !) we find a swarm of bees has set up home in the tree.

Bee Swarm

Millions of the them! Bob, a veritable font on information, was able to explain to us why this happens.  All I remember is that it has something to do with her Royal Highness the Queen Bee and perhaps some younger whippersnapper female coming up the ranks of royalty is trying to usurp her throne. And when Queenie moves, everyone else moves with her.

I was more interested in taking pictures, so here is one of the swarm in the orange tree. A couple of days later they had moved on. Whether Old Queenie abdicated or young usurper was sent packing, we will never know.

Sunset on California Hiway

Okay.  On the road home.  We HAVE to get that  #^%*!* GPS working properly! Got lost the first day.  Not even out of Arizona yet.  Went up the California side of the Colorado River to a dead end and had to double back. First clue? The road became so narrow we almost fell off. Even with maps and good directions from friend Dean we managed to ‘go exploring’. Two hours gone, but the river scenery and the sunshine provided gorgeous travelling companions.

But we aren’t too worried, after all we had mortagaged our children to purchase an extended warranty package. After settling into an RV park in North Vancouver, we made the call. Result? An after-hours tech on a Friday night was more scarce than electricity in our coach. We would have to wait until Monday morning.

Here’s the rub: Two days before leaving Yuma I had received a fortune cookie with the words: “In the near future, you will discover how fortunate you are”. OK! I know I’m spoiled! I have all the nice amenties of life and I’ve darned well earned them! So there.

Once  hooked up we did have hot water, no need for the pump.  Showering by the light of my cosmetic mirror was not a use mentioned in the mirror brochure. Probably because the slight glow was only enough to help me find a towel by feel. Don’t ask me why it worked when the ceiling lights wouldn’t. Microwave worked on half power so I was able to heat up my ‘bean bag’ to warm up spot areas of my freezing body while we watched one TV channel so grainy I thought it was a wheat field.

DB was sick with a cold, the park did have restrooms (remember, our toilet won’t flush, and tiptoeing through the rain soaked grass and mud in my nightie with an umbrella in the midnight hours is an experience NOT on my bucket list) ,we were cold, it was dark. Bah, humbug! After a night of being buried under every blanket we owned, we awoke to temperatures of 3C (35F). When the bedroom door opened, the cats dove into the bed and under the covers giving up on breakfast for warmth, usually their only focus when we get up.

Foot warmer

My task that day was to take the city bus into downtown Vancouver and find the Indian Consulat to get my visa for my trip to Nepal, via India. I won’t even begin to mention what a hullaballoo that was! Before setting out, my feet were already blocks of ice. Clever DB filled the kitchen sink with hot water within I warmed my feet before slipping them into ice cold shoes and venturing out to the bus stop. Ahh, but that old ‘necessity being the mother of invention’ thing.

Upon my return a few hours later, my very talented and innovative husband had taken out the wiring schemes for the coach and figured out how to jerry-rig the electric system to provide all our needs until we got home.  Not only can he drive this thing like a pro, back it into sites on a dime first try, but he can fix anything on four wheels (or more).

Next, it’s on to Nepal May 1st.  Stay tuned. I leave you with pictures of some of my favorite four legged loves.

Sophie, Basherd-Basset Shepherd cross

Stevie-Dachshund Chihuahua cross

Please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

Lovely Lucy - Pure Bassett

Cherrio!

Lynn

100 yr old mine shaft

During our 3rd or 4th desert exploration with friends Sue and Dean (Dean is the unofficial Desert Tour Guide), and this time with two other couples, the eight of us were having a blast.  Some miles out, what almost became my permanent underground dwelling was an abandoned mine shaft.  

A thick board which spanned the hole in the ground and upon which I was standing to take a photo, gave way with a resounding ‘crack!’ and I was on my down what was estimated to be 200 feet to the bottom.

It’s obvious I lived to tell this tale and that is due to a perfectly placed small shelf just the perfect size for my perfectly ‘small’ butt.   The two met with a thunderous ‘thunk!’ about 20 feet down amid a shower of dirt, small rocks and the shock of my onlooking companions.

Look close, I am in there

“I’m okay guys!”  quavered out of my mouth and prompted seven terrified faces to appear over the edge above me.  Almost in unison I heard the words, “Don’t Move!”  As if!  My feet were braced against the opposite wall, butt firmly planted on the shelf, left hand still had a death grip on my camera (unconsciously), fanny pack had been ripped off my waist but was sitting on a ledge beside me, camera lens cap beside my right shoulder, sun glasses still on top of my head and eyeglasses still on my face!

Helping hands - Dean & DB

 

 

 Above ground the scramble for some kind of rope was ensuing as I took stock of my body parts.  Toes and fingers wiggled…whew!…eyes, mouth and ears all still functioning….yippee!…all bones intact. 

Even though there was a rough wooden ladder clinging to the wall behind my head, the assumption that it was at least as rotten as the board I had stood upon was voted Most Appropriate Decision 2009 thus far. 

Therefore DB lowered a rope which I was directed, on no uncertain terms, to tie around my waist and double knot.  Between the rotten ladder and the rope with two guys on it, I had my shaking feet once again on solid ground within minutes.

One cautious step at a time

Thanks to a member of our party, the retired rescue fireman, we have pictures of the event. Ironic, what? “Fireman Mans Camera as Others Perform Rescue” would make an entertaining headline. And if you click on any of the pictures they will enlarge for better viewing.

Almost out

Three days later

Here you see one of the bruises gleaned as I bumped and scraped my way down. Another one of equal beauty and size blossomed on my butt but is deamed inappropriate for public viewing.

About 3 dozen slivers have been dug out of various depths of skin while the soreness and stiffness set in during the next couple of days.  A few trips to the chiropractor have ensued but the bottom line is I am no worse for wear. My favorite sweater was worse off with several holes torn in it. Sue, a seamstress extraordinaire, took said sweater and mended it to perfection. Thank you, my friend!

Except for the fact that knowing that anyone with even one functioning brain cell would know standing on a board that had been baked in 120 degree desert heat for over 100 years ‘would likely not be safe’ . DUH!!

Footnote: A few days later there was an article in the Yuma Sun telling the tale of another person who had also fallen down an abandoned mine shaft out in the surrounding desert.  Apparently there are hundreds of them in Arizona. Lesson: Give them a very wide berth!

Partaay Time!

And it’s partaay time!  Here’s our group celebrating anything, any excuse to gather, gab and gorge on food, etc. This time it was for my successful ending of the English Course.

Another ‘first’ for us in this ever-unfolding land of summer is the succulent, cool, scrumptious, DEE-licious date (the fruit, not the occasion) shake. Ho-boy, I could have one every day and easily grrooow to twice my size.  They are definitely meant to be a once-in-a-while treat.

date farm

Slurrrpin' a Date Shake

Yuma Yoga Class 2009

Likewise the winding up of my yoga class for the 2008/9 season.  All these relaxed, peaceful, happy faces belong to this group of dedicated students of Lynn’s own unique brand of ‘Yoga for the Wisdom Years’.

 Due to the lingering horrendous winter weather at home, we are delaying our departure from this perennial summer land until March 22. With some visiting along the way that should put us on our home RV site at month-end with fervent prayers that the accumulation of melt-freeze-melt-freeze ice has disappeared.

 

 

During travel time, we will be offline on the Internet

Stay tuned!  My departure day to Nepal is May 1st and when next I post it may be from there.

I leave you this time with a picture of one of the hundreds of darling little bunnies that live in this RV Park.

Wee Peter Cottontail

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!  Lynn

I’d love to read your comments below…

Great Smiles

I’ve graduated!  The final bell rang and school’s out. I passed my Teach English as a Foreign Language online course and it’s on to Nepal in May to teach my Monk-lettes.  It’s not so much what I have in store for them, as what on earth do they have in store for me! All males, all  Buddhist monks, 10 to 20 years of age and the classroom is in the monastery.  Wonder what would happen if I walked in wearing a nun’s habit? On second thought, nah. This Saturday night we are hosting a celebratory partaaay with 12 guests so far.

Christmas @ Crossroads Mission

Would you believe the last time I posted on this blog it was before Christmas!  DB and I spent Christmas day volunteering at the Crossroads Mission here in Yuma at their annual Christmas Day meal and activities. DB was on trash detail and I was on table wiping.

We had a ball.  Over 3000 meals were served and that’s not counting the 200 that were delivered to shut-ins.  Here’s a partial list of happenings:

• A semi trailer full of fresh produce for the taking

• Racks and racks of clothing, blankets etc. for the taking

• Face painting for the kids

• Crafting for the kids

• Santa and prezzies for the kids

• Inflatable playground activities (slide, bouncing, etc.)

• Enough food to feed one of me for 2 years!

Just before serving time, we felt the earth shake and heard the thundering of a herd of Harley motorcyles.  They did not drive past, they came into the grounds! To our jaw dropping surprise they stopped and glared.  Long haired, bearded, pierced, tatooed, bald, leathered, muscled and fierce (and I’m just talking about the GIRLS!) . Kidding, the guys looked like that too.

Then they got off their bikes!  Yikes, what are we in for.  They swaggared up to the registration table and the next thing we knew they were donning aprons and took up their posts behind the steam tables to serve dinner!  You have no idea what a simple thing like an apron can do to the persona of a tough ol’ biker!

Wiping tables didn’t keep me too busy so I was able to circulate and visit with the guests.  They were wonderful.  So polite, grateful, happy to be there and loved to talk to us.  I met one wee one-month old Latino infant whose mother was so proud to show me.  She had 2″ long black hair (took all three of my kids over 2 years to grow that much mulch!), tiny ruby coloured earrings in her newly pierced ears and pink nail polish!

The best Christmas Day we have had in a long time. Please visit this link to see video and pictures of this event http://crossroadsmission.org/special_events.htm

SNEEZIN’

It’s been a year and a half now that we have been vet visiting with Sid the cat and his chronic sinus problems.  Now on a third round of antibiotics, antihistamines, sinus washes and blood drawings, he has found a way to get even with me.

It’s called the ‘sneeze wash’.  With Sid sitting in my lap one evening, I could see the sneeze coming and quickly averted my face, only to receive the slippery, sticky results in my hair. That was the same day that Solomon, cat #2, filled my shoe with a meal marked ‘return to sender’.  Have to say he did a remarkable job.  Fully contained within the shoe, none  over the sides or on the surrounding carpet.

Ahh the never ending joys of our unconditionally loving kids with fur. And speaking of fur, it is our main source of fibre.

Squeezin' Pros

Got a system going

Oranges by the truckload around here. There are over 12oo RV sites in this park and each one has a citrus tree.  One description of Heaven is when they all come into bloom.  The fragrance combined with the warm desert breeze is enough to start your angel wings sprouting.

Now, of course many of those tree blossoms result in oranges. Bushels of them.  We got together with our buddies Elaine and Bob and squeezed over 300 for juice.  Got sticky, got juice everywhere and got a gallon of juice each. Then celebrated with a Tequila sunrise!

SPOTS

Every day I go outside and ‘spot’.  With the amount of sunshine down here, even with a sunscreen,  skin will get colour.  Problem is, at my ‘age’ I no longer tan, I spot. Freckle ‘spots’, liver ‘spots’ and plain old unidentified spot spots. Blessed with the red2-smiling-monks-pichead skin of my youth (ok, the redhead needs a little assistance in retaining the coloure of days gone by, but the skin is ‘natural’) freckles come with the package.

So.  All you former clients back home to whom I gave s___ for getting sun exposure, it’s now your turn to give it right back!

I leave you this time with a photo of a full moon in the desert sky taken from the front of our RV

Midnight at the Oasis

 

 

 

   May this season, the one which embodies more than any other the sensations of joy…. peace…. love…. happiness…. gratitude…. sharing…. and giving, bless you and your loved ones with all of these and so much more.  My wish is that you take these blessings and in turn share them with all the peoples of our world during the coming months and years of this ’shift’, this ‘learning curve’ that began this year. And remember, the world may seem to be in chaos but it is unfolding in lawful order.  Stay centered, breathe, laugh and believe there is value in ALL things.

And now, on with my usual news and views….Enjoy!

Odd things happen when people over the age of 55 transplant themselves from above the 49th parallel to somewhere barely north of Mexico.  

Through absolutely no fault of our own (?), we and our various friends & neighbours find ourselves experiencing things that never happen at home. For instance:

Having sprayed lens cleaner on my glasses, carefully wiped them dry and and placed them back on my beak, I was presented with a vision of the world that appeared as if a toddler had used them to feed herself mashed potatoes and gravy. On further inspection it was discovered I had used hair spray instead of lens cleaner.  Aw c’mon….if my brain weren’t so busy thinking about what I was going to share on this blog and if the two containers hadn’t been the same size, I wouldn’t have made that mistake! Right?

While grocery shopping at the WalMart Supercenter and celebrating the ability to purchase alcoholic beverages therein (not allowed at home in Canada), I chose an enticing 1.5lt bottle of white wine and placed it in the grocery cart.  Feeling quite pleased withselection and imagining it’s pallette, I set off down the aisle to continue my quest for other goodies. The ‘bouquet’ of the wine hit my nose about the same time as the sound of the smash! of glass hitting the floor.  Yes, that sneaky bottle of wine found it’s way out of the cart! Had nothing to do with where I placed it, I swear. After waiting for the cleanup crew to arrive, I slunk down the adjoining aisle hoping I could avoid the chuckles and remarks from fellow shoppers (one glib fella took a look and hollered, “Now that’s alcohol abuse!”).  The squishing of my one wine-soaked shoe and the pervasive aroma of the cloud of ‘eau de Chardonnay’ following me up and down rows of less breakable items made my attempt at incognito-ism futile.  I now shop in disguise.

Now, take the experience of our not-to-be-named friends ’J’ and ’K’ (not their real initials).  If you aren’t aware, toilets in RV’s and 5th wheels usually have two pedals, one to add water to the bowl and one to flush.  ‘J’, who visits the porcelain palace a couple of times each night, stepped on the ‘filler’ pedal and nothing happened except a thunk as it hit the floor and stayed there. A bucket of water to add to the bowl has now been added to the already tiny room. Later that day ‘K’ is enjoying a good, solitary read in the ‘library’ when ‘J’ hollered at him to “turn on the fan!” That done, it was followed by an unearthly sound and explosion.  ‘K’ emerged from the bathroom with several pieces of fan blades (harmless plastic) scattered throughout his person. Seems the 120 F that the desert reaches during the summer months does strange things to recreational vehicles left to simmer in the heat.

Then there is the pilot from the Marine Base a few blocks away who thought it would be fun to break the sound barrier with his supersonic flying machine and initiate 25 heart attacks in our “Proud to be an Over 55 RV Park”!

I have developed a new taste! Now you already know that I am a connoisseur of WalMart $1.97 wines, well, only one, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t branch out and raise my status in the world of appreciation for mind altering beverages.  On a hot Yuma afternoon you just may find me sipping a Gin & Tonic!  Who’d a thunk, eh? Did you know that tonic water relaxes muscle tension and soothes restless leg syndrome? Yup, it’s the quinine in it.  Seeeeee, it’s for my better health, and yes, the gin helps too, especially with the muscle tension us retiree’s suffer from with all that golf and other playground stuff.

What does a good rain do to the desert?

It turns it green and produces flowers! Before the rain those branches were brownish-grey bare sticks.

Now, when you’re told there is nothing like a rainfall in the desert, believe it.  2″ in 30 minutes. Accompany that with the Mother of all thunder and lightning storms and you have entertainment!

A week following this storm, our friends Sue & Dean took us 13 miles out into the desert in their jeep. Took over 3 hours to go 13 miles and you will see why in the following pictures and video.

13 miles of THIS?

Lunch in the bleachers

 See if you can spot four of us in the ‘bleachers’ having lunch. Dean is hiding behind a bush and his beard.

I now call him Dr. Dean.  My neck, which had been keeping me cranky for a few weeks even with a couple of chiro adjustments, after a day of bouncing, jerking and hanging on for dear life in the jeep, was just fine!  And remains so to this day.

The Saguaro cactus is a protected species in Arizona and given that it grows only 1″ every year you can make a pretty good guess at how old this one is.  I’m just over 5′, doing my Paris Hilton pose beside it. That’s after I carefully inspected the ground for spiders, scorpions and snakes. I’m told they are hibernating during the winter and that is cause for celebration!

For added amusement, take a peek at the jeep navigating a “road” (?)

rocky-road  Click link to see video!

(May or may not work.  My assistant is on Christmas break and I’m left to my own devices.  Not so good!)

I love to experience things that are not of the norm.

Take the time I was in Hawaii and lived through a hurricane.  How many tourists can say that?  I’ve been to Hawaii several times, but that’s the trip that is most memorable.  And speaking of memorable, how many Canadians can say they drove through a blizzard (yes, the kind with actual snow, not sand) in the Nevada desert?! Again, I’ve driven through many blizzards (but in the desert!), and this one will be the most memorable, for sure.  Canadian winter blizzards are so…..normal!

 

DB & Smarties first blizzard

Big Fat Flakes

  Colder and a bit dryer the second day, but it was the trip home (to Yuma) that got our attention.

Soaked feet, freezing hands and SMILES

And with that, my friends, this session ends.

 

May all my readers have a most wonderful Holiday Season! 

 

See you in the New Year!

 

Cheers,

Lynn 

 

 

  

It was a gorgeous autumn day, Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, as our family gathered at the home of son-in-law Ken and our very own Martha Stewart, daughter Holly. As usual the aromas, reaching all the way to the driveway, wafted teasingly up our nostrils to wrap around our olfactory nerves and set off the tummy gurgles from the moment we stepped out of the car.

SENTENCE: Ten hours of miserable tummy ache accompanied by extreme thirst. She was released on good behavior after ‘returning’ the pumpkin pie on the carpet.

CASE CLOSED.


Roll back time a few hours to find family doing a photo shoot in the park prior to dinner. It was time to update our family pictures. Holly may be the family Martha Stewart, but I seem to have the Annie Lebowitz role.

With camera in hand we met in the park which put on a superb show of autumn colours while the sun smiled all afternoon. After a couple of hours of strolling for settings, snapping, posing, re-snapping and getting hungry, these are a few of the best shots:

Holly and Ken (left) DB and You Know Who (right)

Kristie, Bronson and Barkley (left) Holly and Kristie (right)

Ken, Steve, Holly, Lindsey (left) Steve and Lindsey (right)

t’s not easy getting these clowns to settle down and be serious!