Friday 8-30-24 Hiking Turquoise Lake and Rift Trails, Motorcycle Ride & More

 

Hiking with friends

 

We woke up to 34 degrees. When Larry got up he turned on the heater to get the chill out of the Minnie. He pulled the curtain that divides the kitchen from the living area closed so the heater didn't have try to heat the kitchen area. I got up about an hour later it was still nippy but comfortable. I made pancakes for breakfast. While making breakfast I kept the curtain and the stove top kept me warm enough.

After breakfast we went on a 4.25 mile hike. We picked up the Turquoise Lake Trail at the overflow camping. We hiked the Lake Trail for a mile and picked up Rift Loop Trail (2 miles). The lake trail to us along Turquoise Lake shores through the forest to rift trailhead. We took rift trail up a hill and through the forest. As we hiked rift trail we hiked in the trees and out in the open. The terrain was a little rocky, we hiked over rocks and roots in the trail. The trails were very well used and maintained. As we hiked we saw a few bicyclists. As hiked the lake trail back to the Minnie people were starting to get going, it was about 10:00 am. We saw people hiking the trails, people on stand-up paddle boards, people fishing on the banks or on their boats, dogs swimming in Turquoise Lake and masters throwing sticks for them to retrieve and people just enjoying the lake. The lake was very flat. We said good morning to everyone we passed and they greeted us back. Everyone was thrilled to be here and had big smiles on their faces. The hike was moderate/easy and beautiful. We didn't see any wildlife but we had a super hike.

 

Scenery we saw as we hiked Rift Trail

 

Enjoying Turquoise Lake

 

After our hike we unloaded the motorcycle and went to Leadville Visitor Center. It's a small visitor center, the lady who greeted us was very friendly and helpful. It told the history of Leadville and they had menus of the local restaurants on display on a table. We looked at them and they were responsible priced but we decided we would eat at the Minnie. Then we went back to the Minnie to have lunch.

We loaded the motorcycle back on it's carrier, strapped it down and covered it. Later on we finished strapping the cover on because we're leaving in the morning. We decided to leave a couple of days early. We want to drive and camp along the Beartooth Hwy in Montana but the campgrounds close 9/8/24, so if we want to do that we need to leave tomorrow. 

Larry spent the evening planning our route. He also started preparing for the Beartooth area. There is no cell service along the entire Beartooth Hwy. He downloaded some trail maps on the phone and figured out what campgrounds have hiking. He made sure those campgrounds were open until the 8th. 

The refrigerator is still being temperamental. We had to run the generator for a bit to get the refrigerator to lite. While the generator was running we heated up a can of soup in the microwave for lunch. After turning off the generator the refrigerator lit on propane and ran great.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing with a book. I continued reading  The Invention of Wings. 

After dinner I walked around the campground to finish getting my steps for a half hour. I ended up doing 18,000 steps, which put me in 1st place in my group. We had a great day.  

               

Thursday 8-29-24 Leadville National Fish Hatcher, Refrigerator & Bike Ride

 

Leadville National Fish Hatchery Visitor Center

 

 What a gorgeous day. We woke up to 41 degrees and the high was 70 degrees. We had a lot of sunshine. 

When Larry woke up he lit the Wave3 so when I woke up it wasn't too cold. It was a little nippy. I made pancakes for breakfast. 

After breakfast we went for about a 2 mile walk. We walked to Silver Dollar Campground and back. It was a very nice walk.

Larry had to get up at midnight because the refrigerator alarm was going off, which meant that the refrigerator was off. He tried to light it but was unsuccessful. The refrigerator runs on either electric or propane, the owner's manual says if you are above 5500 ft elevation it may not run correctly. They recommend you to be plugged into power. Where we are there is no power and the elevation is 10,125 feet. This is really high. We had this problem last year but it happened on our last night. The next morning we left and when we got to a lower elevation Larry was able to get it to relight.

When we got back from our walk Larry played with trying to get the refrigerator to turn back on. He tried using a inverter we have for the computer but it was too small and it blew a fuse. The refrigerator uses a lot of power to start and run. He waited for people to get going and fired up the generator, that got the refrigerator working but we can't use the generator all the time. We didn't have an inverter powerful enough to run the refrigerator. Leadville is a very small town, there is one auto parts store, two hardware stores and one grocery. Larry got on O'Reilly's Auto Parts website to see what they had. They had two different ones. We unloaded the motorcycle and went to town. When we got to O'Reilly's Larry decided to get the bigger inverter. Then we went back to the Minnie. The ride was a little brisk but nice.

The refrigerator worked using our lithium battery and the inverter but Larry was surprised to see how many amps the refrigerator drew. He said we couldn't continue using the inverter because our battery would be dead in a few hours. When it got warmer outside he was able to get the refrigerator turned back on. It worked great until the sun went down. We have thermometers in both the refrigerator and freezer so we can monitor the temperature. With the low air temperatures the refrigerator is staying cold enough that we're not worried overnight as long as it lights again when it warms up.

After lunch we went on another motorcycle ride. We went back to town to take a shower at the laundry-mat. But we couldn't because there was no attendant. We tried the coin changer to get dollar coins for the shower but it didn't seem to work, it wouldn't take $10  or $5 bills. We decided to wait a bit for someone to show up. So we walked across the street to Safeway. Then we walked next door to Ace Hardware to buy some fuses to replace the fuse in the smaller inverter. We went back to the laundry mat and still no one was there. So we left.

On the way back to the Minnie we stopped by the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. The Leadville Fish Hatchery was established in 1889 and is the second oldest federally operated fish hatchery. It's a beautiful facility. It has a gorgeous visitor center. We parked the bike and walked through the visitor center where we learned the history of the fish hatchery facility. The hatchery has 16 raceways and 20 nursery tanks and is on 3,072 acres of land. Then we walked around the raceways, there wasn't a lot of them but they were stocked with rainbow trout. Before walking around the raceways, there is a beautiful pond full of rainbow trout and feeding machines. You can feed the fish for a quarter but we didn't have any quarters. You can feed the trout as you walk around the raceways. The trout in the pond were very big and beautiful. The raceways were very nice and had a lot of trout in them. We had a nice walk around the hatchery. On the site there is a mile long loop nature trail. We hiked it. It took us through the trees and by small lakes (we saw three out of seven lakes) formed by a glacier on Mount Elbert. We hiked over boulders and tree roots. As we hiked there were sign about the pine trees, other plants and wildlife (coyote, fox, mule deer and birds) that live in the area. It was a very nice walk. Then we went back to the Minnie. We had a wonderful time touring Leadville National Fish Hatchery.

 

One of the lakes on the nature trail

 

Larry checking out the feeding pond

 

The feeding pond with rainbow trout

 

The raceways full of rainbow trout

The ride back was very pretty. When we got back it was 3:30 so we relaxed until dinnertime.

For dinner we barbecued sausage links and flour tortillas. After dinner I walked around Silver Dollar Campground. I walked for 40 minutes for about 2 miles. By the end of the night I had gotten 18,500 steps, which put me in 2nd place in my group. While I walked Larry research on where we're going from here. 

We had another super day in Colorado at Matchless Campground.

 

       

Wednesday 8-28-24 Hiking Bodfish and Fallen Tree Trails & Reading

 

Camping at Matchless Campground

When Larry went to bed last night he started the Wave3 heater. It was nice to crawl out of bed to the heat. This morning it was 41 degrees.  The high was 71 degrees. We had a lot of sunshine. Larry put a set of solar panels out to charge up our batteries.

For breakfast I made more cinnamon rolls. Last night I put them in front of the heater so they could do their thing. They raised perfect.  When the oven was to temperature I put the cinnamon rolls in the oven for about 30 minutes, I kept a watch on them so they wouldn't burn. They came out good.

After breakfast we went on a morning hike. We hiked for 4.66 miles. We started out hike by walking the road to Fallen Tree Trail, we hiked it to Bodfish Trail. When we got to the trailhead we had already hiked .89 miles. Bodfish trail is a 3 mile loop trail. It goes through trees and out in the open with no shade, this was ok because there was a little breeze. We hiked over boulders and part of the trail was narrow. We saw a river, that ran by the highway and wildflowers along the trail. We rested now and then on boulders or fallen trees. We didn't wear any jackets because we knew we were going to get warm. It was a beautiful hike and moderate. 

Scenery while hiking Bod Fish trail

 

The river at a distance

Beautiful wildflowers

 

In the afternoon we relaxed with a book. Larry finished his book and I also finished mine. The book I read was Blood of a Gladiator (Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries Book 1) by Ashley Gardner. This the only book we have in the series and it was a great book. It was about Leonidas the Gladiator, who was set free from fighting and a slave, Cassia, who was a scribe. Cassia helps Leonidas live as a freeman. It's a story about friendship between Leonidas and Cassia. Ashley is known to be a romantic writer but this book doesn't have a lot of romance in it. It's more of a adventure on how to survive in Rome during the Gladiator era. I asked Larry to choose me another book. He chose The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. 

For dinner we had barbecued seasoned pork from HEB. After dinner I went for a walk for an hour for 2 miles. I walked to the next campground called Silver Dollar, it works on reservations only. While walking the campground I stopped and visited with a couple out of Denver. They had a dog name Cosmo, it was cute little white dog and came barking at me so the guy introduced us. Cosmo then calmed down. We said our good-byes and I continued my walk. On the way back I saw a deer on the side of the road by the fallen Tree Trail. She was beautiful.   

 

A deer watching me walk by

Larry spent the evening trying to figure out where to go next. We might go into Montana but the area he would like to visit the forest campgrounds close on 9/7/24. He's not giving up he'll continue looking. 

After my walk I started reading The Invention of Wings. I ended up doing 19,000 steps, which put me in 2nd place in my group. I think I moved into a new group because of the amount of steps I've been doing and I don't recognize any of the names in my group.

We had another beautiful day camping in Matchless Campground.     

Tuesday 8-27-24 Hiking Trails in Pike-San Isabel National Forest

 

Camping at Matchless Campground

We woke up to a brisk 37 degrees in Leadville, CO and the high was 67 degrees. We had a lot of sunshine so Larry put out our solar panels to charge the batteries. It was a gorgeous day.

I got up at 6:45. I noticed, that the cinnamon rolls I took out of the freezer hadn't risen as much as they usually do. I put them in front of the heater and they finished rising in about a half hour. I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for a half hour. They came out great.

Today we did two hikes and got a total of 4.75 miles. The first one was a hour and a half hike after breakfast. We hiked the road to the Fallen Tree Trail. We hiked the trail, which was 1.25 miles. Then we hiked part of the Bodfish Trail. As we hiked the trails we hiked by the employee housing and a beautiful pond. Then we took the main road back to the campground. It was a beautiful hike through the trees. We saw some wildflowers but only a few squirrels. We were the only hikers. The hike was easy but you still had to watch where you stepped because of the roots and rocks on the trails. The hike was 3.25 miles long. 

 

Hiking trail map

The pond

Our second hike was after dinner, 40 minutes for 1.25 miles on the Lake Trail to the dam and back. While hiking we saw people fishing on the banks of the lake, a few people jogging the trail and other people hiking like us. It was a nice hike through the trees and along the shores of Turquoise Lake.

In between the hikes we relaxed with a book.

Larry helped our neighbor (Deb) with a couple of problems. She is a single lady about our age, her husband did all the maintenance and repairs for them but he passed away. Larry was happy to help and I got to play with her dog (Ponder). She has two RV's. Her van and a trailer. The trailer has been in storage for quite awhile, the battery is dead and there was a problem with her water heater. Larry looked at the battery, it was only about two years old but very low on water. It needed to be filled and charged. It might come back to life and then again it might have to be replaced. Her hot water heater had a piece that needed replaced. She went to town and got the piece along with some distilled water for the battery. Larry had to clean out the connection where the piece fit. He was able to do this with a Dremel tool. Her van has an DC to AC inverter so he could use the Dremel. She needs some thread sealant and then the water heater should be workable. She is a very sweet lady and appreciated Larry's help.  

By the end of the day I did 18,500 steps. After the second hike I walked around the campground for a half hour and visited with another couple and their dog. 

When Larry was going to bed he noticed our garbage was starting to smell so we walked down to the dumpster to get rid of it. It was gorgeous outside. The sky was clear and we saw a lot of stars. We were the only ones still awake and it was only 9:30 pm. There is no power in the campground so we surmise everyone went to bed early because they could not use their TV's without running down their batteries. Come this weekend there will be a lot more people here, many will be younger and some will have kids, many of them will stay up later.

We had an outstanding day.       

Monday 8-26-24 Larry's Birthday, Hiking & Campingthe

 

Happy Birthday Larry.

 Matchless Campground

 

When I went to bed it was a bit nippy. We had plenty of blankets and our body heat helped. It was a very comfortable night of sleeping. It was in the high 40's this morning. When Larry got up he lit the Wave 3 heater. By the time I got up it was comfortable.

I lit the oven for our breakfast, we had cinnamon french toast sticks. Next time I may have to cook them longer and at a higher temperature. They were good but we like them crunchier.

After breakfast we went for an hour hike on the Turquoise Lake trail. We went south to the dam. We hiked 2 miles totals. As we were starting our hike our neighbor (Deb) told us they saw a bear when she took her dog (Ponder) for a walk. It was very nice of her to let us know and Larry thanked her.  At the beginning of the hike we saw a runner and no one else. When we turned around we said hi to a few people on the trail and their dogs. We saw a ski boat at the dock and a fishing boat in the lake. People were starting to get going. As we hiked were saw some wildflowers on the side of the trail. We had a nice short hike, which was our plan. We had not been hiking in a long time so we wanted to start off easy.

 

Turquoise Lake

 

Turquoise Dam

 

Daisy on the trail

 

We went on another hike after lunch, it was 3.25 miles and too about an hour and a half. We hiked the lake trail. As we hiked we saw people hiking, people fishing on the banks, a fishing boat, ski boat, people swimming and enjoying the lake. As we were hiking by the overflow camping area at Matchless we saw a group of 12 guys swimming and having a great time. Larry told them they deserve a medal for swimming in the cold lake. They said it wasn't bad. Farther down the lake trail we saw people bicycling, hiking with their dogs and without dogs. As we were walking by the next campground we saw a lady pumping up her inflatable kayak. We teased her about the workout and she teased back and said she didn't have to go to the gym and she could rest afterwards in the kayak. On the way back we saw a guy diving in the lake with his Go Pro. He said it wasn't that bad, he had swam in colder water in the Arkansas River, Washington and the Sound. As we walked we said hi to people on the trail.    

 

Paddling down the lake

 

Boating on Turquoise Lake

 

The rest of the day we relaxed. Larry started a book. He said it will take him a bit to read because it was longer than the other books, it's over 600 pages. I finished reading The Story of Arthur Truluv (Mason) by Elizabeth Berg. It was a very good book about two elderly people who brought a younger teenager into their lives. At times you will laugh and can relate to their problems. I asked Larry to chose another book for me.

For dinner we had Western Grillers Hawaiian Luau Chicken Breast. Larry barbecued it on the grill. It came out delicious. For dessert we had a piece of carrot cake. It also was delicious. I ended up doing 18,000 steps for the day, which put me in 2nd place. This is a great beginning.  Larry said he had a great birthday.

Hawaiian Luau Chicken Breast

Carrot Cake

I won't be playing a lot of games during our trip because sometimes we have limited power. LIFE IS GOOD!!!    

 

Sunday 8/25/24 Matchless Campground

 

Matchless Lake

Today we didn't have far to drive, about 65 miles so I slept in until 6:30. I slept very well and the temperature was very mild. We woke up to temperatures in the low 50s felt great just had to put a lite jacket on. 

We had a lite breakfast and were on the road by 7:30. The drive was a two lane highway with gorgeous views of the mountains. 

On the way to Matchless, which is near Leadville we stopped in Buena Vista to take a shower at their town park. According to the website the showers are 7am to 10pm but the hours had changed, the sign on the door said they close at 5:00pm. When we got there a bit before 8:00 the bathrooms were closed. A gentleman showed up at 8:00 and cleaned them. We waited until he was done and then took our showers. The showers were very nice and clean. It cost $2.00 for four minutes but the water turns on after putting $1.00 in. The water temperature was perfect for me. They had a sign, that said the water could be hot so be careful. You can't adjust the temperature. The park is very well used by the locals. It has a playground, paved walking trail around the park, bicycle skill course and kayaking launch area. Buena Vista is a quaint town with shops, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants. 

We arrived at Leadville before 11:00, we decided to check out another hiking area. There's a trailhead by the Mountain College so we drove there. We couldn't check out the area because there was a mountain bike event going on. It was a huge event. The parking was full and a lot of people walking around and riding their bikes. The area where the trail was was closed off. The guys directing traffic were very friendly and helped up get out of the area.

Leadville has a dispersed area for camping down a dirt road. Last year it was very dusty and looked rough. But when we drove by it today it looked like they had smoothed the road and put oil on it. There were a lot of people using the area.

When we got to Matchless we were surprised to see a lot of campers were still there, but it was 11:00 and check out wasn't until noon. Check in was at 2:00. We found a site and parked the Minnie. We had lunch and waited hoping the site we liked the best came available. It came available a little after noon. As the couple was pulling out Larry asked if they were leaving and the lady said they were and it was a terrific site. We moved over to site #7 and set up for our stay. Then we went over to pay for three nights, we will probably be here longer. You can now pay via an app on your phone but since these are first come first serve sites you can only pay for one night at a time. They also charge you an extra 10%. We paid for the three nights with a check.

 

View of the lake through the trees on our site

 

When we got back to the Minnie we set up our chairs. Then we walked around. Last year there was a water spicket for drinking water but this year the spicket was turned off. We asked the guy manning the ramp and he said they had a water leak and didn't fix it. If we need water we will have to go to town. This was disappointing because the website said they had water.

Larry started another book. I asked him to choose another book for me. He chose The Story of Arthur Truluv (Mason) by Elizabeth Berg. I started reading it and so far it's a good book. It very well written and it makes you laugh.

 

  

Reading is fun

We walked around a little. After dinner I walked around for 45 minutes to get some steps. While walking I talked to a couple and their dog I met last year. I had a great walk but stopped because a front came in. There was a little rain and a strong wind but it didn't last long. When it stopped raining I walked around the campground for another half hour. The rain came back and stayed around for the rest of the night. I ended up doing 15,000 steps. This got me the 100,000 steps challenge I was working for for the week. This put me in 9th place in my group.      

Saturday 8-24-24 Driving to Colorado & Walking

 

Colorado welcome sign

We had a very pleasant night. I wasn't sure how well I would sleep because Texmona Park is by a railroad track. We heard a few trains but I slept right through the blowing of the whistle. Larry woke me up at 5:30 because once again he wanted an early start. Of course I could sleep on the way to our next destination. We were on the road by 6:00.

We drove two lane divided highways and interstates. We started in Texas and ended up in Colorado. We drove 335 miles. On our way through Dalhart, TX we stopped at Daylight Donuts for breakfast. We stopped a couple of times to fill the Minnie. When we got to Trinidad, CO we stopped at the visitor center to get information about Colorado. The couple was very friendly and helpful. Last stop was for lunch in a small town 40 miles from Salado.

As we drove we saw a lot of farmland and ranches with horses, cattle and sometimes donkeys. The land was prairie through the rest of Texas and New Mexico. As we drove through New Mexico we saw Pronghorns grazing on the prairie. When we entered into Colorado the time zone changed, we had to change our clocks back an hour.

The nearer we go to Salida the more gorgeous the mountain ranges became. As we drove through the mountain range we drove by campgrounds on the side of the highway and there was a river that ran along side of the highway. On the river people were kayaking, fishing and wading. People were also fishing on the bank of the river, wading in the river and in big rubber boats. There was one construction zone where we had to wait at a light because the road was one lane. It worked out great because I had a chance to take pictures of horses and deer. It was beautiful drive. 

 

Trinidad Visitor Center

 

One of the mountain ranges

 

Waiting to go at the traffic light

 

Horses hiding in the trees

 

We are staying overnight at the Walmart in Salida, they allow RV's to stay for 24 hours. We parked the Minnie by the garden center because it was quieter and closer to the hike/bike trail. After setting up for the night I did a three mile walk on the trail. It's paved and very pretty. As I walked I met a few people and dogs. I saw horses, cattle, Canadian geese, ducks, a donkey and beautiful flowers. It was a very nice walk.

While I walked Larry started another book, by the end of the night he finished it. I also finished a book today.

 

Salida mountain and farmfield at the trail

Wildflower along the side of the trail

 

 

 

A bald eagle and her two babies sculpture

 

 

 

Sign and sculptures of the animals not to feed

 

 

I did the Daily Challenge of Solitaire. I was going to do the event but it was going to take a long time and I wanted to conserve power considering we're not plugged into power.

 

In the evening we walked over to Walmart and bought a few things. Then I finished doing my steps. I ended up doing 17,000 steps, which put me in 9th place in my group. After doing my steps I continued reading my story and finished it. What We Carry With Us was a very good book and well written.

 

   

Friday 8-23-24 Still in Texas

 

Sunrise in Texas

We had another day on the road. Larry drove 280 miles from Hamlin TX to Dumas TX. 

To beat the heat we got another early start (6:00). For breakfast we planned to stop at the donut shop in Hamlin but when we arrived it was closed, not sure if it went out of business or what. We carried on and had a couple of snacks as we drove. We drove two lane highways and four lanes divided highways. Most of the towns were very small. I slept most of the drive. As we drove we snacked and one of our favorite snacks, beef jerky. Louise gave us some for our birthdays. We saw deer walking across the highway and a flock of wild turkeys walking across the highway. We didn't get any pictures of the turkeys because Larry had to wake me and by the time I gave him the camera they were too far away. We drove by farms with fields of cotton and ranches with cattle and horses. We stopped in Claude to fill the Minnie with fuel. When we got to Dumas we stopped at Braum's for lunch. They had long parking spots for trucks and RVs. We found a perfect spot, it had shade so when we got back the Minnie was still in the shade.We ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich meal, it came with a medium fry and a drink or small shake. We decided on a chocolate shake we hadn't had a shake in a long time and it was thick and delicious. We used spoons for the shake. We got to Texmona Park at 11:30. There were three RVs there and two of them were leaving so we had no problem finding a place to park. The drive was very nice but not much to see.

 

Lunch

 

A great snack

 

Texmona Park is very nice, it is free for a 24-hour overnight stay, it has electric, dump station, water station, picnic area, swings, merry-go-around and climbing spider for children. It has a dog park, two fire pit areas and a cornhole game set. There is a donation box if you would like to donate money for your stay.

Camping at Texmona Park

Texmona Park

Once we setup the Minnie for the night we read. I took a couple hour nap. Larry continued the second book he started yesterday. I continued the book I started yesterday. 

 

Reading is fun

 

Before I leave on our trips I usually make a pasta dish because that way it's easy to heat up in the microwave after a day of driving. This time I barbecued some HEB seasoned pork, that way we can heat the meat up and put on a tortilla. The meat is very tender and tasty. It goes a long way.

 

The seasoned pork

I played the Daily Challenge of Solitaire and a few games of Gem Drop. I did the event, which was Event: Medium Mayhem Mini of 5 games. It took me 16 minutes and 34 seconds, which put me in 13th place in my group.

I walked around the park after dinner when it started to cool off. I walked a half hour and a front came in. I heard thunder and then the a strong wind came I stopped because the wind stirred up the dust. I ended up walking a half mile. We got a little rain. Once the rain left I went outside and did some steps. By the end of the day I did 11,000 steps, which put me in 9th place in my group.  

Thursday 8-22-24 Fall Trip Begins

 

Fall Trip begin

 

We started out fall trip today at 6:00 am, Larry wanted to beat the heat. 

Our destination for the day was Hamlin, TX, about 230 miles from the house. On the way we stopped at Donut Palace in Comanche, TX. The drive was  mostly two lane highways through small towns, ranches and farms. I slept most of the way.  

 

A courthouse we drove by

 

We arrived at Hamlin at 10:45 and it was starting to get hot. By 4:00 it was 112 degrees. We were here last year about the same time and the high was 101. We found our normal site right across the road from the restrooms. We plugged in for the night. We were thankful for the power and the Minnie's air conditioner. Once plugged in we relaxed under the air. 

 

Sunset at Hamlin

 

Larry started reading and finished a book. Then he started another one.

Relax with a book or two

I played my games. I did the Daily Solitaire and Event. Today the event was Event: Two Game Tango of 20 games (10 Klondike and 10 Tri Peaks). It took me 1 hour, 48 minutes and 18 seconds, which put me in 23rd place in my group. I couldn't get to the Mahjong so I played Gem Drop instead. I played for about a half hour. Then I decided to start reading a book because it was way too hot to walk around the park. I asked Larry to pick a book out for me to read about a week ago, now I made time to read it. The book was What We Carry With Us (New Hope Series Book 1) by Karen J. Hasley.

After dinner I did walk around the high school track four times, which was a mile. I ended up doing 5,000 steps, which put me in 7th place in my group.

 

A dog enjoying the sprinkler after a hot day

 

 

Wednesday 8-21-24 Trip Preparation Finished, Dancing & Errands

 

Hot Day of 104 degrees

We had another hot day of 104 degrees. It looks like it's going to be in the 100s for awhile longer. 

We started the day by putting the motorcycle on it's carrier. Next we checked out the lights to make sure they all work. Then Larry backed it on the side of the house to fill it up with water. Afterwards we took it down to 7-11 to fill it up with gas. The Minnie is ready for the trip.

After parking the Minnie in the driveway we loaded into the car. We went to town to stop the mail at the post office and The UPS Store. While at the UPS store we picked up out mail. The envelope that we have been waiting for from Shirley arrived. Next stop was Walmart. I forgot a few items and when we had our order delivered the other day there were a few items they didn't have. Also we had to return the battery core to get the money back for it. We dropped the core off in the automotive department.

 

Doing errands

 

I attended two virtual square dances. First was Ett McAtee's Weekly C1 at 1:00 for an hour. Ett called four tips of C1 to 18 participants. She started a little late because she was having computer problems. Once she got the problem fixed the dance went smoothly. I had a fun time dancing with friends.

Second was Dave Eno's Weekly C1/A2 at 6:00 for an hour and a half. This week he wasn't there because he was at a concert so Karin Rabe and Greg Moore called the dance with out him. We had a couple of surprise guests (Ett McAtee and Don Moger). Karin and Greg called three tips of C1 to 5 participants, three tips of A2 to 9 participants and in between the A2 tips we had two trivia questions. We had a small group and Karin and Greg did an excellent job of calling. I had a great evening of dancing with friends.

 

 

Square dancing is fun

 

I did the Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: Easy Street Mini of 15 games. It took me 37 minutes and 35 seconds, which put me in 11th place in my group. I didn't play any Angry Birds because I ran out of time.

I did play the weekly challenge of The Godfather and got a new high score. I couldn't take a picture because my headset was updating. So I didn't submit the new high score. This is the last day I'll be doing the challenge because we go on our trip in the morning.

After Ett's dance I did housework so we will come back to a clean house. Larry cleaned the drains using baking soda and vinegar. Later on I cleaned the kitchen sinks with Soft Scrub.

 

Doing housework

After Dave's dance we watched an episode of Northern Exposure. When Larry went to bed I watched Hildalgo out of our movies collection. I ended up doing 17,000 steps, which put me in 2nd place in my group.