Logged. Another Great Day in the Books!

Woke up this morning to Savannah going a little buck wild looking out of my side window, when I finally saw what she had 'window hunted' all I could do was giggle and get my camera!

[caption id="attachment_4756" align="aligncenter" width="221"] Be careful![/caption]

What started out as two little mice at the top of this bush ended up with one in the bush and one on the ground. We watched & giggled in amazement that one- the bush could hold the fat lil thing and two- he/she was putting themselves in an open invitation position (not hiding from predators). We were also surprised the food we did have outside had not been gone through or chewed through by the little critters. They were so stinkin' cute! A good way to start this busy busy day of ours...today would be laundry day, among other things. Now, for the average Joe, or Josephine, this would not really be a daunting task and usually, even for me, it is something I thrive on and like to do...but today...oh today would be so different! With the weather always changing, meaning not having to wear the same Summer/Winter clothes, and now having an extra set of sheets and pillow cases there hasn't been a major need to go to the laundromat...so we haven't... for two months! We have been soaking and washing the essentials in the 3 1/2 gallon bucket and line drying them to get us by until "The Big Wash". I definitely had my work cut out for me today, BUT we found a great, very clean laundromat right next to Safeway and there was only one other person there...score! J' helped pull all of our stuff out, bags inside, bags up-top, every single little thing was going to get washed today, even our canvas tarp was going to get a full cycle! I started sorting and mushing clothes into the front load dryers, which are really great because they hold way more and use less soap. The front loaders are a little bit more expensive but they do a really nice job and get everything really clean. As I did all of the inside work on the laundry, J' started the stuff in the van: fresh water, fresh ice, empty the cooler, clean the cooler (another one of those pizza crusts exploded in the cooler and was stopping up the plug, ewww), refill the cooler...lots of cooler time! Even though there was a ton of stuff to wash, dry and then fold and put away it went pretty fast, I'd say the whole process took us a little over two hours. Team work at its best baby! J' brought in our duffle bags, as well as our backpacks, so the clothes would be put away on site, (he knows me too well, I do not like doing this later). Everything smells so good and feels so soft....awww, the little things!! The other great thing about this place and the front loaders is, with all of our laundry we only spent about 17-18 bucks! Just to give you an idea, I did roughly 6 small loads of laundry in Lake Havasu for $35.00...not a ganga! Today I did, (hard to say with the front loaders but...) anywhere from 10-13 loads. I had 6 machines to wash and about the same to dry all for about $18.00...now that's a ganga!!

[caption id="attachment_4761" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Laundry is done man[/caption]

All wrapped up at the laundromat and Safeway we hit up a couple more places: Dollar Tree, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Wal-mart, gas station, and Little Caesars. 

We feel like millionaires of life right now! Everything got done in one day, everything went super smooth and it was still light when we got home to re-set camp. What a great day! My babaa' even got me a surprise...this is how you know your hubby really listens and that I'm not like every other girl...

[caption id="attachment_4760" align="aligncenter" width="303"] Er.mer.gaw..YESSSS!![/caption]

 I'm always clipping things and trying to tack down stuff... and I make a lot of forts but never have the "clip power" to keep what I make together, especially in this wind. When he came out of O'Reilly he said, "I got you a surprise." I said, "From the automotive store...stickers??" He handed me a bag and as I peeked inside I shrieked with excitement and tons and tons of giggles. What a sweetie! And now what do I yearn for...yep, MORE clips! haha

It's great being so close to town because even though it took most of our day, we didn't have to stay overnight in a Wal-mart parking lot to finish up our stuff the next day (like we did going to Fresno from Shaver Lake). We got everything done and now back at camp and ready to take on whatever comes our way. Even Savannah is completely satisfied, her bedding (from her gifted bed from Mikey), her blankies and her "babies" all got washed AND we found her favorite food at the store...spoiled yes, but oh so content!!

[caption id="attachment_4762" align="aligncenter" width="350"] C'mon everyone
.....awwww![/caption]

 PEACE

Yo' Vanilla...Let's Kick It!

We decided yesterday to make some goals for ourselves, nothing too crazy but something to strive for and if nothing else, to give us something new to do! So to kick off the "official" start of our goals we came back to the park we found the other day, Desert Breeze Park. J' brought his weights, jump rope and push-up bars out to the soccer field. I brought Savannah and some other things.

[caption id="attachment_3750" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sir-Jumps-A-Lot[/caption]

We both did our own thing; he did his workout, I did mine and I also flipped through my Healing Crystal book and we all ran around, chased each other and played together. It's a beautiful day today. I also laid in the grass, soaking in the sun...it feels good to have sun touching skin again, also watching J' jump rope.

I love watching him jump rope, he's so darn good at it. He can do some crazy moves and he's hella fast...it's really cool.

[caption id="attachment_3753" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sorry for her butt...[/caption]

When I jump rope I look like a second grader taking two hops in between one spin...I'm a watcher, not a jumper! haha We walked the trail back to the van, even though the van was parked literally right where we were in the field...more exercise! Plus, the park is so awesome and again it was a beautiful day!

We jumped back in the van, did a few errands, ran over to Wal-mart bought ourselves a Soccer ball and went back over to the park. J' has been wanting a Soccer ball and/or a Football since the Summer and today seemed like thee perfect day to get one...so we did! He played Soccer throughout his childhood, I on the other hand, tried to stay very far away from Soccer while growing up, for a few reasons: 1- I did not want to get kicked and having to play in grade school, know this is a fact of Soccer. 2- I did not like running. 3- I didn't want to get hurt. 4- I was a swimmer...not a person who ran after soccer balls getting kicked in the shins! haha When we had to play in school, I was always at the opposite end of the field from where the ball was, getting yelled at to, "Get in there!" Uh, nope...I was good at 'this' end of the field, where there was no ball kicking action goin' on!

So, this would really be my first attempt at actually kicking the ball and getting the ball kicked back to me, oh and running....ugh running! I think I did enough running for the both of us today due to J' being able to kick the crap out of this ball and my kicking it back to him was like the 2nd grader jumping rope...funny stuff! It was fun though and a really good workout. It's good for the hand-eye coordination, which I actually have! I'm not a total wussy girly girl, I did swim but I also played Water Polo for many many years and that is not a sport for wimps...and it taught me really great hand-eye coordination. It was fun and I think kicking this ball around a few times a week, my legs, ankles and feet will get stronger and it will just get easier! Savannah was so funny to watch, we let her off of her leash because there wasn't anyone around, she ran with us the first couple of times then she just stood off on the side watching us...she's afraid of the ball! This little dog will run, growling and snarling at strangers, bicycles and motorcycles but when you start kicking a soccer ball around, she is the most timid dog you've ever seen. I wanted her to get some exercise with us but every time the ball would go near her she would jump and run away so fast, then come running over to me with her ears down and her tail between her legs. She's such a weirdo. I tried to get her used to the ball by sitting on the grass with her and touching the ball to her back and you would have thought I was trying to 'brand' her with a hot iron.

She's a crazy dog...a good dog, but a crazy dog! She doesn't know what's going on, she's so confused! Poor baby.... haha

Well that was our fun-filled, glorious goal driven day. I hope you were able to get out of the house, RV or van and do something you wouldn't normally do.

Hooray for goals!

PEACE

Nippin' Cold in the Bud

January = Quartzsite

This has been our thinking since June 2012.

Now that it is January we are getting ready to move on over to meet with the rest of the gang, but first we wanted to take a trip to Parker to hit the Wal-mart and stock up before getting too cozy in Quartzsite (little more expensive there).

[caption id="attachment_3110" align="alignleft" width="150"] Gettin' jazzed[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3111" align="alignright" width="150"] Loaded up[/caption]

We woke up, morning rituals and packed Joon Van for the journey over to Parker.

[caption id="attachment_3112" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Blackbird ♪ ♪[/caption]

I like the drive from Ehrenberg to Parker, it's only about an hour away (45 miles) and it's a nice relaxing drive. We get to enjoy the ride with a nice speed and much better scenery than a rapid raging Interstate! There are farms up and down the road for miles and miles...with all of these hay stacks we see, you would think there would be tons of animals as well...nope. Not sure if they sell and truck out this hay or what, but they have a lot of hay!

[caption id="attachment_3118" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hay! Hay is for Horses[/caption]

While we are shopping in Wal-mart...well we decided we would shop in the morning, tonight would be our go-inside-and-look-at-stuff-we-want-but-don't-really-need trip! We did have some things we needed to get tonight though: Velcro and Glue. We had a project on our hands, thanks to the cooler weather we have approaching. We spent a good hour or so inside and went back out to start on our "The Warm Fort Project". **Remember that curtain I sewed velcro on and also put on the metal part of the back doors of the van? Well I did if you're not caught up... catch up!** That curtain kept falling down during the middle of the night, due to the stickiness of the Velcro wearing off already...the curtain is pretty heavy. We were going to glue that velcro onto the metal but then thought it would be best if we glued the rubber seal onto the metal and then glue the velcro onto the rubber seal, then stick it up onto the metal...make sense? haha Here are some pictures to make sense of things...

"The Warm Fort Project" took us about an hour, I only had to run in twice! haha I had to get the clothespins and a different kind of glue. We both think it's going to be one of the best things we could do to keep the cold out, for now at least. We are using curtains we already had instead of going and buying a bunch of Relectix (which I'm sure are worth it...but you get it). It makes a huge difference with the weather changing and now it won't fall down! We were so excited that we ordered ourselves a different kind of yummy dinner for celebration...Tuscani Pasta from Pizza Hut. Yes, please! haha

In the morning we will do the rest of our shopping and stocking and head out to Quartzsite to meet with Bob and get ready for the R.T.R. It should be a groovy time out in the desert creating new friendships, learning, sharing and just being. We are pretty stoked...it's finally here!

PEACE

Visiting the Boogie Monster

This morning was a little unsettling. Savannah and Daddy went out this morning (off leash) while I dressed myself and the bed. They hopped back in to help me make the bed; I was laying in the bed fixing the blankets, Savannah was in the passenger seat and Daddy was in between the bed and the chair and all of a sudden I hear J' say, "Whoa...look!" About 15-20 yards from our back window was a loner coyote. We searched for my camera while keeping an eye on him...where the heck is that thing!? I can never find it when I really want to use it! He hung around the back of the van for a good 7-8 minutes, little by little walking further away. The wheels started turning in J's head like they did mine the other day when I didn't have Savannah on a leash...all of the oh my god's and what if's. Phew, we're not even letting her out of the van without being leashed up first and without either of us at her side. My little pot belly pig is a meal waiting to be had out here!

Actual rain clouds rolled in as well this morning. We haven't seen rain or dark clouds like this in months, it's kind of cool to see something different.

[caption id="attachment_2951" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Moisture![/caption]

We figured if it was going to rain, we might as well run into town and get some things to refresh our stock and we also needed to pick up a multi-meter...always good to have one of those on hand. After picking up a few things at Albertsons and K-mart (no Wal-mart in this town) we did a little discovering on the other side of town. We saw more towers, so we thought we would give them a try...you never know until you try!

We found a spot back on more BLM land but it seemed a little "shady" to us. Oh, we're still camping here but it's pretty close to I-10, the ground is pretty soft (may turn into a big mud pit?) and there are a lot more trees and bushes around here. The one thing I like best about being in the desert is I can see what's ahead of us for miles when I'm walking Savannah. Here I feel like the Boogie Monster and his wild animal friends are going to jump out and attack me at any moment, it's a little creepy and the huge black clouds in the sky are not helping.

[caption id="attachment_2953" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Déjà vu of the Mangroves[/caption]

Almost as soon as we got parked and settled, it started pouring down rain. It was nice to smell the rain again, something we both miss terribly. With the rain came the wind and the cold...the not yet freezing but pretty darn cold! The rain stopped long enough for me to do one last potty walk with Savannah...even creepier at dusk!

[caption id="attachment_2954" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Like a scary movie[/caption]

I think tonight we will all just be cuddling together, not cold enough to get the heater down...yes, Savannah is back in the bed. The whole crate thing lasted like 3 or 4 days total because as soon as we got the grand idea, it started getting "too cold" for her to be down there by herself. I woke up one morning about 2 a.m. and could hear her teeth chattering...she's just a baby! haha Cute lil pig! So far, our internet is pretty good here and we don't know yet if it's our antennae signal or the rain as to why we're having problems getting channels, but there's nothing like snuggling in our fort with the boob tube getting heat from all the dutch-ovens! haha Savannah...that lil' dickens!

Cuddle tight homies!

PEACE

 

 

Just as nice as a Desert Breeze

Snoozing away last night and got joustled out of bed by a loud knock, knock, knock and barking from the Nana Bug. It was about 1 a.m...I think. The rule in our rig is if we ever get a knock on the van, I have to answer it because I'm cuter than J'! haha I looked out to see who was there...guess who? Security, of course. I answered the door, only opening it a tad...dressed, but in my undies. The guys name was Rudy, he asked if we were guests of the hotel (Yep, that's why we're sleeping in our van, duh) he said that we weren't supposed to be sleeping in the van. I told him I had the okay from Ernesto...he got the biggest surprise look on his face. All in all, he said that Managers (Ernesto) had no say in a topic of that nature and that I should have talked to Security...(I thought I had). He asked how long we would be here and I told him we were leaving in the morning (not true but didn't want to get into it with him). He just told me to lock my doors and please be sure to be gone in the morning. I think he might have gone back and had some words with Ernesto the next day!! We got our nights' sleep in though, got up this morning and were on the road (not doing anything but getting in and driving away) by 8 a.m.

[caption id="attachment_2249" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Good Morning & Goodbye[/caption]

I guess we'll have to use the other places on our list for the rest of our stay. I seriously doubt that if we had stayed among the big trucks, we would have never been scoped out, but we wanted our space so we were being watched. I saw him sitting behind us earlier in the night and if our TV wasn't so bright, he probably would have never known anyone was even in the van...oh well. We'll just move on! While we were researching Vegas, we had looked into things going on around the Vegas area for the weekend. We found a balloon festival with a carnival that was going on, starting Friday going through Sat. & Sunday so we drove toward that direction, finding a Wal-mart on the way.

[caption id="attachment_2248" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I think we're going the right way![/caption]

We pulled over to the back lot of Wal-mart and did our morning duties: rolled up the bed, got dressed & cleaned up and bought a couple of necessities inside. When we were done, we drove over to the Hospital where the festival was being held....we were definitely the first ones there!

After walking around and seeing everyone still setting up for the afternoon, we got back in Joon, made coffee and looked online for some nearby parks. Since our van is pretty stealthy, no one ever knows there is anyone sitting in it. We watched some carnies (small hands ~ Austin Powers) next to us go through their morning rituals of being disturbing, disgusting and down right disrespectful. I'll spare you the details! It just goes to show...you never know when you're being watched. They had no clue all eyes were on them for a good half hour! I wish I could take it back! It was very displeasing to the eyeballs!

[caption id="attachment_2247" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Just nasty[/caption]

As soon as we found a park to go to, we started her up and drove over to Desert Breeze Park, it was only about 3 miles away. I haven't seen a park like this since we lived in Denver. This park had everything imaginable: one whole entire side of the road was dedicated to just Soccer fields, the other side of the road had a rec. center with a fitness center and a pool (they only wanted $4 per person for the day, plus showers...we declined...not bad though), they had a skate park, basketball courts, bike and walking trails, softball fields, more soccer fields and get this...a dog park!

[caption id="attachment_2256" align="aligncenter" width="300"] B-ball[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2257" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Couple's Skate...Ladies Choice[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2251" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Happy girl rolling around[/caption]

This dog park was one of the cleanest nicest parks I've been to. We parked and walked the trail all the way back to the dog park...finally Nana can really stretch her legs!

[caption id="attachment_2253" align="aligncenter" width="300"] ...and she's off[/caption]

She chased dogs and barked at everybody, a little dog even turned right around and chased her back.

After she realized she wasn't the boss of anyone here, all she wanted to do was sit on the bench with us....with her back turned to the other dogs. She's such a brat!

[caption id="attachment_2255" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Faced AWAY from the park[/caption]

We kept walking after we realized she wasn't going to play with anyone. This park is huge and just beautiful. We stayed here the rest of the day. We walked over to the pool to check it out and they were having early voting so it was a mad-house.

[caption id="attachment_2258" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Desert Breeze Pool[/caption]

 We found a great spot in the parking lot where there were no cars and where we could have a little privacy...we needed to scrub-a-dub-dub it up. This was a great spot to do it, we just backed up to where we had even more privacy and bam, we had a shower! I threw on my bikini and scrubbed down...feels good to be clean!

[caption id="attachment_2260" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Scrub-a-dub-dub...who needs a tub?[/caption]

We figured we would go back over to the park for the day so we chilled and got some work done. When we felt like we needed to take a break and stretch our legs again, we headed back over to the dog park. It was almost 5:00 p.m. so there were sure to be more dogs there and we were more than right...most people and dogs I've ever seen at a dog park. It felt nice to know that people are taking advantage of this great park, every park I've been to there's never anyone there. I had also never seen so many wiener dogs in one place at one time....it was a Wiener Fest! haha

[caption id="attachment_2261" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cute lil' Wieners![/caption]

There was a dog there that looked like Tony (Miss Cherry's pup) but much smaller....soooo freakin' cute!

[caption id="attachment_2263" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Are you Tony's cousin?[/caption]

Savannah played a little more than she did this morning, but it always ends up the same...we end up running and fetching balls more than her...like she's the one that took us to the park! haha I just think it's because none of the dogs let her bully them around so all the fun is taken out of it. At least she got some exercise, that's what counts.

[caption id="attachment_2262" align="aligncenter" width="300"] RUN!![/caption]

We did one more big walk around the park. There were people at the skate park this time, with boards and bikes so we watched them throw down some skills.

[caption id="attachment_2264" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Flip & Spin[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2265" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thank goodness for helmets![/caption]

It was starting to get dark, so we ran a few more little errands and figured we would just go sleep at the Wal-mart we were at this morning. When we first learned about the balloon festival, we thought we would just sleep there amongst the carnies, but after this morning we decided against it and went to go blend in with the other campers. This Wal-mart had some good parking but we noticed on the backside of the store there was a bunch of semi-type trucks and RV's along this strip of road...we joined right in. Good thing we got there when we did too because as soon as we found close to one of the very last spots along the strip, we saw a couple of small campers/RV's driving up and down looking for spots...the early van gets the spot! Even though it was only about 6:30p.m. it is pitch black and I am not getting out of the rig to take pictures...so you're going to have to use your imagination on what this one looks like!  We will be going to bed a little earlier tonight due to us actually setting an alarm for tomorrow morning. The balloon festival launches at 7 a.m., we have set the alarm for 6 a.m. that should get us up and there in plenty of time to see every one of those suckers get up in the air. I'm totally stoked about this, I have always wanted to go to one of these but have been too busy or lazy in the past to do it. So, Hot Air Balloons get ready because here we come...wee hoo!!!

PEACE

Change for change

Okay I think an update is in order here! I would say things have been hectic but I think it's just that way in my head and before I know it several days have gone by! haha Anyway let's see what have we been up to...?? Well...oh Lúnasa sásta (that's Happy August to the people that don't speak Irish...I don't either I just think it's fun to translate stuff!) On the 2nd of August we went down to Fresno to pick up some stuff at the Postal place and grocery shop, among other things as always. We didn't leave super early thinking we could definitely get all of our stuff done by the time the sun would be setting...haha we are silly, yes we are! We left about 10-10:30 a.m. We went down with a plan this time, a list written out for the groceries, a list or budget you might say for the entire day. We thought this would lessen our stress but we can be fooled ya know!? We picked up our stuff and a few things for Bob & Miss Cherry at the Postal place then headed onto the rest of our errands. We proceeded to the laundromat with our 6 loads of filthy laundry. I didn't think it was that bad, we did 6 loads of laundry for $15.00 roughly and we were only there for about an hour and a half...maybe 2 hours (I'm quick and to the point man, I'm a folding machine). There is something strange about going to the laundromat though, it makes me feel like a normal person...maybe it's the domestication. J' helped by making the bed while I folded the rest of the clothes, this helped on time immensely...thanks babaa'! We went to a self car wash instead of the one we went to before because we now have the solar on the roof...not good to go through a car wash with that!

[caption id="attachment_388" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dirty girl[/caption]

We got to the car wash and their coin machine didn't work so we drove back to the laundromat to get change and then back to the car wash. The van was filthy, just like everything else we own haha...including our feet (yes we washed those too!)

[caption id="attachment_391" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Gotta get the tootsies clean![/caption]

We thought it was neat when we got to the car wash there was a couple of guys, that looked like they just bought this Westfalia, they were cleaning it out and up. It was pretty nostalgic.

[caption id="attachment_389" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wonder what they're going to do with her?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_392" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Just like new[/caption]

Now that our clothes were clean and Joon Van was clean, it was time to grocery shop...ugh...the dreaded Wal-mart. We had to get some vitamins there anyway, so we just planned on getting what we needed and getting the hell out...we had a list, should be a breeze. I swear this place just sucks the life out of J' & I, the only time we argue is when we are in THIS store, it's so annoying. We got what was on the list and didn't get a lot of stuff on the list, too and left. We still had two more stops to make before we even thought about making it home and it was already 5:15p.m.

[caption id="attachment_393" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wonder what an Ice Sandwich tastes like?? Ice cold![/caption]

We made a stop into The Vitamin Shoppe to get my new supplements and since I had done all of my research and knew exactly what to look for (& I had someone helping me) we were only there for about 10 minutes. Out the door we go to the Fruit Stand, oh and I found out their name it's, Takahashi Farms Fruit Stand at Copper Avenue & Auberry Road.

[caption id="attachment_394" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I ♥ you[/caption]

I was, again, like a little girl in a candy store and since we budgeted this time for about $20 in fruit and veggies here, I was grabbing everything I could think to put in or on something...without it going bad. We walked out with a big box full of goodies and the mom (the lady that yelled at me last time) even gave us a free bag full of fruit. She was saying to me, "Grab some of those doughnut peaches and some dapple dandy plums and some of those." I was grabbing things I didn't even know what they were, just thankful that we had the chance. By the time we got back up the mountain the sun was starting to sink but we still needed to get water and be Santa Claus to Bob & Miss Cherry....rollin' rollin' rollin'. We got our water, handed everything out and got back to camp just in enough time to make a quick bite and get in the van by night fall.

[caption id="attachment_395" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Cookin' in the dark[/caption]

The next day would be like Christmas for us we will open the bags of groceries, fruit and the boxes we got from the Postal place and access "the damage" once again!

[caption id="attachment_390" align="aligncenter" width="300"] What a nice sign[/caption]

PEACE

This day will definitely pay off

Phew, let me sit down a second to catch my breath from all of the running around we did today! We woke up at a half-way decent time to get out of here, probably 8:15 or so. I was actually still in bed but was woken up by J' starting the van. I said, "We're not like leaving, leaving right now, are we?" He says," Yeah, we're gone." I love how he is so cute to let me sleep in but not when my clothes and my shoes are sitting outside...and he's like come on, let's go! I have to laugh about it now, but at that time I wasn't finding it very humorous. I understand he just wanted to get on the road and down there, we had a lot to do. I got dressed, got my shoes, "did my hair", and hopped in Joon Van. We headed straight to the Postal place, well with a slight detour to Burger King for breakfast...they made us Whoppers at 9:50 in the morning! We figured it wasn't what we planned on but it's better to fill the belly with something rather than nothing, especially when we have to go deal with a lot of stuff (that could potentially be damaged or broken). We get to the Postal place, open the van and J' starts bringing one (big) box at a time. It was a good thing that we left all of our stuff at Tai Shan, these boxes were super big and heavy, there would have been no room for them. After we loaded them in the van, we opened them to make sure there was no damage...better to open them here than get all the way home and then have to make the trek all the way back. Everything looked in good condition, so off to the grocery store we go. Since I sincerely loathe the Wal-mart in Clovis, I wanted to go to a different Wal-mart. J' suggested we just go to a regular grocery store instead of Wal-mart. We found a Save Mart (reminded me of a Winn Dixie). They had some pretty good veggies, so we got just a few potatoes, onions and apples (we were planning on stopping by the fruit stand on the way back). We got some things that they are always out of at that Clovis Wal-mart and a few other things and then had to wrap it up... the prices are definitely not Wal-mart prices.

[caption id="attachment_214" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I think we lost Nana![/caption]

We tried to find another Wal-mart that's a little better than Clovis and it kept putting us at Sam's Club. Our food was starting to get a little warm so cringingly we had to go to the Clovis Wal-mart because there was still a lot of stuff we needed that the other store didn't have and I needed to pick-up a Rx up there. I cannot emphasize enough how much this Wal-mart makes me never want to be around people ever again! They are so unorganized, the people (customers & staff) are so very rude, there's no room to walk, yet alone push your cart anywhere in the entire store, they are always out of everything and are of no help when you ask them for anything, half the time they make up crap just to get you to walk away. It's horrible. We are going to have to find a solution to this because I don't think I can walk in there one more time. I thought it was just me because I am very sensitive to things like that, especially big crowds, but even J' said something to me the last time we were down there about it. Anyway, sorry I think I rant every single time we go there...it's sad to think that's what the human race looks and acts like...sad, very sad. Moving on~ We were almost done and J' just had to run into Home Depot real quick to get the rest of the parts and tools for the Solar install....I stayed in the car with the bug. Forty-five minutes (and counting) later, out emerges J' with his handy little bag of implements! Hooray!! We had one more stop...the fruit stand of course. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. There is a little fruit stand that sits on the corner of these two streets that we come down to drive into town (sorry don't know the names of the streets). I LOVE fresh fruit so we stopped on our way back 'home'. It's just the cutest little stand, probably a small bathroom in a regular sized house. At the very front there is nothing but tomatoes, this probably changes with season.

[caption id="attachment_215" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Maters Maters Maters[/caption]

As you walk into the little "hut" area, there are tons of fresh fruits and veggies. Let's see if I can remember a bit of what they had; Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Italian Peppers, Bell Peppers, Onions, Potatoes, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Figs, Plums, Peaches, White Peaches, Apricots, Grapes, Cherries and they had more than that but that's all I can remember.

[caption id="attachment_217" align="aligncenter" width="225"] So delectably delicious[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_216" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ummm... I'll just take everything. Thanks.[/caption]

And guess who got 'yelled' at??? haha Yep, I'm not even kidding. I told you I get 'yelled' at everywhere I go! Unknowingly, I put my fruit in plastic bags ... crime of the Century I know, well I was told I am supposed to have Fruit in papa' bag and Vege-tables in pwastic bag. Apparently they have signs up that say all of this. I guess I was overwhelmed from all the excitement! I wish J' was there to see me gettin' told by this cute little Asian woman, but I asked him to go get my camera out of the van...rats! In the end, I walked with 4 amazing Tomatoes and 4 Peaches & 1 White Peach equaling out to a whole $3.74!!! Ganga for fresh Fruit...you know this girl (ME) is jumping for Jehoshaphat's!!!

[caption id="attachment_218" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I got some goodies![/caption]

When we got back up to Shaver Lake, we stopped and filled up on water. Don't know if some of ya'll even know this (because we didn't), but in the state of California gas stations HAVE to supply free air and water (they say for automotive purposes, but how do they know what you're using it for!?) We filled up both of our gallon jugs, water bottles, and then our 5 gallon jug, we call it the water cooler.

All stocked up, off we go again, to home, to get this stuff on some ice before all that money goes down the drain. I'm sure J' wants to sit and look at all the new "toys" for the install tomorrow.

[caption id="attachment_223" align="aligncenter" width="300"] We got new solar and lots of other things...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_224" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our Brand New batteries[/caption]

All of this craziness and racing around (and we were rushing) still took us about 7 hours. No trip to town is ever a 'hurry and come back' ordeal, just glad all of our food is safe, bagged and cooling again. We're going to (try) to eat like Kings tonight baby!!

[caption id="attachment_222" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Only a lot burnt, but still edible[/caption]

PEACE