Lake Havasu City

Next thing will be to get the towing brackets fitted to it and the rear lights hooked up.

Unfortunately we couldn't take the Miata (MX 5) along on our next adventure, but I did order the equipment needed to tow it.

Our next adventure is to join our friends from the Shanty Shakers Chapter of the Escapees (SKP's) at their rally in Lake Havasu City Arizona. Camping courtesy of the Elks Lodge there.

Full hookups at the Elks Lodge

Our Shanty Shaker friends did it right again.

The reason for choosing Havasu?

Winterblast!!

http://www.gokingman.com/event-winter-blast-pyrotechnic-show-feb15-2018

They say this is the best fireworks show in the world for a reason. It's organized by a Pyrotechnics organization and they have the vendors who provide al the fireworks for professional shows displaying their latest products plus the “Amateurs” who set off huge fireworks in “Open Shoots” were they can happily launch their creations under safe controlled conditions.

The show goes on for at least 4 days and they have light and flame effects as well as ground and aerial fireworks.

You needed earplugs for this show it was LOUD and we were really close to the action. So much so that you felt the heat from the flame effects.

Not so well organized surprisingly was the Lions Club parking arrangements. One handicapped person was stuck behind a steel railing after following the crowd along and pathway that led nowhere. There were no signs at all for the handicapped access route and the teenagers manning the parking lot didn't have a clue.

Unfortunately my new diet took a severe dent after I fell off the wagon. All the great food and cheap booze at the Elks Lodge each night plus “Happy Hour” with the Shanty Shakers was too much temptation! I'll try and make up for it next week but I'm dreading weigh in on Wednesday.

Serious catching up being done

It was good to catch up with Lynn and Wayne, Bruce and Sue, Garth and Judy and the rest of the crew. Everyone is instantly at home around the campfire. Just like our original RV full time dreams.

Great company

We went for some exercise walking around the swap meet downtown and I managed to get a big book about painting in watercolors for $1. We bought our fruit and vegetables there too for half the price of the regular supermarket. An hour walking was penance for the 4 days of eating and drinking!!

Having said our goodbyes to everyone we set off back to Casa Grande and battled strong winds the whole way. In this desert environment the wind picks up the dust and throws it around. At one point it was like driving in a thick brown fog. Visibility was down to a couple of hundred yards and we drove warily thru it with our headlights on.

The brown clouds of dust going thru the campground

We arrived safely back and were re leaved to find that out outdoor chairs and the big mats were still there. We were laughing about how good it was to be “Home” after being away “Camping” for the weekend.

All the usual stuff

We don't enjoy be overweight so we need to make permanent lifestyle changes to avoid letting the weight creep back on like it has over the last 3 years.

Barbara has been showing her talents on stage. Somehow she got volunteered to be in a skit/show at Sundance where they reenacted several radio shows from the 1940's. Her role was as a mailman in an “I Love Lucy” show about mixed up valentines cards. She did good and somehow got roped into organizing the rehearsals too! The whole show was a hoot with a Philip Marlowe detective show and the finale was the Abbott and Costello “Who's on First” routine that was very well done.

We've been kept busy getting the last of the winter maintenance done on the RV and now the brakes and cooling system are operating as they should and they think they have fixed the charge light problem. Unfortunately it's taken several trips, the latest being to get the slide topper awning replaced only to find when we took it in that they had to special order one.

Flying my RC glider has been keeping me entertained. I happened to see an ad on Craigslist for another transmitter and receiver really cheap and it was a more advanced one than the one I already had so I jumped in. Made it much easier to adjust and to fly, I'm building another model but the old model shops have mainly gone away now so it's either drive 100 miles or mail order things so it takes longer to get the parts together.

The Fiesta law suit against Ford is apparently getting close to being settled. The “Mass Action Suit” people passed me off to a CA lawyer who are going for a CA Lemon Law settlement. Whether that will be better or not we'll find out. One way or another we should be rid of it soon, which could be a good thing as it started acting up with an intermittent starting problem.

We talked about our options and decided to buy a used car to replace the Fiesta while we're here in Casa Grande. Finding one we could tow, preferably without a tow dolly was a challenge. Most automatics can't be towed flat and Barbara doesn't like stick shifts. As I do most of the driving I jumped in with both feet and bought a Mazda Miata sports car! Can't be a midlife crisis, I'm too old for that. At least it's not red!

Although Mazda say it can't be towed flat, and some friends knowledgeable about Miata's think it can't be, I found an RV forum where people were towing them with no problems. One gentleman had been towing his for 5 years.

Next thing will be to get the towing brackets fitted to it and the rear lights hooked up.

For a little diversion we hit an RV Show in Peoria which happened to be at the Sports complex where the Seattle Mariner and San Diego Padres have their spring training.  So Baseball here we come.