Day 22- Ventura, CA

Bet you didn't expect that for our location, did you?  Well, neither did we.  Our schedule didn't call for us to return home for several more days, but life is full of little surprises.  Our surprise came last night when it became apparent that the coach's electrical system was getting starved for power.  Don checked on some of the major components of the system, and found them all working properly.  He suspected that the power stand that we were plugged into had developed a problem, and that it couldn't be easily solved.  So, it was lights out all around, no TV, no lights, no nothing.  We all went to bed, hoping that we could find a way to work out the difficulty in the morning.  Don was up before five in the morning, reading the rig's manuals to see if he could find a clue to the problem.  As dawn approached, he decided to fire up the generator to see if it would take the load; normally, we wouldn't do that for fear of disturbing neighboring RVers, but our site was far enough away from others that we would not create a major sound problem.

The generator took off immediately, and powered up the rig with no problem.  This provided some clues to the failure of the site's power stand to keep us fed properly, not to mention giving us light and heat.  To make what could be a very long story short, a call to our friend Buddy Waller in Alabama, who is an Electrical Engineer and also a RVer, helped us pinpoint the problem, which was a device called a transfer switch, whose job is to determine whether the generator or the site power is selected to power the rig.  It appears that the switch viewed the generator power much more favorably that it did the site power, and acted accordingly.

Geri and Don decided that they didn't want to put up with this kind of nonsense for two or three more days, and opted to pull up stakes and head for home, where the transfer switch could be properly punished or replaced.  So, in the early afternoon, the coach was lurching up our driveway, and the unloading started.  I'm always happy to come home, but I'm also happy to be travelling; I'm just a happy guy!

This was a fun little trip, much shorter than most of our voyages, but we tended to stay longer in the places we visited than we normally do.  It was fun to get better acquainted with many of the places that we have breezed through in the past, all of them unique and interesting.  We met some very nice dogs and people, Geri and Don had their entertainment needs fulfilled, and we returned home safely.  What more can you ask for?  We've got a much longer voyage coming up in late June or early July; I'll let you know when we get underway.  In the meantime, stay well and treat your animals with kindness!  Bye-Bye!

Day 21- Pomona, CA

Some of you may be wondering what happened to yesterday's blog posting; so am I! So is Don! The fact is that we had almost finished our inputs to it when it mysteriously disappeared from the screen! I watched as Don went through every trick he could think of to get it back, but it was absolutely gone! He was using some words which he would never allow me to use in the blog. When he finally gave up, he told me that he was not about to start all over again, and I would just have to wait until tomorrow to post an abbreviated version of my observations. Can't argue with the Data Entry Clerk. Without him, I have no voice! So, I'll try to give you an overview of yesterday's activities, plus an account of today's.

Yesterday was kind of messy. It started out just fine, with Don up early, fixing my breakfast at a reasonable time, and joining me for a good walk at the park. When we got back to the rig, Geri was doing laundry, which meant we were on our own to amuse ourselves. I took a nap, Don browsed the internet. After lunch, we all took off in the truck to accomplish one of Don's Must Do Items on his list; see the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge! So, we trundled south to Boulder City and the Dam, not a short ride. As we approached the bridge, Don was looking for a parking area for a Vista Point, which he was sure they would have provided. Not so! We crossed the bridge, which is fitted with high walls on each side, allowing you to see nothing of the scenery. So, we doubled back, seeking the road down to the Dam, so we could view the bridge from there. Nothing. It appears that you can't access the Dam from the Arizona side. So, back across the bridge, where we were able to see that there is a pedestrian walkway on the Dam side of the bridge, accessible from a parking lot way down below the bridge via a very steep ramp/stairway. So much for that. Back to Vegas.

We next investigated a Dog Park not too far from the Resort that a neighbor (the one with the boisterous Golden Boys) had told us about. When we finally found the place, we had to run a gauntlet next to the small dog portion of the park, which contained about a half dozen Beagles, Terriers, and assorted other blood-thirsty mini-canines, all of them loudly proclaiming their desire to rip the flesh from my bones. Fortunately, a strong wire fence protected me from the damages they desired to inflict. When we got to the large dog section, I found it to be of poor quality. The grass, such as it was, grew very sparsely, more dirt than grass. The shrubs and trees were of poor quality, and some were close to death. I made it very clear that this was not to my liking, so we braved the corridor of yappers again and got in the truck to return home.

I was ready to call the day a complete bust, with no redeeming value other than my dinner, which Geri was happy to feed me. They decided to find solace in their dinner, which they went over to the Silverton to have. They came back a few hours later, raving about the prime rib they had consumed. Notably, the containers of remnants that they carried with them were not intended for sharing. Geri was particularly pleased, having had a remunerative experience with the money machines. Don, less so. And when Blogspot ate our posting, his evening turned into a total black hole. He and I both went to bed shortly after that.

Today, Saturday, was a travel day. We left our beloved Vegas home around eleven, after a final good walk at the park, though we didn't meet any of our friends. After a successful fueling stop in Primm, we charged down Highway 15, then down the 10 to Pomona, where we made it to the Eastshore RV Park, a place we have stayed several times before. We like it a lot here, 'cause it's very grassy, is beautifully located on a hilly site overlooking a lake, with big mountains in the background. I don't know how long we'll be here, but I think I'll enjoy it! Oh, by the way, Don got back to cooking dinner tonight; salmon with some tortellini and green beans. I got some good plates, finally! Bonjour, tristesse!

Evening Hunt, Puddingstone Lake

High Rent District, Across the Lake

Another part of the Lake

Ano

This photo added due to request from a devoted follower

Famous Clown Motel,  Tonopah, NV

Day 19- Las Vegas

There's something about this town that shifts my guys into low gear as far as getting up in the morning; it even carries over to me!  I was sleeping in the living room this morning, and I heard Don start moving around about seven or so.  He got his OJ, started the coffee, cranked up the computer, and started his morning review of the news.  I didn't move a muscle.  Maybe forty-five minutes later, Geri arose, got her coffee, and sat on the couch.  I heard some comments about me, including some conversation about the possible need for summoning the doggie coroner.  Don finally decided to test my grasp on life by throwing the phony paper out the door, to see if I'd fetch it.  Well, that worked pretty well.  I was on my feet and down the stairs, though a bit slowly, still half asleep.  Geri graciously received the paper, Don gave me my payday treat, and I felt like I was coming back to life.  Breakfast did the trick, and I was ready to live again.

Don got dressed and put me in the truck for our ride down to the park and a very pleasant walk, including a meeting with the lovely lady Bassett we met yesterday and her charming human, who lavished lots of praise on me.  Don forgot to take a picture of them, but he swears he will do it tomorrow if we meet them.  When we got back to the rig, it was almost lunch time, so Don fed me my lunch meat and carrots, making me a very happy camper.  After they had their lunch, there was an extended quiet time; I snoozed, Geri snoozed, and Don browsed the computer.

Around mid-afternoon, they abruptly headed for the truck and left, with hardly a goodbye.  They were gone until my dinner time, when they showed up and promptly took care of my needs.  Geri took me out to do my treat ball, and, while I was busy working on it, the two Goldie Boys from the ForeTravel across the way came bounding out.  Their Mom was in full control of them, though, and told them "No Barking!", and they must have known she meant it. While I was working on the ball, Geri told me that they had met Genevieve at The Cosmopolitan Hotel, where she works, and she gave them a tour of the hotel and the public areas.  She said that it was very spectacular, and that they had a very pleasant dinner in one of the restaurants.  Don even found the time to drop a few bucks into one of their machines.

After our walk, a quiet evening of TV, blogging, and napping, it was beddy-bye time, fairly early.  Maybe we'll be rising at a decent hour tomorrow.  Hope you had a good day!

Restaurant Structure (?) at Cosmopolitan

View down the Strip

Around the pool

One of the Cosmopolitan bars

Day 18- Las Vegas

I have to say that the day started out OK, with Don up early and tending to my needs.  It continued very nicely, with a ride to our park in the relative cool of the morning, and a very pleasant walk.  Our walk was highlighted by an encounter with a very nice young lady who arrived while we were engaged with a young Basset lady and her owner.  "I know that dog!" she exclaimed, and asked Don for my name, which he gave her.  "DeeBee, I haven't seen you for a year or so!" she said.  This was true, we first met her last year when we were on our way to the East Coast.  She didn't have a dog then, but she now has a very smart and well behaved little brown  dog who operates very nicely off-leash.  It was fun to see her again, and we walked with her and her dog  part way around the park.  Maybe we'll see her again before we leave!

Shortly after we got back to the coach, I was informed that we would be leaving soon for the local Petco, where I would be receiving a bath and grooming.  I had mixed emotions about this; for the past year or more, I've been groomed by Paula and Veronica at Bark Avenue, who are very loving and very free with their treats.  I had my doubts that the Petco people could measure up to their standards.  So, I was less than enthusiastic about this deal.  Sure enough, after Geri delivered me into their hands, I was dumped into a cage without even a hint of a treat, and stayed there until my number came up for bathing.  I must say that they were very thorough and capable in their bathing procedures and in trimming my paws.  But they have a store full of treats, and can't part with a single one of them.  I think it's shameful!  To cap it off, Geri and Don didn't show up to retrieve me until almost an hour after my treatment was completed.  They had some lame excuse about being all the way across town when Petco called them, but I suspect they might have been eating something they didn't want me to know about.  Don tried to pacify me by taking me on a tour of the store, but the place was absolutely pristine, with no spilled food on the floor for me to clean up.  What a drag!  We did buy a bag of my food, though, and I did get a couple of cookies when we checked out.  Helped a little, but not much.  

When we got back to the rig, I assumed that we would assume our normal routine of cooking dinner, watching TV, working on the blog, and having a regular evening at home.  Wrong!  It didn't take long for me to realize that they had something cooked up for tonight, as they were putting on their good clothes and  making ready to take off.  I did get my dinner early, and a few treats to mollify me, but I was still feeling a little let down.  I did need the opportunity to snooze, though, as the atmosphere at Petco had not been conducive to napping.  So, I took the opportunity to catch up with my sleep until they returned.  When they finally did show up, well after nine o'clock, they were happy to see that I was happy to see them, which my wagging tail gave away.  Geri told me that they had been to a musical show called "Jersey Boys", about a singing group from an ancient period long before I was even born.  They've been around a lot longer than I have, though, and have a better knowledge of ancient music.  They obviously enjoyed the performance greatly, so I guess I have to allow them some latitude to go to some places where where there is a perverse negative attitude concerning canines.  

So, Don and I crafted our blog entry, though he said it was a little painful for him to hear my complaints.  I got a few more treats, and we all turned in for the night.  Hope tomorrow is more to my liking.  May you all have a restful night!

A nice friend I met last year

Here's some pics from the get together the other night!  Don says it took awhile to get them developed.

Matt's ready for dinner!

Kiera's got a thing for GGMa Geri

The gang hanging out at the rig

Day 17- Las Vegas

I tend to have mixed feelings about visiting here; I do love the Resort, the nice people, the beautiful grass, the park we go to in the morning, and the chance to visit with the grandkids.  On the other hand, this place has so many attractions for Geri and Don that I can't be a part of, it results in their being separated from me frequently.    It's not that I can't exist without them, it's just that I enjoy their company so much that I love being with them.  But I do get a lot of sleep, which I need in this warm weather.  Oh, well, so much for that.

Don and I had another very pleasant walk around the park this morning; hardly anyone else was there, except for a lady yellow lab who looked interested in meeting me, but was discouraged by her human.  But I got to do a lot of rolling and sniffing, moving at my own pace.  Don never tries to hurry me along, 'cause he says it's my walk, not his.  When we got back to the coach, we all had a quiet time with a little reading, TV and napping.  It wasn't until the mid-afternoon that they arrived at a plan of action for the rest of the day.  They finally got their act together and took off in the truck, and didn't return until about 6 o'clock, past my dinner time!  Geri told me that they had set up an appointment for me tomorrow to get a bath and grooming at Petco, and had met with a vendor for some T-shirts that a friend of ours wants to buy.  The also had to pay a visit to a money machine place, where, Geri said, Don had hit a very nice jackpot for an amount that would keep me in treats for quite a while.  I guess that's why he was in such a good mood.

After I had dinner and a walk through the Resort with Geri, they left again to have their dinner.  When they returned, Geri told me they had gone to the Bootlegger, one of their favorite Italian restaurants here.  She even had some containers that they had used for their leftover food for me to clean up.  It really was good!  Don and I quickly put the blog together, and we all made an early night of it.  Hope you're having as good a time as we are!  Buona Notte!