Time out for Pastry

Seems like no visit to Quartzsite is complete without a trip to the Quartzsite Bakery. Which is where I found this quartet one recent morning — Gary, Mel, Gerry and Terry. All gave thumbs up to the donuts

 

Quartzsite Happy Hour 2012

Whoo-hoo! What a great two days. We lost count of the number of Chapter 44 folks who showed up at the Escapees Happy Hour — it seems you couldn’t walk more than a few feet before bumping into someone from our group. And of course all of us know SKPs from other places, so both afternoons took on the flavour of one large family reunion.

Many thanks to Chapter Directors Susie & Denny Orr for organizing this event. (Hard not to brag about one’s “kids” . ) And many thanks too to all the SKPs who arrived early to help hold the spot, set up tables, bring snacks, perform and generally lend a hand wherever it was needed. The SKP philosophy of caring and sharing was evident wherever we went.

Welcome SKPs!

Big crowds gathered both days

Nancy O’B

Terry S

Smokey & Elaine

Merle, Bryant, Steve, Mel, Sharon & Bill

Steve

Liz & Roger

Bryant, Gerry & Merle

Edith S & Terry S

Denny

Edith H & Neil H

Marian, Judy & Elaine

Dottie & Ann

Merle, Ernie & Judy

Roger G, Jerry B & Earlene B

Denny & Susie

Colombe

Ann, Mel, Gerry & Sharon

Jerry A

Florence & Dale

Barb, Sharon, Bill, Ann & Mel

Linda & Les

Ken

Sally & Gerry

More SKPs

 

Back to Arizona – Mel & Ann

We are back from a month at home for Christmas and the weather was relatively warm for Calgary. We are now camped on Plomosa Rd. at Mile 1 in Quartzsite. We are here until the rally in Parker on the 13th but will be back on the 17th to La Posa South for about a month. We look forward to seeing any of you who might be in the area. Please drop in or get in touch. A reminder that the SKP Happy Hour is on the 18th and 19th. Hope to see you there.

 

Nova Scotia to Quartzsite – Pam & Gary

Headed out this AM, January 2.  Westward ho!  Hope to be in  Quartzsite mid Jan if weather cooperates.  Looking forward to catching up with Ch 44 folks and rally in March. Snow in NB & 1st part of ME.  Come on AZ sunshine.

 

Alberta News – Curtis & Verle

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all. Verle & I had a very enjoyable Christmas with those of our family on this side of the world and spent an hour on Skype with our son and daughter-in-law who are over in Madagascar. Good to hear the weather eased up on your Christmas season, we have been running right at the freezing mark for about a week with no snow.

 

A Merry Christmas Indeed

The carols are sung, the gifts unwrapped, the turkey devoured — all signs that Christmas has once again come and gone. But memories of this holiday will last a long time due in no small part to the friends we share it with.

As we have done for many years we spent Christmas Eve in the Plaza. Hundreds of people gather to wait for Santa’s arrival. It’s been a tradition in this little desert town since 1916. Night deepens. Church services end and even more people pour out onto the streets. Suddenly a small burst of fireworks announces Santa’s arrival. All eyes turn to the old Curley School up the hill. And there he is. The man of the night, standing in the bell tower surrounded by Christmas lights, waving to the crowd.

A few minutes later he arrives downstairs, climbs up onto his sleigh and makes his way down to the main square. People line the roadway and the Plaza, waving and smiling. Cameras flash. Children giggle and smile. The lineup to visit Santa is long but there’s no complaining. Parents and children wait patiently. Meanwhile the rest of us visit friends, listen to the carols, sip hot chocolate and enjoy the spirit that surrounds us.

Carols in the Plaza on Christmas Eve

Santa visits with children in the Plaza

We didn’t do our usual Trash Can Turkey on the desert this year. The weather has been rainy, damp and downright chilly. Instead we combined our desert potluck with some of our Thanksgiving dinner friends. And what a wonderful time it was. Even the weather cooperated — the warmest day in more that two weeks. Combine that with friends new and old and you couldn’t ask for anything better.

Betty cooked yams in her solar oven

Ajo brought a hostess gift for Marlene

SKPs Marlene & Frank Hinman played gracious hosts again. Sheral & Arnie, whom we’d met at Thanksgiving, were there along with several of our usual Trash Can friends and fellow SKPs— Betty, Ajo and Tom. We also welcomed new folks Susan & Bill, from Montana, and Marilyn & Wayne, from BC. Thirteen in all and enough food to feed two or three times that number. Good thing we all brought extra plates to take home another meal.

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday wheverever you are. And our best wishes to all for a great new year!

Meeting new friends

Betty making salad & Sheral carving the turkey

Forks are poised ...

... and we're ready to enjoy the feast!

 

Heading for Q – Terry & Wilma

Wilma and I would like to wish all Chapter 44 members a Great Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

I will be arriving in Quartzsite around Jan 15th and then heading down to Ajo around Jan 30th. Will then be in Borrego Springs Feb 5th. Wilma will be flying into Palm Springs on Feb 6th and we will stay in the Palm Springs/southern Cal area until March 9th. Then will meet members at Usery for the rally.

Wilma continues to improve now that the chemo and radiation is finished and she is looking forward to recuperating down south.
Take care everyone.

 

Desert Greetings – Larry & Sheila

Just wanted to wish all of our friends in Chapter 44 a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

We are parked in our favourite spot on Herman’s Horse Path at Imperial Dam LTVA. This is our 19th winter here and still enjoy being close to Yuma. We do spend time over at Ocotillo Wells, an off-road park, west of the Salton Sea, Jeepen’ and caching. Even though the weather has been cool and damp it is still better that shovelling that white stuff or trying to stand up in the Pincher Creek area. They have had lots of wind this winter according to our kids.

Bill and Brenda came one day a couple of weeks ago and had lunch with us. There are several Escapees here in the area from all different chapters. Our “kids” from Golden, Brian and Wendy, just got back from spending 6 weeks on the Baja. John and Mary Ann were here for a while but have moved on. We did go to the Escapees’ luncheon in the Foothills last Wednesday and chatted with Gerald and Arlene, also found them roaming the isles in Walmart one afternoon.

On Christmas Day we are going into Yuma for dinner at a restaurant, first time in many years that we have not made Christmas dinner. One year several years ago we fed 35 for dinner but now the number of campers here have dropped. Last night we started the annual Light Parade and it will go on for the next 4 nights. It is the 31st annual parade.

 

Alberta Christmas – Verle & Curtis

We have been home in Alberta since Dec 12.  We are having Christmas with our
family — those who are close by, Madagascar is a bit far!  I am cooking on
Dec. 25.  Curtis cooks Christmas Eve and one grandson is his helper.  They
treat us to “dead bird in a box”.

 

Holiday Plans – Carol-Leah & Bill

We are in Palm Springs for the next four months.  Bill is totally immersed in Pickleball.  We’ve only been here for two weeks but quite settled in.

From Lethbridge we went to the 49ers Rendezvous in Furnace Creek.  It was a great time and almost everything was held at the one spot and we were right across the highway so it was easy to get back and forth to the music and art exhibits.  We did have to drive to the Resort for the informative sessions but it was only a mile or so and well worth the trip.  Unfortunately the people that had an interest in the talks and slides far outnumbered the size of the room they were held in.

When we left there we went to Vegas and stayed for three weeks.  Bill joined two sports clubs and played pickleball every day.  Friends from Vancouver Island were there for one of the weeks so we were kept busy.  We went to the Christmas Parade in Boulder City one evening and darn near froze to death.  I may have to shop for a winter coat if we continue to hang out in cold places during the winter.

We are going to Quartzsite for a couple of days (the plan if life doesn’t get in the way) and may be there for the SKP get together.  If we are we will come by.

Have a great Christmas and New Year.  We are spending it in the park here and know it will be wonderful to be with new family once again.