We' re green!

Wednesday was our appointment day for the solar.  I wished I had taken more pictures, but they were so busy and we didn't want to hang around in their way.  We made our 8:00 am arrival time, and we did not get back to LaPosa South till dark! Why? They were finished by 2:30, but pushed the ON button of the inverter and it was a faulty unit!  Good thing it happened right there to catch the 'infant mortality' right away of the unit.  They proceeded to take it out and put in a new one and test it again.

This is our list of items in our set up - we are starting with 2 panels, but have the capability to add more:

2 x KD Kyocera 135Watt Solar Panels
Xantrex Prosine 2000 Watt Inverter
2 x 6V Interstate Batteries ( we already had 2 new 6V batteries, so now we have 4 in a series)
Blue Sky Remote Panel
Prosine Remote panel
Tilt mounts
3024i Solar Boost controller


While some savvy Rv'ers have installed their own systems, we are not electricians or capable, so we opted for a professional installation.  We are still learning about our system, and testing it.  Yesterday, we did not worry about our use of power in particular, and we watched television for about 4 hours.  No Problem!

Not a very good picture, I admit, so I will take some today!  Speaking of today, it is the first day of the Quartzsite RV Show.  We will be running the gauntlet of the crowds.......... not too keen on crowds..... oh no! It's too late to go back to Palm Springs for breakfast at Ruby's with Rick, Paulette, John and Judy.  MMMM Bacon.........

And onto Quartzsite~

A glorius morning in Desert Center and packing up once again.  It turns out that Tuesday's are Quilting Day at the Lake Tamarisk Resort.  Donald says, run quick and you can show them your quilts.  Well, these were beginner quilters and they were adamant that I stay!  No! I have to go!  The quilters network is not pleased with me now!  However, we had our destination and appointment to meet in Q.

On Donald's priority list this winter was the visit to Q when the big RV Show is on.  We made it, and it is just great.  Our friend Bob had contacted us about Q and had saved a place for us at La Posa South LTVA.  We stocked up on groceries again - we forgot dog food - at the Albertsons in Blythe and who comes wandering by in the parking but Bob!  He was in Blythe to pick up needed supplies ( hmmm that rum...).

We continued onto Q and stopped by Discount Solar to evaluate the rig further prior to our allocated arrival there at 8 am Wednesday.   Everything looks good, so we parked for the night at La Posa South.

Driving by one of the big show tents

It was beautiful this evening sitting outside dining watching the southwest sunset.  What can be better?

travel day to Desert Center

 And not a very long day at that.  However, being in one place for a month means you tend to spread your stuff out a little, so we spent the weekend getting organized and a slow start to our morning leaving.  The office at the Sands RV and Golf Resort does not open till 9 am, so since we had to settle our bill, there was not a great hurry to leave any earlier.  We will miss this place and the great people we have met.  We hope to come back and we liked our site and location. So, Rick and Paulette - see ya' later! It was great to get together! After dinner coffee and dessert may be a tradition!

Paulette, Rick and Molly and Rylie

We stopped at the Flying J to get some diesel fuel and at Wally World on our way out of the area.  This big truck pulled up next to us at the Flying J and the streets there were once again lined up with toy haulers and assorted racing gear.

This truck said something about designing racetracks.  Then, onto Desert Center and Lake Tamarisk RV Resort, where we had stayed for one night in December.  A lovely RV resort about 2 hours from anything.  So much so, that there is not even attenna tv reception.  So, we heard that the town was having Bingo night.  How did we hear?  There were signs up all over the roads coming in, and then a fellow driving around in a golf cart announcing bingo night!

We had an afternoon dip in the pool ( it was over 80 F outside ) and then had a good supper and off to Bingo!  Well, the bingo hall serves many purposes: Bingo Hall, Town Council Chambers, Dance Hall and 19th Green Discussion area.  I think all towns should have meeting set ups like this one: one 'head' table with 4 or 5 official looking high backed chairs, then 4 comfy couches and a couple of easy chairs facing the table.  I bet great meetings take place! We paid our $5 each for our 20 cards, with red crayon markers. We decided not to get bingo daubers, and that we would go low-tech.  Intermission was coffee and cookies.  We didn't win. Such is the extent of our gambling. It was fun.

Tomorrow we are off to Quartzsite and the LaPosa South LTVA area, where a spot has been saved by a friend - thanks Bob!  Pictures to follow of the mayhem at Q.

Temecula, and ( boo hoo ) Seahawks, sniff, sniff...

We haven't posted for a couple of days, but we sure have been busy!  On Friday, we were invited to travel to Temecula, Ca with Rick and Paulette to visit the Quilters Coop ( for us gals ) and wander the old town ( for the guys ).  What a neat place, and one that we will go back to again.  It was very gracious for the invite and we had a great time and lunch together. The only problem is that I forgot the camera, however, Rick and Paulette did not forget theirs, so their blogs have the proof of the Temecula visit!

Yesterday I started cleaning the 5th in preparation of our departure to Arizona on Monday.  Well, and we are also hanging about watching NFL weekend, and our beloved Seahawks ( win or lose ).  We also made a trip to Trader Joe's to load up on some freezer dinners for 2 to enjoy when we are in Quartzite.   Their little dinners are a perfect size and so good!

Donald's sister has booked tickets for us to see Cirque de Soliel's production of "O" in Vegas next month.  Pretty exciting.  

Cheetahs keeping an eye on Rancho Mirage!

After a wonderful wednesday at quilting group, we made it a day together, fitting in another thing on our touring list. The first stop was to the Verizon store, where we had purchased a Mifi a couple of days ago, and had problem setting up the account online.  Rather than bark at each other with frustration ( ok, there was a little of that!) we went back to the Verizon Wireless outlet and let them solve the problem.  We would never have done it ourselves, as they ended up calling their higher up's at Verizon and sorting it out! I was able to log on twice before we left the store, so all should be good now!

John and Judy Hollinger

We also had a great visit the other day from fellow RV bloggers: The Hollingers, who are staying nearby in Desert Hot Springs.  They have a wonderful blog, www.rvlifeonwheels.blogspot.com and are very busy seeing some television show tapings and hockey games ( Go Leafs! - but don't beat our Canucks!) in L.A. and Phoenix. Now those are fans!

Now, this is for fellow Rv'er Sam: the Living Desert has a 1 acre model train yard. There are more pictures, but our advice is: you will just have to go next year and see it yourself!  So, the picture is to get you interested!  Of course, the derailment off the trestle is for all our retired CN readers.

 

There was an aviary that we could wander in and sit amongst the varied birds, and with just the two of us in there, quietly, we loved it.  Egrets, roadrunners, vultures..... and they remained quite close to us. 

We are extremely amateur birders and well,  you would probably call us bird lurkers.  Certainly not like some we saw today at the Centre with monster cameras and attachments!

So, onto the Butterfly and Hummingbird house to be zinged at by fighting hummers.  The butterflies were mostly hiding out by late afternoon.  This was a large moth.

This was the best! We went back twice, finally late in the day, to obtain a picture or at least see the elusive cheetah.  She was gawjus!