Welcome and Congratulations!
To the four new babies born into the family in 2004 and their parents!
Two girls & one boy on the Norwegian Helleland side and one boy on the Farnsworth side.

Rio Grande Valley Race Track
While in Harlingen, we visited the greyhound race track.
It was exciting, in some ways, but mostly I felt sorry for the dogs.

The inspection line-up, getting into their boxes, the rabbit is out.......

And they're off!

The winner is....


The Iwo Jima Memorial
Marine Military Academy Harlingen, TX
Remembering my Dad & Uncle Sherward. Marine veterans who were there on Feb. 19, 1945.
(7 yrs later on that same day, I was born!)

This is an impressive bronze memorial with figures 32' high and the 78' flagpole.
See the people at the base? They sure look small compared to the statue.

Monday Jan. 10th
We arrived in San Antonio just in time to see this beautiful sunset.

Kevin & Brenda stopped by the Walmart, where we were boondocked, for a nice visit.
Hasn't little Sloan grown?
      

Tues. Jan 11th
We boondocked in Ft. Stockton. TX and these birds filled every tree and telephone wire
in the surrounding area. There were thousands of them!     "Snow Birds", you could say!


Wed. Jan 12th
We stopped tonight to boondock in Demming, NM, at Escapees park called DreamCatcher RV Park.
A nice quiet spot to rest our weary bones.


On Thursday we made it to an RV park in Tempe, AZ just outside of Phoenix,
so that I could surprise Tara and Marc by flying in to Oakland for their baby shower on Sunday.
Sat. Jan 15th
What fun to see her face when she came to pick up the twins at the airport and she saw me too!
Emily brought 4 big suitcases filled with baby clothes for her.
Of course, everyone had to feel the baby moving around as soon as possible!
   
Then we had fun going through all the baby stuff.....with Emily explaining how things work to Tara.
   

Jan. 16th - The Baby Shower
    
The decor was fun and food awesome.
   

Everyone enjoyed watching them open their gifts. Marc was "King for the Day".
  
        
Tara enjoying Eva.      Great Aunt Sandy showing Alex the fishies.
Plenty of children starting the next generation.
Talia & Alyssa admiring the doll and Gavin & William watching it all.

Mom sure had fun having a sleep-over with her three beautiful daughters.

A beautiful sunset in Berkeley.


Wed. Jan 19th
We had a good visit with Cousin Kathy and Chuck (who still tease each other mercilessly!) in Cave Creek.

Chuck's new "baby" a 1949 Ford Coupe.
Their newly re-decorated kitchen with gorgeous marble counters and beautiful tile floors.

The surrounding saguaro countryside is so serene & scenic.


Thursday Jan 20th
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN!
We do very "low key" birthdays now-a-days....over fifty and time just flies by!
The drive to Quartzsite was pretty with a seldom seen "green desert" all around.

We found a good spot to boon dock and got settled in for a week of experiencing Quartzsite, AZ during its' busy
time with thousands & thousands of RVer's visiting and buying, selling & shopping for everything you can think of.

Tuesday Jan 25th
Although this looks like a sunset....it's actually at sunrise in the opposite sky with the moon still showing.
It's a beautiful day and we're going for a ride to Blythe before visiting some friends.


Thursday January 27, 2005
Four Wheelin out in the Quartzsite desert.......hunting for a cave to explore.

We joined some friends who'd explored this area before and went to an old mine they wanted to explore.
The desert was beautiful, so green & colorful with lots of wild flowers blooming.

The cave was a bit daunting! But Dave, Bob, Dan & I went in for a look.
The climb down was pretty treacherous, but we had a safety rope and proceeded slowly & with caution.
Dan & I went half the way that Dave & Bob did, and explored a side tunnel.
     

Bats began flying around
as Dave & Bob went deeper
down into the hole.

They were out of breath when they came
up as the oxygen was very thin down
there and the guana stink overwhelming!
 

Here, Bob cries "Oh No!"
The rope had stuck as he was pulling it up. (No one wanted to go back down!)
But thankfully they got it unhooked again.
   
   
What fun it is to toodle around the in our Jeep!
     
Below we visit with a few other 400 Club full time RVer's just past mile marker 115 off of Plomosa Rd.
Walt & Judy Kaiser                            Linda & Bob Stockton                    George and Debbie Arvidson.

Click here for Feb 2005 adventures.

More to come soon.
Be well, be safe, be happy.

Thanks for visiting.