January – April 2022 – Although we were advised to change our life style by all the doctors we interacted with we managed to convince the doctors that a trip to Yuma, 3 hours away would be beneficial to Steve’s well- being. We have little family, so the people in Yuma that we’ve spent the last 3 winters with are very important to us. However once in Yuma our days were not without incident, but our friends were all very supportive. One afternoon I was walking back to the coach and found a group of people standing around a body laying on the ground, guess who. The drugs prescribed were kicking Steve’s  butt and we were quite eager to get back to find out what was happening.

April – November 2022 Mesa – When we returned to Mesa we moved into Venture Out RV Resort that was across the street from Towerpoint RV Resort, mainly for the increased security, also for the lovely campsites, RVs grouped together rather than wedged in between the park models. This area works perfectly as it’s 10 minutes away from all Steves doctors.

Steve spent many days with his doctors to figure out the path forward. He wasn’t able to walk more then 10 feet before having to sit down as he was dizzy and almost ready to pass out. He needed a wheel chair when we went into a doctors offices and had to use electric shopping carts when he went into stores. His blood pressure was dangerously low on a daily basis .This went on for 2 months, when the doctors noticed Steve’s hemoglobin and iron levels were close to needing a transfusion. So they ordered 2 separate infusions of iron a week apart and Steve was almost immediately ready to do an Irish jig afterwards.

We spent the entire summer in the extreme heat of Mesa, which was made very pleasurable by the activities offered and the new friends we’d made. Daily water aerobics for Chris and evening card games we could both enjoy took our minds off Steve’s health issues for a while

We started to work out as the resort had a fully equipped gym which was always empty. This resort has 1,900 park models, so the potential of 4,000 people when full, but during the summer months most residents leave and return to their northern homes to escape the AZ summers

One evening our friends Pam and Marsha invited us to a popular spot, Organ Stop Pizza. The building was the size of a theatre but the focus was on the organist who was playing a huge Wurlitzer organ which rose out of the stage. They use about 6 different organists who are able to rotate their hours and play every afternoon and evening 7 days a week. It was really fun and the pizza was OK too.

We were involved in a bunch of activities over the months, like organizing Potluck gatherings.

We were even persuaded into dressing up for Halloween as Snow White and the seven dwarfs and won first prize no less.

We weren’t able to stay at Venture Out past October as they were fully booked, but planned to return again in the spring

We got our coach’s yearly service at Cummins in Mesa the day before we left.

While the service was being done we went to Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park while the coach was being serviced. Fortunately they offered electric carts which helped Steve get around.

Before we left Venture Out we put in our name on the waitlist for winter 2023/2024 season

November 2022 – April 2023 Yuma – We headed back to Yuma for the winter season. Steve was doing so much better and it was noticed by all.

We got right back into the swing of things and then we got COVID. We were out of commission for 30 days (most of December). We tested positive (rapid test), then not (rapid test), then positive with the lab test. We did the Paxlovid treatment for a week. We were very concerned with Steve’s health, but it was really only one day of feeling crappy and staying in bed, followed by 14 days of recovery, then back to the full festivities.

We went to a an area in Yuma where the whole street was festively decorated

Yuma was unseasonably cold this year, so all were bundled up for happy hours.

At one point our rear air conditioner broke down, fortunately we were able to find another and someone to install it. Thankfully this was during the cold spell and it was not needed unlike the front one that went in Idaho while it was 103*F.

Our Flexsteel recliners were starting to peel, the consequence of bad leather that was used by Newmar/Tiffin and other manufacturers. We found an upholstery shop that repaired both chairs more reasonably than purchasing new ones

Interim rockers for a week

We picked out a pretty good match to the original color. It cost us $500.00 per chair, which was much less than 1 new chair.

Steve took Silver and Chris took Bronze for Bocce ball in the Del Pueblo Games

Chis took Bronze in Mixed Doubles Shuffleboard

Well our windshield was dirty, so we decided to replace it. Well one of the 3 rock chips started to travel into a sizable crack, so we had it replaced.

Before we left Chris organized a surprise birthday party for Steve with our friends in the park (Steve was surprised even though it was happening right behind our coach).

We left Del Pueblo early to go to CJ’s RV Repair to get an issue with the coach looked at before we left and it only took 2 hrs to get resolved, we had allowed 2 days and planned to stay behind the shop. So we had 2 days to plant ourselves before we checked into Venture Out, so we boon-docked just outside Gila Bend. This gave us time to reacquaint ourselves with solar/generator functions.

We were very close to the Mexican border so Chris had her eyes peeled on the landscape

Hmmm…

Spring has sprung in the desert south west

In April we drove back to Venture Out Mesa and our usual spot RV 8. During our time in Yuma we found out that the resort had been sold and was going from privately owned to corporation owned. A major adjustment for many with price increases across the board, plus restrictions that hadn’t been enforced in the past.

When we returned to Venture Out we discovered they were increasing their RV rental rates also and we’d be paying double if we decided to stay beyond June ‘24. Quite a dilemma, but time to think about it.

As soon as we settled in we met the shuffleboard group and began playing. They play a little differently here, much more cutthroat than in Yuma, and they actually give lessons as well as in bowls and croquet

This roller sprinkles the wax onto each “sheet”

One evening we attended the Mesa Brass Band concert at the resort. Very entertaining

Just some of the card players that we “hang” with in the evenings. Such a lovely group of people.This was a gathering to say farewell to a resident who’d been living there since 1977, seated front in blue

It’s now Memorial Day weekend and we’ve been working hard planning our next trip which begins June 1st. We’re heading east  for the first time in 5 years, going to Atlanta to finally empty our storage locker, then heading north to Albany and Cortland NY to visit family and friends.