road trip to Riverside and RAIN

Well its March and were still waiting
for spring to show up.Rain and cold temps have been the norm here at Park Sierra and, ITS GETTING OLD!
In order to get to a warmer climate,we headed to Riverside to see the Grand kids.Actually,to celebrate "the March Birthdays" as two of our Grandsons and our sister in law Martha have birthdays in march.We just make it a big party around St. Patricks day.
All our kids and grand kids except our youngest daughter Katie were there along with my brothers and our sister in law Martha.




Our son Dan rented one of those big "jump houses" for the kids and they played on that thing till dark. It was the ultimate "baby sitter"so the adults could relax.About 3pm the grand kids devised a devious plan to get "ole"Grandpa in that "jump house."The plan was to have my Granddaughter Alyx lure me out there with my ultimate "kryptonite"....COOKIES! Well,the plan failed as they all miscalculated the weight advantage of "the Grandpa!"and,I got the cookie too!



Jeni is resting after wrapping all the birthday presents before we left for Riverside.She is tired but happy.I think she is happy that I just left to go work volunteer and she gets to relax by herself for awhile.She doesn't get a lot of quiet time lately with running 3 committees, doing "movie night"on Sundays along with running "Bunco"on Friday night not to mention working in the park office.I think she likes it though. She has made a lot of friends here.
She is an asset to this park and everybody loves her.She is the smiling face of Park Sierra.

Ok,back to Riverside.Here are the two "birthday boys"
Aiden turned 8 and Nevin turned 4.

That's Nevin riding his new "spider man"bike with big brother Aiden's help.They are two"peas in a pod!"

My brother's Gary and Larry{pictured with his dog Bambi} and I are sports fans "to the max".no matter what season it is,we have some kind of contest going on to pick the winners.Right now we all joined the Fox sports college basketball bracket challenge. You pick all the bracket winners and the national champ. you go on the fox sports website to enter your picks so we went on to enter and a great big "Hooters" ad pops up as the sponsor of the event,well the ladies were not too thrilled with this.My brothers,my son Dan,and I being the "geniuses"we are,assured them this was not the bar

Hooters but was "Hooters Motors"!

They sell cars......yea,that's it...used cars

Well we had them until one of us tried to

explain to the girls that we were required to

go down to "Hooters" motors ,yea that's right

in Riverside.The girls reply...I DON'T THINK SO!!!

After a great time,it was time to head back. We were having such fun we didn't leave Riverside til 3pm.

Of course with our luck ,a storm was moving in. We" high tailed"it and were doing good til we headed over the "Tehachipies"on hwy 58. Snow and wind made driving an "adventure".We pulled in to Loves to get gas...that was also an "adventure". Once we got down to the valley it turned to rain...hard rain! I was so "bug eyed" from driving in the snow,and it was getting dark that I turned the wheel over to Jeni.I don't see well at night so she does all the night driving. She was a trooper as she fought hard rain and wind on hwy 99 all the way home.Being the "backseat"driver that I am,I kept my big mouth shut and let Jeni do her thing.
Thanks Jen!

Home safe and sound but still raining...COM ON! Wheres Spring!
It has rained all week so us work volunteers have moved indoors to rehab our park"stage coach". The woodpeckers,the sun,the rain,and wind has taken its toll on our park logo. We took the coach off the chassis and replaced wood, worked on the wheels,refurbished the inside,and repainted it.It will be ready for our annual"Stage Coach Days" festival in April.Its 4 days of fun,food,games,prizes,and entertainment.

The "stage Coach" cover that we have been rebuilding is about to get started{weather permitting} but probably won't be ready in time for the Festival.

Coach with primer

Coach with brown paint.

The weather has taken a toll on the park with lots of "downed" trees minor flooding{nothing serious},and high water in "Coarsegold" creek which runs through the park.There is a little bridge under that water in the picture that takes us over to the back of the park where we store our landscape rubbish,wood , and landscape materials.Can't get there now!

We finally had a nice sunny day yesterday and everybody was out walking their dogs,gardening,washing their rigs,and just enjoying the sun.But today we woke up to rain again.....COM ON!......WHERE THE #%*_=@ IS SPRING!

enough RAIN!

Arizona Road trip

Hello from sunny Wickenburg,Arizona. We took a road trip here to see Jeni's family. Jeni and I are staying at the fabulous North Ranch Escapee park in beautiful congress Az. We are about an hour from Phoenix via hwy.#60.

The weather is great with temps in the 70's and lots of Arizona sun.

There is lots to do while we are here.I will be meeting my brothers and my uncle for lunch one day,Jeni will be visiting her brother and sisters.

On Sunday There is a big get together with all of Jeni's family in Goodyear.Az.

While were at the park we visited the great clubhouse here and ran into escapee friends and fellow residents of Park Sierra. North Ranch's clubhouse is not as big as Park Sierra's but they still have a lot of activities going on.

It is the Desert and sun that draws winter travelers to Arizona and here there is plenty of both.

The RV sites are situated so you get maximum desert views no matter which way you look.The blue,cloudless sky is like a great sea in the sky. You are serenaded at night by the moonlit coyotes and great horned owls as they ply their nightly trade. Out here, I sleep like a baby!
The greatest show in the west starts at dusk as the famous Arizona Sunset begins.

Just before sunset the puffy clouds move in on the horizon.Then the show begins as the sky is ablaze with color and the clouds glow of brilliant reds and orange. as the shows climax begins, the sky dims to reveal brilliant pink and gray clouds as the first stars appear in the eastern sky.Night begins and a new show is born. WOW! words just can't describe it!

Night after night of beautiful Sky's and sunny cloudless days.

amazing!

Another thing we did was hike the desert.The park has trails just outside the back gate heading out in BLM land.Just you,the jack rabbits,coyotes,and rattlesnakes(in summer).

Jeni and I hiked about 3 miles to see the lonesome Saguaro. the only cactus around the park.



The only thing more beautiful than the desert scenery is Jeni.What a lucky guy I am.I get the best of both worlds!

Look!,next to the lonesome Saguaro cactus,isn't that an old weathered cowboy that lost his horse! Naw!, Its just ole Phil.

Jeni and I went to "gold rush days", in Wickenburg. This is their rodeo week which is very popular here in the west. They have an arts and craft fair exhibits,a killer car show,a carnival,and of coarse the rodeo.This is a picture of Jeni and the Mayor, in the middle,Jeni says that's me!

At the car show I found an old 57 Chevy stepside Apache pickup.I had one when I was a youngen only it was green.Great truck.It got me to work !

Jeni found a more unusual model she liked.I guess she is showing off her wild side.Jen! "get away from that car"! "You have Grand kids for gods sake!"








Now this is the car Jeni always wanted.About ten years ago We went out to look for a new car and we thought we would give the ford mustang a look.Back in Jen's teen years her brother in law Dale had one and Jeni occasionally drove it and fell in love with it.When we got to the dealership to test drive one, we had to do the "Limbo" to get into it.And when we finally got in ,it felt to us like you were sitting at ground level,so we

decided we could live without this car.But Jeni says "the car still brings back memories!

When we left Arizona,we stopped off in Riverside,Ca. to see our Son and Grandsons for the weekend.

Saturday we went to the "Awana Olympics"to see our Grandson Aiden compete.That's him with his 2nd place ribbon and certificate.He did great! Grandpa and Grandma are very proud of him.

Sunday we said our goodbyes and we headed home. But we needed some stuff from "Home Depot in Fresno so we stopped in.

I have been needing some lumber for a screen wall and Jeni's friend in #533 needed lumber to finish her shed.I have been trying for a month to figure out how to get all that lumber to the park as I have no pickup.I called Home depot about delivery but they wanted $85."Too Much!"

"Hey,I'll just put it in the motor home on the way back from Az.""Brilliant!"Well at the Depot Jeni and I got all the stuff and started loading ,"man this is a lot of lumber","lets put the 4x4's and 2x6's in the car...Great Idea"! I had to put them aginst the windshield ,over the front passenger seat to the back door...."they barely fit." "Ok,i'll close the door.......CRAACK!" The windshield broke!The boards were just a bit too long.....That $85 looks pretty cheap right now. Phil,Phil,Phil!Well we headed home with our pride tucked between our legs."This ole guy learned a valuable lesson today On our Arizona Road Trip.


P.S. here is a picture of Jeni's Siblings

Left to right. Sister Sandy,Jeni,Sister Lori,Brother Bill,Sister Beverly,and Sister Joann.When we all used to party back in the day,These beautiful gals danced my legs off!I'm one lucky guy being part of this clan.

Hot Dogs and Travel

A beautiful sunset from our rig at Park Sierra.

Unfortunately fog has been persistent here the last week or so.The park brochure states that we are "below the snow line and above the fog".Yea Right!Its been an unusual winter here.Lots of rain and lots of fog.

Jeni has jumped in with both feet at the park.She is head of the "Hello Squad" for the winter, which is the greeting arm of the park,she is on the "Emergency response committee"

which sets policy for any emergencies in and around the park.

But her best gig is running "Movie night.The park got a big screen TV and installed "surround sound" so Jeni started showing movies on Sunday night.This is her promo on our local park channel."Movie and a Hot Dog".

It was a great success and I get my favorite meal without a hassle from Jeni. she is so busy at movie night I can have a couple of dogs and chili too! Her next
"movie night" is Jan.23rd where she is showing an oldie,"Desk Set"with Hepburn and Tracy.

Jeni's helpers are hard at work puttin out the hot dogs before the movie.It takes a lot of work to put on the "movie night"but everybody pitches in.Many hands make short work and "Philly"gets lots of hot dogs!

Jeni and I took a little trip to San Diego to see my Brother Gary and wife Martha.We stopped in Riverside coming and going to see our son Dan.

We had a great time in San Diego and Gary and Martha's hospitality as always was "first class".They know the best restaurants,and make you feel right at home.If you ever met them, no matter what your status in life was, you would want to be friends with them.Thanks as always for a great time.Jeni and I are so lucky to have such a great Brother and sister in law.

Thanks also to Dan and Melony for putting us up on our way to and back from San Diego.Your a good Son!

We got back to the park Friday for some R&R,Oh,did I mention,Jeni also runs Friday night "Bunco"....CRAP!there goes our R&R!

We complain but the park keeps us on the go and we love it.There is always something going on here and the more people you meet the more involved you get.You get asked out to eat more,asked to play games,do crafts ,to join committees,and you become a part of a great community.That's a good thing.

Well,after a whirlwind weekend of Bunco,game night,and movie night,after volunteering til noon on the maintanence crew today,I am sitting on our patio 65 degrees and sunny,sipping on a cold one and enjoying a little R&R. Dreaming of travel and those delicious hot dogs!

Happy New Year

There are four beautiful women that keep "ole"Phil on the straight and narrow.Pictured are 3 of them.Jeni,my daughter Katie,and her daughter(our granddaughter) Alyx.The forth one is my oldest daughter Jackie(not pictured).How did my offspring get blessed with beauty,not me!The credit all goes to Jeni.
I am one lucky guy!
We had a pre Christmas get together with Kate's family while we were in Sacramento baby sitting grandson DJ.


While in Sacramento,we had a great time with all the family.Pictured is Jeni and I in the holiday spirit.But,once we got back to the park,the "cold and flu" season hit us! First Jeni,then me. We were supposed to go to San Diego between Christmas and New Years but we just couldn't shake the colds we had.Poor Jeni had to fill in at the office and I worked a couple of days. when we weren't working we were sleeping.Rip Van Winkle had nothing on us!


The park had a New Years Eve party with a live Jazz band. we had a bad case of "cabin fever", so we drug ourselves over hoping for some fun.
Its amazing what a bottle of "Mondavi Merlot", great jazz music,and dancing can do to cure a cold.I felt....... "HIC UP".....GREAT! I have no idea how that blue hat got on my head! At ten o'clock we turned into pumpkins, got in our golf cart and....."HIC UP"......headed home.
We slept in this morning(I've never slept so much in my life) and we feel much better today than we have in weeks.Hopefully we are over the colds,but we will rest today and tomorrow.
Its tough but somebody has to watch all of the bowl games and NFL games this weekend.
Well its a brand new year and all the new years resolutions are in place(like were gonna keep em).A new year,a clean slate,square one.any way you look at it,by the end of 2011 we will need a new year,a clean slate,and square one again! HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL.

Merry Christmas

The presents are wrapped,the holiday songs are getting old,and I've had way too much eggnog.Christmas must be close at hand.
Jeni has decorated our site with lots of festive lights. I mean a lot of lights! I checked our electric meter and it's whirling like a top.I can't wait to get the bill!
At the park, Jeni and I have been filling in as assistant managers until the new ones arrive the 26th.Its been a lot of hard work and 8 hr days,but it has been rewarding.Christmas day we are going to hibernate.Except for Christmas dinner at the park, we are staying home.
We have to work a half day Sunday,then we are done,and we can get back to normal.
After the holidays we plan to do some traveling.Going to San Diego and Phoenix this winter.Then to Oregon this summer to host again.
Here at the park you can't help but become swaddled in holiday cheer.Its like family,all the smiling faces and the many festivities in preparation of Christmas.
Well this will be as short post as it is time for bed so Santa can arrive here at the "ole" motor home.
Merry Christmas to all our family and friends and a very happy new year.

Work and play at Park Sierra

good mornin all! Jeni and I are livin
the "la vida buena"(the good life) here
at Park Sierra.
good friends,good food,good times,and most of all,good health.
We have settled into our little routines here and dove right in to the volunteer spirit.
When we first joined the park we both made a pact that we would stay out of the politics of the park and just volunteer for the fun stuff...well that was a pact gone bad as I ended up on a controversial project that is still on going,Jeni was asked to contribute to forming an emergency action plan for the park that the state requires.
For her it has also been ongoing and
controversial.We actually are enjoying it though as it keeps us busy and you interface with a lot of the members. A real sense of community!
Jeni has met a lady,Shu lin that just joined the park. They walk 2 miles in the morning and are starting a community garden and are in the process of forming a gardening committee(more politics)!
Jeni and I were selected to help the "Sunshine Girls",the decorating committee of the park(more politics) to decorate the clubhouse.

We had a great time and the "Sunshine girls"made us lunch for our hard work.Doesn't the clubhouse look festive.
18000 square feet of holiday wonderland.
Saturday night the park held it's annual Christmas/holiday party.We had a very festive dinner and "Leaded" and "unleaded" eggnog.



At the party we put ornaments on the 2 trees in the clubhouse.Jeni is placing one on the big tree.(over 16 ft. tall)
Some of the members brought their grand kids and it was a real pleasure to see the holiday glow in their eyes.
It made us miss our little ones back in Riverside and Sacramento.
You know,I think I have the prettiest wife at the park.What a lucky guy I am!



This is the decorations we placed at the front entry of the clubhouse. When you walk in you can't help but feel the holiday spirit and my lips are always humming a Christmas tune when I'm in there.






Oh,by the way, guess who showed up at our party....Santa Clause!
One of our members,Gus always dresses up as he has for 20 yrs. and plays jolly ole Saint Nick.
I had a talk with Santa and gave him my list for Christmas.New rig,new corvette,more hair,a million dollars,10 seconds with Angie Jolie(Hey I'm old!)and live to be 100....Santa said"IN YOUR DREAMS FAT BOY!"

There has been a lot of activities at the park as this is when most of the members are here.After the holidays and summertime is when this place is a ghost town.

Last week the park had its first annual "art in the park",where all the crafty members can display their handmade items.We were very impressed with the talent and craftmanship.They were not selling their wares but giving info as to how they made their items and generating

interest in their particular craft.

The event grew a big crowd and we think this will become an annual event.

The park has certainly kept us busy and we have noticed that the busier we are, the less money we spend.

A lot of the members tell us,"where in California can you live for $200 a month and have this much fun."

Well, its Monday so its back to our busy schedule.Jeni with her committee's and me with maintenance.(pic of the "pole barn where maintenance office is.")

Work and play at Park Sierra.Life marches on.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our families are celebrating Thanksgiving at various places this year.Jeni and I will be staying home and celebrating with our fellow "Park Sierrians".Last weekend we drove down to Riverside to see our son and Grandsons Aiden,and Nevin.We had a wonderful time with them, They are little "balls of energy!"They wore us out. After rough housing with them, I was down for the count!

Right before we headed to Riverside,We got some bad news that my uncle Frank had passed away.It was sad but he lived a very full life.

There was a memorial Sunday in L.A., so we all went over for it.

The picture is Frank on his 90th birthday party last summer with my son Dan,my uncle(franks brother) Robert,and my Brothers Gary and Larry. Jeni and I couldn't attend as we were in Oregon. You would of loved him.He enjoyed life to the fullest!

When we drove over to Riverside,we took the "grapevine over as there was snow predicted for the Tehachapies on hwy 58.What a mistake! lots of rain and accidents everywhere.We spent 2 hours stuck on I-5 on top of the grapevine! Sooo....I decided no more Grapevine.coming home we took the 58 over the Tehachapies.Of coarse it was Snowing on the top! Luckily only a little so we breezed through with no problems.

Its not as bad as it looked,plus we were in the car not the motor home.

Back at the park,I told Jeni that if she didn't stop hanging around the clubhouse all day doing those puzzles this would be her in 15 yrs!

Jeni and I volunteered to help with Thanksgiving dinner.That's me,Head chef of mashed potato's! What a title!

The day before, me and couple of guys carved up about 10 turkeys.Luckily one of the other guys used to be a butcher so with his expertise we had em done in an hour.

Jeni's favorite table...dessert.or should I say pumpkin pies.She wanted to be seated here for dinner but the members declined her request!

It was a great gathering as we served about 250 members and guests.

Jeni and I sat with our neighbors Gary and Michelle,one of our resident computer geeks Bruce and his lovely wife Jenna,and Guests from Alabama.Their names escape me right now.

Someone came up with a novel Idea to place these paper turkeys at every table and have everyone write on them what he or she is most thankful for. Then place them on the Christmas tree.We thought it was a great idea. This one caught my eye. simple and sincere.I like it!

Jeni's nephew Brett just had a little boy last month, and her brother sent her pictures.They named him Kaden.We are headed to Arizona after the new year so we can spend some quality time with Jeni's family and so Jeni can spoil that little guy.Watch out Kaden,your great Aunt is looking for some "ISH"

Well we are weary from our trip,and stuffed from the feast,We went to the social here and played Bunco Friday night.We have another dinner tonight followed by "Game night",so Sunday will be a day of hibernation for us,As you get older, after days of non stop socializing,you need a break.But,what a wonderful week it has been.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!