Stage Coach Days

Well Jeni and the girls in the office are hard at work trying to fit everybody in for "Stagecoach Days". It's our fund raiser for the year and it is loads of fun every year. The park was anticipating an overflow crowd so they cut a deal with our local Casino to boon dock(camp with no utilities) anyone the park couldn't fit in.

We had wonderful weather all week and the place was packed.5 fun filled days of food,hayrides,cake walks,raffles,and great entertainment. When I say food it was breakfast,lunch,and dinner for 4 nights and a full"

Hitch up breakfast(everybody heads out.event over) on Sunday.

The festivities started Wednesday afternoon with the unveiling of the refurbished Stagecoach and new Stagecoach cover.We had a BBQ picnic put on by the WOW committee
that did the work on the Stagecoach and cover.Everybody was in western garb,even the women as some of them dressed as "Ladies of the evening"! Yea the "Ole West" lives on.

The sun was warm but the cool breezes kept everyone comfortable.Just a hat or parasol kept the sun at bay.

We had a few dignitaries at our picnic.Miss Kitty dropped in but she didn't bring Marshall Dillon as he was on an undercover assignment.

The "Flamingo Kid " was here also.he rode all the way from Florida on his trusty steed(alligator) named"suitcase"!

Don't let that mild demeaner fool you, he's a killer!

I was setting right next to him but he scared me!

After the picnic,we had a parade to take our beloved Stagecoach to its new home. The Stage and cover now complete, our WOW committee(wow means wagons or wheels) will be looking at other park projects to sink our teeth into.

The park has tons of committees that run and maintain the park.Jeni chaired two this winter.The "Hello Squad" which is the greeting arm of the park,and The Disaster preparedness committee which sets a plan of action in case of emergency or natural disaster.This plan is required by the State.

Thursday,Friday,and Saturday

my buddy RJ and I were in charge of the hayrides .we took turns driving "ole Case" our trusty steed as the other rode shotgun through the park and over the creek.there was a tour guide in the wagon to point out the places of interest along our route.

We stopped along the creek to let our passengers enjoy the sights and stretch their legs.

We moved into the"badlands on our way back over the creek and sure enough....."Banditos"!They took all our valuables and supplies.Hey they weren't even nice!But they sure looked familiar.

We did 4" bandito" rides on Friday,Saturday we did 5 "flower tour"rides as one of our members is very knowledgeable on the park flora and Fona.They were the most popular of all the hayrides as they were booked weeks in advance.Sundays rides were just site seeing only.My buddy RJ and I were tired but we sure had fun!

Jeni was head of the raffle table which had Items from members that they made themselves.All primo stuff as we have some very talented people in the park.Jeni had carved spoon sets,walking sticks,jewelry,pots,quilts,and many other items.Jeni and her crew had to put up and take down the display every night and sell raffle tickets during the day.they raffled everything off Saturday night.She is one tired lady.

Wednesday night the park put on a melodrama.(yes we have a drama committee!) with the members as the cast....let me just say...Outrageous!

Thursday night we had Casino night,Friday night,we had a a great local magician perform and he was fabulous preceded by a delicious Italian dinner.

Saturday night,we had the Yosemite Jazz Band in for a little dinner and dancin!This group performed at our new years eve party and was a real hit with our members. I figured by Saturday night everybody would eat and call it a night,Boy,was I wrong.Everyone kicked up their heels.(must of been the wine!)

After breakfast Sunday,Jeni and I helped out cleaning up til noon then we "hibernated".No one was stirring,I think all the members had the same idea as the park looked deserted.

At our monthly meeting Tuesday the event was deemed a success.We are already working on next years event and plan to make it even better than this years.

Well our time is up and Friday Jeni and I leave for Oregon for the summer to "camphost"at three parks.I think I have already mentioned that, May-June we will be at Viento State Park on the beautiful....(Aw I know I have already blogged this before)...July-August we will be back at Deschutes State Rec Park,and September we will be hosting at Collier Memorial State Park.October we will be home at Park Sierra.What a life!Fun Fun and more Fun.

It will be sad to leave our Park Sierra family but like my "ole" dog Penny,they always come home.

I'll always have memories of me at the reins of the "ole"hay wagon guiding that trusty yellow steed "Case"(tractor) with my loyal sidekick "Yosemite Sam"(My buddy RJ) at my side......fun times at Stagecoach Days! see ya in Oregon.

Strange Weather!

The weather is perfect for early April here at the park. The grass is green,the flowers are in bloom,and everybody is in shorts.Sunny warm days and gentle breezes.This is the life!..........and then came Friday.....

As I woke up,throwing open the curtains.Waiting to feel the warm sun on my face,"WHAT THE BLANK IS THIS?""Am I dreaming!"Did I wake up in North Dakota?.Snow in Park Sierra,"who woulda thunk it!"32 degrees and snowing like a banshee. We had about 3" on the ground by 9am.A lot of awnings collapsed under the weight of the snow and I went out twice to clean mine off. It was very wet snow and we lost a few tree branches because of it.But all in all the park fared well.This is really a "weird" year for weather here.

Lots of snow in the trees and on our car. It was a "winter wonderland"

Last week the park held its annual "Hats Off To Volunteers" party. Everyone donned their favorite hat for the event and "partied Hardy."They had lots of delicious food and plenty of music.I wore my hard hat with a sign that said"you want me to do what now!"

The park prides itself on delicious cousine and the men and ladies in charge of the kitchen put out "top notch chow".My hats off to them for their hard work."Hey, that's what this party is all about!"

Jeni had her last "Movie and a hot dog night" and as with the past ones,it was a hit.She had about 40 people.She has really enjoyed doing it and has agreed to resume doing it again when we return this fall.My hats off to her!

Finally after 5 months,the stagecoach cover is almost complete.It has been a battle with the state and the naysayers to get the job done but we have done it.We framed it in one day and the plywood went on yesterday.all that's left is the metal roof which should be complete by next week.Our hats are off to our fine work crew!

I love volunteering. It keeps me in "rock hard,chiseled shape!"(the picture adds about 50lbs to my physic!HONEST)................

...OK,"take another picture Jen so I can suck in my gut!"

Jeni and I have been running the "Friday night Bunco game"since last fall and we have really enjoyed it.We did our last one Friday.We averaged about 30 or 40 players a night and it has become very popular with the members.It follows our weekly social so a lot of people stay over and play.It was a bittersweet night as we finished. we were asked to host it again next fall and we gladly accepted.

Next week is our annual fund raiser "Stagecoach days". It runs for a week and draws a huge crowd.The park is completely full and we had to make a deal with the local casino to let our traveling members boondock there so they could attend the festivities. Its 5 days of food,fun,entertainment,and comradely.

After Stagecoach days everyone will scatter to all points of the USA including Jeni and I.We are leaving the park the 22nd of April with a stop in Sacramento,then on to Oregon for our summer volunteer jobs.May and June we will be hosting at Viento state park at Hood river on the beautiful Columbia river gorge. July and August we will be back to Deschutes rec area state park at the confluence of the Columbia and Deschute rivers. finally in September we will be hosting at Collier memorial state park 35 miles from Crater lake Natl. Park.We haven't made it to Crater lake yet so this will be a great opportunity for us to see it.

As our time grows short here at the park,it will be sad to leave our park sierra family.As everyone heads out for their summer adventures,the one thing we all know,we will meet again next fall at the park for more fun and adventure.

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.