Life onboard...

We are spending the month of March here in the Tucson Mountain area at the Bar J RV Park.  It is small, eclectic, and very accommodating; oh, and did I mention inexpensive.  Our BFFs, Rodger and Sharon, found it for us, as it is near their winter home in Tucson Estates.  What really sold us is that the owner let us store the motorhome, unplugged in our site, for our month in Roatan and will again in April when we spend a month in San Carlos, MX.  So stay tuned for that adventure!

However, these last few weeks have been task oriented for the most part.  First of all, we took the laptop computer in to the Geeks for a tune-up as it was loading so slow, freezing up, and generally in bad health.  But first we finally broke down and got a smart phone (everyone say I told you so); a Droid Razr Maxx HD.  It is pre-loaded with all my Google stuff; Chrome, Picasa, Google+, Maps, and much, much more.  It does all the things my computer does except allow me to comfortably write long missives, which explains why I have been absent from the Blogosphere for so long. 

And we have been painting dark wood walls in our tiny closet-sized head.  This has turned out to be literally a pain in the ass back!  There is a 3-inch space between the shower enclosure and adjacent wall, probably 2 feet deep.  One has to extend the arm very carefully in and maneuver paint-loaded brush/roller to cover the wall surface while bending the elbow at an opposing angle without getting said paint on the shower glass.  Next, one kneels on hard tile floor getting underneath the cabinet and lower walls; not to mention behind the toilet...seriously!

But probably even worse was picking out a couple of matching yet contrasting colors that would lighten/brighten up this dark small space.  Honestly, we tried at least 10 of the small sample cans from Home Depot for $3 a piece before we settled on Clamshell for the walls and Pueblo Sand to provide a little contrast for the trim.  Now that they have been applied it all just looks pink with very little contrast.  And it's too late to start over, and our bodies aren't used to this much contortion!  We'll just have to add colorful towels.

Just a few samples pictured!

Pueblo Sand (left), Clamshell (middle)

Notably missing are pics of the finished product as it is still a work in progress.  Touch-ups and clean-up needed, and cabinet doors remain off and drying.  Our bedroom received a coat or two of one of the rejected samples, applied over factory-installed wall paper....We actually like the way this turned out.

It hasn't been all work and no play.  The motorhome has been sitting for almost two months so needed to turn its wheels and loosen up those parts that don't sit well for extended periods of time, so we went for an overnighter in Benson to meet up with Facebook friends, Roxie and Walt, who just bought an RV lot at Arizona Legends RV Resort.  We were kindly accommodated and fed very well!

With new friends, Walt, Roxie and brother Doug...

Actually, we had a tailgate party!

There have been dinners and happy hours with Sharon and Rodger.  Even a much-needed yoga class last night (boy am I out of shape), and of course our hikes in Tucson Mt. Park provide us with such beauty, and more hints of spring on every visit.

Sharon and Rodger at their winter home in Tucson Estates

A new trail explored

More signs of spring on the just-blooming Ocotillo

A Gambels Quail provides a priceless pose!

And hasn't it been exciting following Gaelyn's travels in South Africa!