Scrooge’s Gift Ideas for dog and cat lovers

I was looking for some gift ideas for this year, and saw this online.
I knew I could do better than that on my own, so here are some of my ideas.

No matter which list

You might be on….

There are gifts 4U

One thing about RV’ers … they all love their pets and care about them. Worry about protecting them from coyotes and other prickly problems could be solved with these gifts:









Apparently this dog opened all of its presents early, so this could be considered one pet to be on the Naughty list, perhaps, but on the other hand it is very well groomed, and could therefore be considered to be on the Nice list. I’ll leave that for you readers to decide.




This has to be one of the best gifts for any dog. An automatic ball tossing machine… how great would that be for your dog!
Can’t you just see them now, chasing and chasing, fetching, and fetching… all while you sit in your lounger and read!


For those of you who might be more interested in more strenuous exercise on your part, here is a tennis ball launcher that would work for you.




Is your pet a picky eater?
Here is the perfect food bowl.
Give them four choices, and they might find one they like.


Cats can be very finicky about their food, too.
You can tell from this picture that you shouldn’t feed them from the dog dish, or they won’t eat.







Another thing about cats… they like to choose their favorite toys. They can be perfectly happy playing with ping pong balls, dust bunnies, boxes ……







Cats like to be comfortable, and small dogs do too, so this little hammock would be just perfect for your RV. It wouldn’t take up much room, could be used both indoors and out, and could be matched to your color schemes inside the RV.





You might prefer to get your cat something “green” and environmentally friendly. Consider these gifts, the “kitty garden” where you can grow catnip or whatever other things your kitty likes best. OR, consider giving your cat it’s own tree for Christmas ….






Lots of cat owners will agree that their kitty loves to play with balls of yarn. You might contact Paulette Doyle, and see if your cat could become part of the quilting club at the Sands. I’m sure she would be delighted to make some arrangements to accommodate those who are located elsewhere.


I just couldn’t resist putting this picture of the yarn in at this point, just so it would get your attention. If it seems like I’ve focused more on cats in this post, that’s because I found more cute cat pictures in my haste to get pictures. Here are just a few final ones for your Holiday pleasure.






Don’t worry, there will be more gift ideas for you RV’ers. And maybe even some “virtual gifts” for blogger pals. Apparently I've been reading too many blogs by cat owners like Meomamma lately.





I will have more gift ideas for people on your list. Stay tuned!!

Holiday Happenings .… and MORE ….

 

Now you’ll get some of the REAL stuff…This Blog is MINE!

Took Poppy to the groomer today, since she spent so much time rolling around in the desert dirt while we were at The Sands. She was happy to be back home, but tired. She did get a nice Holiday Bow, which is barely seen in this photo.


Rusty just got his nails clipped, since he gets so nervous when going to the groomers that he starts shaking real bad. Won’t put him through that anymore.

I went to my groomer too, but since I have control of the camera, you won’t be seeing any pictures of the results. Donna thinks it’s too short, but I like it. Now I can wear my stocking hat outside in the 39 degree sunshine.

Usually I watch the weather report on TV in the morning so I can tell how long to stay in my recliner, under my nice warm blanket. There’s lots of things to do, but I’m not like Donna… I’d rather stay where it’s warm and cozy… and since we’re not in the desert anymore, this is my next best place to be. As Maxine says: “I don’t know how to beat the heat, but I do know how to beat people who complain about it.”

You might not know this, but Donna is really into healthy eating. She figures the best way to good health is through eating. Since she caught a touch of the tummy bug after she fixed enchiladas for our Thanksgiving Day Feast, she modified the recipe and we had enchiladas last night for dinner. Don’t these look good?

Donna  believes in feeding a fever, feeding a cold, feeding a stomach bug…well, you get the picture. This was yummy, so I’m feeling pretty good about it anyway. I know she enjoyed it, even cleaned up the kitchen afterward. Now, I’ve got to find the best place around here to get good tamales, since K & D In The RV made us so hungry for some.

Donna has finished most of her Christmas shopping, and is just walking around the house trying to remember where she put some of the presents she purchased earlier. Sort of like in our favorite Holiday movie…



We always have to start the Holiday Season by watching this movie right after Thanksgiving. We were in Therapy this year, so it was very fitting. It’s become something of a family Holiday Tradition for our son John, and his family, too. There are so many scenes and lines from the movie that evoke laughter for us, all someone has to do is make a reference to one in some way, and we immediately know what they mean.







One of John’s favorite characters is Cousin Eddie, so we got him a hat.
He gets a big kick out of wearing it this time of year. We still haven’t been able to convince him to go outside in the snow with his hat and bathrobe on yet, but we’ll keep trying. He’s got that “Cousin Eddie” look down. 





Well, I’d better let you move on to more interesting and enlightening  reading now. See you on the flip side.

This site preempted by Scrooge McDuck aka Russ

While Donna is taking some time off to enjoy the Holidays, I shall take over on an unscheduled basis and post hitherto unpublished uncensored photos and behind the scenes, totally unedited stories.  Guaranteed to give one pause to think… why am I wasting my time reading this? But… I say… AHA… AHA… if Nellie can do it…. I can do it, too!!!!!

You just never know what to your wondering eyes might appear… a virtual sleigh… or virtual presents… or virtual flying reindeer. So… fly to the window, and throw up the sash… somebody’s got to get all the hot air out of here!!
Stay tuned, if you are brave enough… adventures await that you have never even dreamed of! (Boy, ain’t that the truth)

It’s Just a Small Break!

No, I didn’t fall again – clumsy though I am!  The break I am talking about is from blogging…but only until after the Holidays.

We are in full-on Holiday mode around here and have grandkids coming and families to schedule visits with and decorating to do…you know all those special things to do around this time of year.  While I would like to think I am super-woman, the sad fact is I am not.  I am still fighting whatever intestinal problem I developed while in Desert Hot Springs and I still have some back problems, probably stemming from my two tumbles.

This is Bekah from 2006, barely 7 years old.  She really gets going on the second verse.



So with all of that in mind, something has to give.  Oh, you won’t be rid of me that easily, but I will be taking a break from the computer.  I can easily spend hours writing and reading and keeping up with all the comings and goings in Blogland, but unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day.  So if you don’t see me on here for a while, it’s just a small break and then we’ll be back.

Santa Russ has had a little too much Christmas (2009)

I may even drop in for a quick grandkid post when they all come visiting the week before Christmas and I will drop in from time to time and see what ya’ll are up to.  But for now, most of my time will be spent away from the computer having fun with family and friends.  Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, however you celebrate, and we’ll talk to ya soon.  Meanwhile, those of you soaking up the sun in warmer climes…think of us and send us some warm weather!

A Ducky Snow Angel (2009)

Merry Christmas.

Honey, I’m Home!

Actually, that would be “we’re” home but it just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it!  Just a couple of notes on our journey from Corning to Medford on Friday.  Nice weather almost all the way, except near Dunsmuir.  We stopped at the O’Brien Rest Area near Lake Shasta.  There is a slight view of the lake from here and it is a well maintained rest area with plenty of parking and shady picnic areas. 



And no trip along I-5 would be complete without the requisite picture of Mt. Shasta.  The wind really cleared the skies and we had a wonderful view for quite a while.  Took this out the window as we were rolling down the highway. Snow, anyone?


Friday night we stayed in Medford at the Pear Tree RV Park.  We had noticed this little park before but had never stayed here.  It is adjacent to the freeway and is part of the hotel next door.  When you enter, you actually pull up to the hotel entrance and register there.  We missed it the first time and had to go around again.  There is a very high portico that will accommodate the tallest vehicles so that was not a problem. 


They feature FHU sites, many of them pull-thrus, cable TV, and free internet.  The internet was not great but we found a good signal from the Super 8 motel in the same area. 

The only complaint I have about this park is the placement of the sewer receptacle.  We wanted a drive-thru so we wouldn’t need to unhitch the car, but in order to keep the car hitched up, we had to pull too far forward for the sewer hose to reach.   After trying to stretch our 20’ hose, Russ finally said to heck with it and stuck it in the cleanout hole.  If we were going to be here for any length of time, we would have parked the car in front and moved the motorhome to the rear of the site.  But that is not the purpose of a pull-thru for an overnight stay.  Other than that, it was a good stop.  Cost around $32.



It was SOOO cold last night.  Even though we unhooked the water hose, Russ didn’t get all the water blown out of the filter and it was frozen solid this morning.  Makes those desert winds not sound so bad.  At least they aren’t freezing.



Just down the street is the Iron Skillet Restaurant.  It is part of a truck/travel stop.  They had a good looking buffet breakfast but we ordered off the menu and it was good, but a typically greasy meal geared to hungry truckers.

It was a great day for driving.  Cold but clear blue skies once we got past Grants Pass.  We stopped at the new rest area by Seven Feathers.   The entrance from the northbound approach might be confusing if you haven’t stopped here before so it would be important to watch the signs.  It was really quite nice.  Lots of grass and a fenced dog run.  The dog run is covered in bark mulch rather than grass so Poppy didn’t want anything to do with it.



There is a nice shelter that would provide welcome shade on a hot summer day.


As we got closer to Eugene, our beautiful blue skies became obliterated by this nasty UFO in the sky.



It was pretty much socked in around Eugene, a cool damp fog.  But as we neared Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks won the Pac-12 Championship last night, the clouds parted, a shaft of sunlight shone down on the stadium, and a voice from heaven boomed out, “GO DUCKS”!

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!  Good Night all!

Back In Oregon – just in time!!

Short post tonight because tonight we are back in Oregon.  We are at the Pear Tree RV Park in Medford, Or and we have cable TV.  In case you are not a football fan, tonight at 5:00 p.m. is the FIRST EVER Pac 12 Conference Championship game.  This is sports history in the making.  There will never be another FIRST Pac 12 championship game.  The game is being played at our home stadium, Autzen Stadium in the beautiful city of Eugene, OR.  The mighty Oregon Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins to decide the conference championship.  A trip to the Rose Bowl is on the line.  So since we can’t be at the game we are pretending by snuggling up in our stadium blankets, with our Duck pillow and accessories and we are settling in for a great game.  It’s 5:00 so I gotta go watch the game.  GO DUCKS!  (yeah, I’m a bit of a college football nut)  More on our trip tomorrow…it was a great travel day today.



An Old Memory:

We’re Ready to Blow This State – Unless it Blows Us First!

No internet yesterday, even though it was advertised at Santa Nella RV Park.  We ended up at that park after Russ had struggled for several hours trying to keep the rig on the road.  More on that later.  Here’s a link to the weather in California and the windstorm that is causing so many problems.  http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/once-a-decade-santa-ana-wind-e/58416

Kate from Travels in Cholula Red, is currently at home near Santa Cruz.  She called to see how we were doing and said they have been without power all day.  This is NOT a gentle breeze!  This wind monster is out to blow you to …well, fill in the blank!!!

This is the Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield, Ca. right before we left on Wednesday.  It was almost that empty overnight.  Not crowded at all.


I can’t say enough about this great park…including the free donuts and coffee served in the lobby each morning.  Not some prepackaged, dry, old donuts, but yummy big fancy donuts fresh from a local bakery.  I only got a bite of Russ’s apple fritter but it was soooo good.

It was foggy when we left and headed north on Hwy.99, then a nice quiet drive west on 46 to I-5.  We hadn’t gone far on I-5 before the winds came up.  This was a nasty crosswind and Russ fought it for several hours.  We finally stopped in Santa Nella.  We were going to go to the KOA in Los Banos but it was 17 off the freeway and we didn’t want to drive that much farther.  Next time we will!!

As much as we enjoyed the Orange Grove RV Park, we were at the opposite end of the enjoyment scale at the Santa Nella RV Park.  I am going to write a review for rvparkreviews.com but a summary is – don’t stay there unless you are desperate!!  It is not as advertised on their website. 

We arrived about 3:30 p.m. and, after going over their 3 foot high speed bump, found there was no one in the office.  From the looks of things there is NEVER anyone in the office, even though the website lists winter hours as 10-5.  Now here’s the fun part.  The sign says PAY FIRST.  You go to a box and take a map with an envelope attached and an assigned number.  There is an envelope for each empty space.  However, if this is your first visit, you have no idea what the spaces are like.  You pick one at random, put your check in the envelope and drop it into a lock box.  I checked the map and saw one next to the restroom that looked like it would work.

We had to hurdle yet another three foot high speed bump on the want into the park.  All the dishes rattled in the cabinets but at least they didn’t come flying out like Judy’s did back in October.  Those speed bumps were enough to rattle the fillings in your teeth and make you glad you had an onboard potty!  

That particular spot that we had chosen (sight unseen) was so small and the hookups so poorly located that there is no way we could make it work.  We drove thru looking for another spot but didn’t really know what to do since we had already paid for the space.   I walked back to the office to go through the papers and try to find a spot that would work.  I grabbed one located in the newer area of the park near the front and started back to the motorhome.  That’s when that three foot high speed bump reached out and grabbed me by the ankles and down I went.  Left a large deposit of my skin on the asphalt and an even larger portion of my dignity.  Banged up my knee and ripped my hand open.   I was dripping blood on my shoes by the time Russ realized what happened and came to help me back to the rig.  All this time the wind was howling up a storm and making it difficult to hear each other talk. 

The spot I had chosen was very confusing as it said sites 54/55 so wasn’t sure what that meant.  But off we went and located those two site on a nice level concrete pad.  It seems they somehow realized their sites were WAY to short for most RVs and so you get one to park you RV on and the one next to it for your toad.  We didn’t want to unhitch but had no choice.  It worked out okay except that the advertised internet was non-existent and no TV signal was available.  No cable in the newer section of the park!!  We couldn’t retrieve our payment for the other site so we just wrote a note, stuck it in the envelope for this site and called it good.

Anyway, we made it through the night despite the howling winds and rocking coach.  Poppy was nervous and so were we.  We found several eucalyptus branches blown down this morning so we were glad there were no trees directly over the coach.

We thought about waiting it out another day there but just couldn’t bring ourselves to spend anymore time in that place.  We had the wheels turning by 8:00 this morning and after gassing up we hit the northbound freeway.  BOY oh boy, was that wind blowing.  I have never seen it blow like that – and with no let up.  It just blew all day long.  We saw a LOT of unfortunate birds along the roadside that must have misjudged the velocity of the wind in relationship to the oncoming trucks.   Saw lots of some type of Egret in the heavily irrigated fields but we were going by too fast to get a good picture.  The big irrigation canals actually had white caps on them!

We are at the Rolling Hills Casino in Corning for the night and will take off in the morning if the wind has subsided.  It’s still rocking pretty good tonight and if it is no better tomorrow, we may just stay another night.  It was pretty hard on Russ fighting the wind for two days straight.  We don’t need to be home until the 4th so we have a little time to take it easy.  Besides, we didn’t make it to the buffet tonight – too windy to walk across the parking lot- so maybe we can visit it tomorrow.

So that’s our life in a nutshell!  Sorry I haven’t been very positive the last few days.  We really are okay – just having a few rough days.  That’s life and since this blog is about our life, that’s what I’ve written about.

A sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you who commented on Russ’s episode with low blood sugar.  I wrote a note back to most of you thanking you for your comment.  If you didn’t get a note, it’s because you have “do not reply” on your email so no email address shows.  I still want you to know that I appreciate your concern even though I couldn’t send a note.   One of the hard things about diabetes is there are many factors that determine how much insulin to take.  Exercise is always the wild card as we really don’t know how much that is going to affect his numbers.  We are working on it though and did much better today with keeping him level. 

So I’m going to try and catch up on some of what ya’ll have been up to since I didn’t get to read anything last night.  Take care and good night all.