We are Home --- busy too

We arrived home on the 16th of April.  We made a few stops along the way.  Palm Springs for two nights, Menifee, CA for 3 nights then on the road for a couple with our next stop in Maple Valley, WA for a night with friends, Tom & Dorthy.  Crossed the border & spent 3 nights in Surrey, parked in front of Rick & Shelley's home.  Moving on we spent the night after a drive to Abbotsford at Ross & Sheran's.  On the way home finally on the morning of the 16th.  Had Xrays and blood work done(17th) as required for the doctor, as I saw him on the 18th.  June is the possible month for having the shoulder redone.  Then it was time to empty the motorhome, and cut the front & back lawns. took motorhome to friends place on Saturday(21st) and changed motor oil and fuel filters on both the engine and generator.  Later in the afternoon we went to the local pub as there is a meat draw there each Saturday.  We didn't win anything.  No meat and no 50/50 draw...shut out.  Had supper there in the pub also.  Got home shortly after 9 pm.  This morning first thing after coffee was to fire up the van and take the lawn clippings to the recycle depot.  After returning home made a list of things that need to be done....... long long list.  Then to the backyard to prune the fruit trees.  When we got home on Monday there wasn't any blooms on the cherry tree and very few on the apple tree.  Took most of the day to prune the apple tree and didn't do the cherry tree.  It will have to wait now it is in bloom!


 Gotta start somewhere!

 There were more shoots up here than looking from the ground up!

 Finished pruning
 Another view of prune job!

 Cherry blossoms

 Being pollinated  .. spot the bee?

Cherry Tree!

Tomorrow is the start of another day...........

The Grand


April 7, 2012






On Saturday evening we went to The Grand which is billed as "North County's Premier Martini Bar." We went there as Marge's nephew was playing in a small jazz band. The Grand is located on Grand Avenue in Escondido, CA . In the front of the building is a restaurant that has a full course menu. In the middle of the building there is the "grand" bar and it is impressive. Towards the rear of the building is a lounge area, and this is where the band was situated. The lounge is not large but is cozy and relaxed, with seating for about 40 people. Behind the lounge area is an open area with seating in a courtyard. On was side there is a waterfall that is lighted.... very nice. On the opposite side of the courtyard sits a oval shaped fire pit. There is an flame emulating up from it and seating all around, with you able to put your feet up on the area around the fire oval. there is plenty of seating out here so a person can sit & chat and also listen to the music coming from the lounge area.


All in all a very pleasant evening with very good music coming from the band. The band was a Jazz band... 4 piece with occasionally a 5th piece, being a piano.


The band that was playing was The Jack Stiteler Jazztet. They play Great American Songbook and Classic Jazz. Very easy to listen to and also to dance too.




Jack Stiteler, Dan Townsend, Andy Weis, Bryan Elia


The website for this group is www.jsjazztett.com


Here is a video I took of the group playing "Route 66" As it was too large to download on this blog site, I uploaded it to Youtube & this is the link. Hope you enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26MRryYSiYU&feature=g-upl&context=G23d7553AUAAAAAAAAAA

Road Trip to Phoenix

We went to Phoenix for a short road trip, leaving on Friday morning and coming back on Saturday. We stayed overnight in Mesa at a Super 8 Motel. The room was okay, but I didn't sleep well as there was movement in the room above, it seemed all night. Never seemed to quit. We went to the big Mesa Swapmeet when we first got there, spending the afternoon wandering around looking in the different businesses, and just generally browsing. No major purchases. We had gone with Bob & Cathy. That afternoon we arrived at the Organ Stop Pizza place for super. We had been told that there was a Wurlitzer pipe organ & there was a concert about every 45 minutes that lasted about 45 minutes. At the end of the concert the big screen rolled down and on the the screen were songs that we all knew and could sing along with. We got there about 3:45 pm as the doors opened at 4 pm, and there was a lineup already. We had been told that the place gets very busy and expect to wait, but as we were in the lineup early we got in fairly quickly. We proceeded to the mezzanine floor as we were told that you can best see the organ from there rather than on the ground floor. The pipe organ & organist came up out of the orchestra area and were on a raised diaz and turntable. The sound was beautiful to listen too. Hard to explain all the things that happened while the organist was playing. There were trumpets, a player piano, drums, cymbals, accordian, chimes, bells, xyl0phone, and several more instruments that were featured in this concert, when he played. It was fairly dark in the pizza parlor and seating for at least 300 people. Now back to the pizza. When you first got in you walked up to the order desk, menu above on the wall behind the person taking your order. For example, Marge & I had a medium combination that had, salami, pepperoni, hamburger, black olives, mushrooms, onions, green peppers & cheese plus two(2) small salads. You got your own salad at the salad bar. Many choices of salad fixings. You then went on to the drink bar and you had a choice of different sodas , beer by glass or a pitcher, or bottled beer, different fruit drinks. The pizza came about 15 minutes after you placed your order. Very efficient and well organized. When your order was ready there was a board that lit up your order number when ready. You proceeded to the area for pick up and got your pizza. Total cost very reasonable and darn good pizza too. We left the restaurant well after 7pm. Bob & Cathy had some friends meet us there, Don & Pat. We sat visited, listened to the music, and had a great time.



Saturday morning after our continental breakfast at the hotel we went over to Don & Pat's who lived in the Maricopa area. We visited with them for awhile then proceeded on. We had made arrangements to visit with friends Al & Dee, who had left the park a couple of years ago for lunch. We got to their place in Arizona City about 1:15pm. They had a lovely lunch prepared for us. After a visit with them we got away about 3pm to head back to Wellton & the park. A fast day plus, but we got alot of activities in that short period of time. the organist played "O Canada" followed by "The Star Spangled Banner" national anthems. Rousing renditions and very patriotic for both countries.



Pictures of the Organ Stop Pizza Restaurant @ 1149 East Southern Avenue Mesa, AZ. Website: http://www.organstoppizza.com/



Organ stop Pizza entrance


Pat, Don, Marge Cathy, Bob as we leave

Wurltzer organ coming up from below orchestra area


Rising to level with the diaz

Organst explaining the program

Canadian flag drops as he plays "O Canada"



Flag drops as he plays "The Star Spangled Banner"