Hello Monsoon

Arizona’s monsoon season is upon us, and we got some rain on Wednesday, and quite a bit more off and on yesterday. Not a moment too soon. Show Low and the whole region has been under Stage 2 fire restrictions for weeks now. Campfires and all other open fires and target shooting are prohibited except in designated areas. Smoking is also only allowed in enclosed vehicles or buildings. It’s part of life when you live in the forest, but that doesn’t mean some fool won’t be throwing his cigarette out the window or starting a campfire and walking away from it, or setting off fireworks. It only takes one spark to cause devastation.

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I spent part of it organizing our bookshelves, dealt with some insurance issues, and went to the bank to change the address on all of our accounts. But I still found time to visit with daughter Tiffany and granddaughters Destiny and Hailey when they came by. Hailey brought her dog Sasha so she and Alli could get acquainted. Both of them being female dogs, we didn’t know if there would be an issue or not, that but they got along just fine.

Speaking of Alli, can you see that she is a very happy, very spoiled dog? She has adapted well to her new home, and even though we don’t have a large pasture for her to run around in, our large, fenced backyard is nearly 3/4 of an acre, so she’s still got plenty of room to run and play. And we don’t have to worry about rattlesnakes, copperheads, or water moccasins. That’s a relief.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of More RV Chuckles and Chuckholes-More Confessions of Happy Campers by Darlene Miller. It’s her second book about the RV lifestyle which is full of amusing anecdotes, jokes, adventures and chuckhole experiences while traveling throughout the USA and Canada. It includes stories about the search for the white Kermodei bear in British Columbia; how to stay in touch with your grandchildren while traveling and bond with other RVers while parked in the desert around Quartzsite, Arizona. Guest contributors write about the quest for New Mexican chilies; what happens when the windshield breaks in the middle of traffic on the San Franciso Bay Bridge; or how to RV when you are born with no mechanical genes.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – If people speak Ill of you, live to prove them wrong.