We should be here for December as we get Dr. appointments taken care of.
Instead of waiting till after Thanksgiving we fasted and went in for blood work so we could get that out of the way so we could pig out on the annual feast the next day.  With that done we headed down to Sierra Vista to the Hibachi Grill Chinese Buffet. That didn't stop us as Terry cooked the traditional Thanksgiving meal the next day and it was his best effort ever. We ate later in the late afternoon.  All was great as even I couldn't complain about the cook in the kitchen. At breakfast I like to yell out ... Suzy is there coffee?  He loves to cook and he outdid himself again. 
 

These are his Potato Rolls from scratch. 1 c mashed potatoes, 1 c potato water, 4 Tabs marigine, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. yeast, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 c powered milk, 4-41/2 c flour. Combine hot potatoes, potato water, marigine, mix well. Cool till luke warm. Add eggs, yeast, salt, milk. Mix well and let yeast proof. Mix in flower to make a soft dough, allow to rest for 15 min. Knead slightly. Grease large mixing bowl, Place dough in bowl and allow to rise till double in balk. Punch dough down. Divide into roll size portions. Form rolls place on greased backing sheet. Allow to proof to double in baulk. Bake in 350 dig. oven 12 -15 min till golden brown. Now that is roll to be Thankful for. This pic is only a half batch. We did eat 4 rolls before this pic was taken. Who could resist... Saved dough for another day.

While in Sierra Vista we stopped at the Honda auto dealer and looked and drove a Honda Fit EX. We had been talking about getting a small car to run around in to save miles on our 03 Chevy 1 ton Duramax.  The truck ran perfect (as they say it is just getting broke in at 150,000 miles) and we want to keep it as it's running great pulling our 5er this last summer. (Knock on Wood). 

A Big Black Friday for us.... After back on forth via email. (I refuse to sit in a dealers showroom negotiating being high pressured) I want to be in control on my terms. So on Black Friday the Honda Fit EX Dealer called with an offer we could not refuse. We drove to the dealer at about 3 PM and left with the car a couple hours later as they got the paper work done and as they finished detailing it.  We were very happy with how we were treated at Lawley Motors in Sierra Vista. 
This car is a marvel of engineering and is rated at 40 mpg. (Update: Now that we are driving it we are getting way over that).  Huge inside for large people. Side and Rear cameras. 7 inch touch screen display. 16 inch alloy wheels. Continuously Variable Transmission. 180 watt with 6 speakers. Keyless entry and push button start. Tire pressure monitoring. Two way sun roof. This car is all new for 2015 and a Car and Driver Car of The Year. 
Ya might think I love this car or something. Me thinks we did good. 
A link to the features of this car  If you are thinking of a new small car this is one great unit. 
It's a computer with a car connected to it. And so big inside as I can FIT into it (that's why they call it that) and the back seat is huge. No bumping knees into the front seats in this car. Who would think that in a small car.  And room for stuff behind that also. I like the the side windows size, not those tiny ones in many larger cars. If I get in a wreck I want to be able to get out of it by climbing out through a window and with this car I feel I can. No claustrophobia with this one. This is the future of what travel is going to be all about. Check it out in the features of this car in the link above. 

It may look small but it is loaded... all options are standard. This is more like a BMW with all the goodies above and beyond what you might think is a normal small car. 
Will take it to Iowa next summer (as we plan to head that way to visit Terry's family) and later on our summer travels. Terry will at last get to drive the truck with 5er. I had been doing all the driving but now me thinks he gets to pull the 5er and I get to drive this new fun car marvel. Me Bad... 
For now to  be used for running around AZ while we are here. Can run to Tucson or anywhere around AZ without worrying about how much fuel we are using. More day trips from our AZ winter vacation home... 

The first year we went full-time (over ten years ago) we drove both the truck with 5er and my Pontiac Grand Am to TX. We later determined it wasn't cost effective to do that so stopped that later .... but with this car at over 40 mpg. Rethinking all that. 
May do that more as we travel and take both again. Our day trips looking for the next campground we could fit into with our 5er were using more mileage than just going from place to place. 
Want to not travel so many miles... 11000 this year...  get somewhere park the truck and 5er for more than a few days at a time and use the car to explore.  Or become campground hosts at a campground we love and than use the car. We are going to slow down a bit on the miles as we rush from state to state. 

Update: The blood work came back fast and was online (love online records from my local PCP Dr. office. for me to print it out so I could take it to my EP heart Dr. He comes out from Tucson to Sierra Vista once a month so we don't have to go to Tucson. 

My heart A-fib is being controlled (only had two events in the last year) so he was happy and said to carry on with my current meds. 

Have my annual visit with my PCP next Monday and now looking a my test results think that should go OK also. My A1C went from 6.7 to 6.2 
But as I post this am not looking forward to tomorrow when I will go to the dentist for TWO crowns in one setting. 
Told me they can do both at the same time as the teeth are next to each other. Getting it done as it is covered by my Insurance and need to do it before the end of the year so it goes on this years Insurance.
Use it or loose it... as they say. Me thinks maybe they weren't talking about dental insurance. 

Nov 17
Relaxing in Quartzsite

We are boondocking in the Long Term Visitor Area just south of Quartzsite in  La Posa West

As you can see you don't have to venture much out of town and be in the middle of not much of anything in every direction. Thousands of snowbirds flock here for the winter season.
See  A Quartzsite Boondocking Primer by Mello Mike's Truck Camper Adventures

This is the view from the ridge coming from Bouse heading west toward Quartzsite, AZ

This is one of the contact stations to the BLM camping areas. You might notice the solar panels at each station. 

In this shot notice the panels are being removed. It seems this summer they had a micro burst which pelted the panels and ruined them so they are taking them down at the North and West stations. They in the past moved with  the sun now they will be replaced with stationary ones.

One of the worst things that occurred during this microburst, when the winds are extremely high for a short time, was a trailer that was parked at the La Posa Long Term Camping entrance area rolled five times and came to rest near the roadway. The trailer was totally destroyed, and the owners, a couple, were inside the entire time. The couple sustained several cuts and bruises, but the trailer was a total loss. It had to be peeled open to free them and opened again to let them salvage what they could before it was hauled off.

The high winds and rain that came with the storm seemed to last for only a short while, but, out of the blue, a microburst of wind came right down on a corner in the middle of town and totally destroyed a trailer that served as Quartzsite Business Chamber of Commerce's office.

QUARTZSITE TIMES
And you thought it was safe to be in AZ in the summer... HOT but safe. 
Not so... that's when they get their so called Monsoon season. 
 
 

When in Quartzsite it's a must to get a Pizza form Silly Al's they say.

Now that I say that. Ya we got the big 16" supreme. Not to bad except should have left off the green peppers.
We have had a lot worse but the best Pizza we have ever found comes from all places Casey's General Store 
A convience store/gas station in the mid west.  Sure wish they had them down here in AZ. 
Next summer may be back in Iowa and will be sure to get some. Their Supreme is the best. Lots of cheese.

The other thing we miss is the Iowa Pork Tenderloin. 
OMG if you have not had a Iowa Pork Tenderloin sandwich you have not lived. It was a staple growing up in Iowa.
There is even a facebook page on Iowa's Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches 
In Iowa they make them thin and much bigger than the bun. 

When we get back to Benson and our winter vacation place I may talk to the local bar and grill to suggest they try to offer this delight. I think it could become a hit with snowbirders as there is a  Escapees RV Park here and several orther RV Resorts full of midwest snowbirds. I have found no place in the Tucson area that offers anything like this.     But if you just can't wait try this  Iowa Style Pork Tenderloin Sandwich recipe. 
Remember the thinner the better for that just right crunch with each bite. 

They have stared a Wednesday Farmers Market in Q. It has started out slow but it is early in the snowbird season. Terry's first reaction was the single veggy vender might not have been offering home grown offerings. We wiil see how this goes. 

Now this year we found a new addition to the Loves Truck Plaza on the west side of Q. A big new Service and Tire Center. 

Of course K & B Tools is on of the first venders to open each year in the fall and the last ones to close in the spring.  They are a staple if of you are looking for ANYTHING. As they say Stack it deep and sell it cheep. 

It was cool and windy today as we got up today.  It may be cool here for the next week  but we are watching the weather in the midwest as they are getting an early blast of cold and snow that may last a week. 
We got cabin (trailer) fever so went on a drive around town to see what has changed from last year. It was about 65°  today and will be about 70° or so for the next few days. 
Me thinks better than what's up north. The early cold and snow should cause the northern snow birders to head south sooner than normal, me thinks. 

This is how we fill our fresh water tank in our trailer when boondocking. Siphon it, as no pump needed. 

A view of our boondocking site in La Posa West. 

We plan on heading back to our winter vacation place this weekend so we are there for Thanksgiving and so we can get ready for our doctor appointments that we have scheduled in early Dec. That way we can get blood screenings done before the Dr. visits. Then possible head back over here for January.
 

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