PC Parade tonight

Marg Ouimet and crew put together an incredible float which is entered in the city's Electric Light Parade.  Be outside tonight as the float makes a trip around our resort and cheer them on for their hard work.  Is your golf cart or bicycle decorated for the holidays??  Then join in behind the float and let the spirit be with you.  Parade starts at the main mailboxes at 6:30.  I hear that the pickleball players are ganging up at the old courts to cheer in force.  

Photo from Rosemary Reese

Busy Resort

Our weather has been absolutely PERFECT so far this season.  Couldn't ask for better!  It's FUN to come up for patio lunch on Wednesdays.  Come alone or bring a neighbor.  Food is delicious and folks are friendly.  This week we were treated to Marilyn's famous reuben sandwiches.  Awesome.

 

 

 
The pickleball float is about ready.  Marg and her group of worker bees deserve a LOT of credit for putting this together so fast.

 

 
Friday night is a small parade around the park to show off the float before the electric light parade in the city on Saturday.  Rosemary Reese is putting out an alert to all picklers to be at the old courts and cheer for the float as it passes by.  Be outside and cheer them on all through the resort.  If your cart is decorated for Christmas, join in the parade.  Starts up at the main mailboxes at 6:30.  EVERYONE should come outside for a few minutes to cheer and applaud as our little parade passes by.  Get in the spirit!

After the big city parade, voting for the favored float is open to the public.  WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to make our float a winner.  Voting begins December 1 at 7 pm and ends December 2 at 7 pm.  Click on this link to vote:  VOTE FOR PALM CREEK   Put it on your calendar and don't forget to vote!! 

 
Speaking of the Christmas spirit, I spotted these two folks decorating their house in our beautiful sunshine.

 

Hey....golfers and techie folks....check out this space age golf tool.  Lawrence Magee wears this on his hat when he goes golfing.  This little gizmo called "Golf Buddy" has a GPS in it and contains the layout and location of over 40,000 golf courses.  When golfing here in the park, he steps up to the tee, presses the little round button and a voice tells him the distance to the hole.  You can do this on each shot around the course. AMAZING!!  Call Lawrence for a demonstration or more information.

 
Last night we took two big buses to see the Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo.  Over 20,000 manhours of labor go into decorating the zoo with lights for this event.  If you haven't been there yet, be sure to go.  

 
I hesitate to post any photos because folks from the camera club would chuckle at my point and shoot camera shots.  I don't use any of the fancy night time settings....I just shoot.

 
I like this shot of our neighbor, Marion, as she checks out the scenic sights.  I told her to post this one on her Facebook page for the kids back home to make them jealous.

 
A nice picnic spot.

I was disappointed to discover that this photo was all blurry.  I thought I captured the perfect shot of Pat Chater on her camel ride.  Now there's something to send the kids back home so they see what Grandma does in her quiet retirement.  If someone else gets a better photo, please send it my way.  

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch as they say....the old pickleball courts are being switched back to tennis courts.  This is definitely not a simple repainting task.

 

The net posts must be pulled out of the concrete and then the holes get covered and ground down smooth again.

 
This is a nasty machine!  Certainly wouldn't want to run over your fingers or toes with this monster.  It grounds into the concrete like a giant sander.

 

Removing the posts isn't simple either.  It takes specialized tools to grab the post and jack it out of the concrete.

 
It is definitely a job for the experts.  Here's the sign on their truck.  

 
I grabbed a quick picture of the Computer Club folks as we adjourned from Wednesday's meeting.  President, Mike Salter, gave a presentation on Windows 8.  Next week I will present a short demo of my favorite Picasa program and talk a bit about using an ipad.  Come join us at 9:30 in the SanTan room.

 
Outdoors in the warm sunshine, I spotted some golfers enjoying a golf lesson from our golf pro, Mark Kenner.  That lovely lady over at the far right is my very special friend, Cheri Norsted.  Hi Cheri!

 

Just going for a ride around the resort is entertaining.  We spotted the landscape crew delivering some Pots of Petals to Dale and Lu Johnson at their new home on Oasis.  

Dale and Lu are the friendly folks who sell the lovely pueblo houses at the craft fairs.  Each small piece is hand crafted in pottery and hand painted by Lu.  I have quite a collection already as I have to buy one piece at each fair.

I laughed out loud when I peeked in the glass recycling bin.  Who said we don't know how to party?!  I don't see a single food jar anywhere...........just wine, beer, and booze.  Don't send this one to the kids back home.   

Shuffleboard fans are enjoying our fine weather too.

Others have hobbies that require them to be indoors.  You'll never guess who this is as he installs ANOTHER new toy to add to his flight simulator.  Boys and their toys.

Whew!  Just finished my second cup of coffee and want to go outside to enjoy that sunshine.  You all have a GREAT day!

Wanna go to the horse races?

WOW!!!  You just never know what opportunity will come along next!  I received this generous offer from Jim and Nina Fields:  

I have a horse running at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Friday, anyone wanting to go to the races, can go as our guests, basically means free access to the Turf Club Jim & Nina Fields @ 1098

Sounds exciting!!  Call Jim at 7098 for more information.

Computer World

I don't NEED an ipad.  I've been saying that for over a year now.  And it is true.  I do not NEED an ipad or computer tablet.  I already have both a laptop and a desktop and a smart phone.  BUT....here I am with ipad in hand enjoying my morning coffee while I read the newspaper.  Thank you, Don, for a fun early Christmas gift.  

Normally I read the daily news from my smart phone but I definitely admit that the ipad is so much easier to read with its larger screen.  I'm still learning about all the aps and mumble jumble that comes with a new computer item, but it is fun and certainly keeps me entertained.  Don is anxious to give it a try too but he will have to wait in line for that opportunity.

 

While we were shopping at Staples, Don was in deep conversation with the computer tech as they were discussing the recent plague of email viruses floating around.  WOW!!!  That's where we learned that if you take a computer to Staples to eradicate a virus, the basic minimum charge is $149.  OUCH!  

Oh, by the way, since Don snapped a quick photo of me enjoying morning coffee, I did the same to him.  Here he is with morning coffee in front of the three infected machines waiting for his tender loving care.  We sacrifice our kitchen table during the winter season and resort to eating from TV trays in our living room.  It seems there are always a few computer users desperately waiting for help.

Don has a motto:  "No fix, No fee" (even though he spent many hours trying to solve the problem).  Try that at Staples.  HA.

 

I copied this note from the Mac Club blog.  Yes, I will be there to learn more.

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Remember that the electric light parade is this coming Saturday.  It's one of the biggest events in Casa Grande.  Palm Creek always has a float entered in the parade so be there to cheer them on.  Our float makes a grand tour around the park Friday night at 6:30.  Decorate your golf cart and follow along the parade route on Cole Circle.  Parade starts up by the main mailboxes.  It's always FUN.  Be outside to cheer, wave, and applaud as they pass by.

Saturday tour around the park

Hello once again.  It's hard to describe what beautiful PERFECT weather we are having to those of you who aren't here yet.  Upper 70s or low 80s day after day after day with LOTS of beautiful clear blue sky.  

Don and I took a nice long cart ride around the park this morning and stopped to say hello to lots of folks along the way.  We found a group of worker bees over by the Palm Creek float as they labored away decorating the float that will adorn the electric light parade next Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the industrial fencing is gone from the north end of the park so we took a peek around the corner of the wall to look at Cottonwood.

 

The cotton field across the street looks bountiful.

The big dog run is growing in nicely and will be a great place for the BIG puppies to romp and run.

 

We can once again get close to the gardens and see the efforts of the garden club as they nurture their crops.

 

 

 

 

All looks well maintained!

 

 

We took a picture of the two new street signs in the construction area.   

 

 

Back inside the resort, we came upon this couple (Kitt and Mike) as they were out decorating their RV for the upcoming Christmas season.  They're from Montana so I thought it would be nice for their friends and family back home to see them out decorating in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals instead of parkas, wool caps, boots and mittens.

 

They're out here "roughing it" in their motor home with a full outdoor kitchen, grill, sink with running water, refrigerator, TV, and stereo music.    

 

The Fuller's at 1269 installed this pretty green turf around their home.  What a pretty alternative to the typical gravel.  Very nice!  Cathy says its really easy to maintain with a leaf blower.

 

Just around the corner, Don spied this flag sign and stopped for a quick picture.

Too bad Louise or Doug weren't outside at the time.

All decorated for Christmas. 

We spotted Roger Balzan chatting with his neighbor, Joanne.  They're both quite camera shy though.

We spied Sam Cox outside with a lariat!  And he really knows how to use it as we saw him successfully rope his hose caddy!  After a brief chat, we learned that he used to ride the rodeo circuit and roped cattle from horseback.........just like I see on TV.  Awesome!!  Ya just never know who you'll meet while out cruising in this park.

This gent and his dog were out for a stroll so we said Howdy.  His cute dog's name is Larry.  I hope everyone stops for a friendly chat and meets a new neighbor.  It's so fun to meet such friendly folks.

We could see the tennis courts were occupied so stopped in for a visit.

Captured some nice action shots.  Can you find the yellow ball in these two photos??

  

I took these tree climber photos Wednesday as we were enjoying a delicious taco salad out on the patio at poolside.  Stop up there each Wednesday for a delicious lunch and chat with neighbors and make new friends.

I end today with this beautiful shot from the pond and waterfall at the end of the 18th hole.

Have a GREAT day!!!