TV Reception

I can surely tell that summer is winding down and the snowbird season is starting to hatch. As we drive through the park, I see more and more cars in driveways at the park models. Don't see too many RVs yet, but the park model folks are arriving daily. We also got our 2010 park stickers for our cars. We've had a definite break in the weather and it is beautiful outside this morning. It's after 9:00 am and my windows are still open with a lovely breeze blowing through the house. Love it!!


Today's mail included the following notice about the upgrade to Dish network TV. Sounds like it will be installed and ready for you when you return.

Have a GREAT day!

United Football League at Practice

WOW!!! Don and I (and friend Mel Heckman) drove out to Francisco Grande this morning to check out the United Football League progress at the new playing fields. We were awed by the construction and organization we saw. What used to be just plain desert dirt 5-6 months ago is now green sod covered playing fields of at least 4 football fields. The sports facility is HUGE and really looks nice.

There is still a lot of construction underway but it is truly amazing at how much has been accomplished so fast. Hats off to the organizers for a fantastic job. In this photo, you can see the Francisco Grande hotel in the background at the left side. The huge building in these photos is all sports complex for training rooms, offices, etc. We didn't attempt to go in since there was so much construction going on but I plan to check out more on my next visit.

We were able to drive way back to the practice fields (all nicely paved road and parking lot now) and we stood to watch the practice. We only planned on a brief drive by but we wound up staying at least an hour because it was fascinating to watch the drills. There are no bleachers so next time I'm lugging along a lawn chair and an umbrella for shade. I could sit there for hours watching. This photo shows how far behind the hotel we are......and its all now green grass!....and notice all the huge lighting fixtures. (Ignore my thumb in the upper corner!)

I'm hoping you can zoon in on these pictures to see the players in action. We were quite exhausted just watching the work out exercises!

There were a good number of the blue "carts" on the field that raise up in the air so the camera crews can get good video. All were occupied and recording away. The organization and preparation it takes to make all this happen so fast is really impressive.

As we were walking through the parking lot, we passed this worker finishing up on a very complex sprinkling system. Couldn't resist another picture. I'm always impressed to learn about the "behind the scenes" work and things like this that we seldom think about when we pass a pretty flower bed.

Our son, Anton, is a bartender at the Holiday Inn where most of the players are staying. He said the first night he walked into their banquet room, he thought he had shrunk a foot of height overnight. He said all the players are HUGE. You won't find any of them at the bar though as alcohol is not in their contract.

The teams are holding a scrimmage match Thursday night, Sept 24 at 7:00 pm at Casa Grande Union High School. I definitely plan to attend!
California Redwoods vs Las Vegas Locomotives

For more info about the league, go to their website at:

www.ufl-football.com

Asbestos Cancer

Diamondbacks Game

The beautiful Mexican sage bushes are in full bloom. Aren't they gorgeous?? There are many of them along both sides of McMurray Blvd and I get to enjoy them every day on my way to work. This little beauty resides on the street right behind my house by Norm and Sue Jones. Awesome.

My boss (Vicki at Print & Pack Express) has fantastic season tickets for the Diamondbacks games. She had a schedule conflict for last weekend so gave me the tickets for Sunday's game. I haven't been to a pro baseball game in many years so it was a treat for me and a fantastic opportunity for my son Kevin. Kevin is an avid fan of most any sport....knows the players, their stats, etc. so he was my choice as a guest for the event. Don was left home to watch it on TV.

Along with the season tickets comes special valet parking which is really icing on the cake! A driver whisked away our car and we walked about 30 feet to the special press entrance. We already felt like VIPs.

Once inside, we found our section and started down the stairs to the field where we were greeted by an usher who took us to our seats.......in the third row right behind home plate!! We then met our hostess who explained about the private lounge to which we had access and said she would take our order for lunch and bring it to our seats. We had but to ask (and tip of course).

The stadium is really nice. I think any seat in the house would be a good seat to watch the game. We arrived early so we had plenty of time for a good tour. By game time, there were 22,000 people in the seats.

The Diamondbacks lost to the Brewers (5-3) but we had a good time anyway. Thank you, Vicki and Jack, for a great day and very memorable event!

Palm Creek sponsors several Diamondback bus trips during season. I'm thinking I'll go back again for more peanuts and crackerjacks at the old ball game. I now have a Dbacks hat...can't just let it gather dust in a closet.

UFL Training starts Monday

Big headlines in the Dispatch today read: "UFL Training Starts Monday at new Casa Grande Facility".

Earlier this year, the land north and east of Francisco Grande Hotel & Golf Resort was barren desert. Beginning this weekend, a 50-acre site there will host the Las Vegas Locomotives and CaliforniaRedwoods pro football teams as they begin training for the inaugural United Football League season.

In a span of a little more than four months, the area has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. Six full-sized sports fields are waiting for the 127 players. Additionally, a 58,000 square foot building is nearly complete which will house locker rooms, a training center, rehab and sports medicine facilities, classrooms, storage and equipment space, and offices.

Most of the players, league officials, media, etc will be staying either at Francisco Grande or the Holiday Inn. Our son, Anton, is a bartender at the Holiday Inn and he's definitely looking forward to all the activity the sports complex will bring their way.

More BIG news: The weather forecast for the next four days calls for highs only in the 90s!!!! Hooray!!!! This I can handle!! Cooling down at night into the 70s. Awesome.

--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

STEAM CLEANERS

A while back, I asked you readers for some advice on steam cleaning our new laminate flooring. Thank you for all the great feedack. Most everyone replied how much they liked their steam cleaner and how well it worked although some still had to dry the floor with a terry towel to keep it from streaking.

Don saw the Shark on sale at Target last weekend so rushed out and bought one for me to the tune of $129.35 including tax. We took it out of the box and tested it in a small section of the bathroom just to see how it works. It appeared to work just fine and is quite an impressive little machine. I was just leary about using it though based on what I read at the website of our flooring manufacturer so luckily opted to wait until I heard back from the company. The website didn't mention anything about steam cleaning but did say that the flooring should not get wet and should only use a slightly damp mop. I wrote them an email and asked about the steam cleaning. WOW!! Here is the reply I received from Quick Step customer service: "The steamer will ruin your floors and void your warranty. That amount of water on the floor is bad and will warp the boards. The steam will open up the joints and allow water to penetrate the HDF (high density fiberboard) and causing the boards to swell. This would be maintenance related damage and not covered under the warranty. "

Sooooo......is there anyone out there interested in buying a brand new Shark steamer???? We, unfortunately, already threw away the box so can't return the product. Another one of life's hard earned lessons.

Update

Hello Readers--



We had RAIN this week!!!! Beautiful precious rain for about half an hour....it was wonderful. The temp dropped down to 78 and it rained hard enough to wash everything nice and clean. We were practically dancing in the streets. Everyone I talked to the next day said they were out sitting on their patio to enjoy the fresh air and the smell of rain. I tried to take another video of the rain, but blogger says it can't recognize the file and therefore wouldn't upload. I must keep trying. Meanwhile, you get a still photo to look at.
Don and I had morning coffee on the patio for three days in a row cause it was below 80 in the mornings. Here's hoping we've turned the corner on the excessive heat and record breaking temperatures. Whew! It was nice to be able to sit outside and chat with the neighbors as they were out walking their dog or just out for some exercise. How many of you know the familiar face of Kelly Kerns and his puppy dog "Miss Murphy"? Murphy keeps our house on her rounds so she gets a friendly pet and a cheery good morning.

We had a very nice Labor Day event up at the clubhouse Monday with over 60 people in attendance. The park provided brats, polish sausage, and beverages and we guests brought a tasty side dish. We certainly have some excellent cooks in this park. Food was A+++ again. Thank you Diane Gaines and crew for another fun summer time event.

I doubt you can recognize many folks from the back of their heads, but no one was interested in looking up to the camera when they had all that good food in front of them.

A few weeks ago I wrote a quick paragraph about the well digging truck that was working here. Since then I've learned a few more facts about that well. The repairs cost the park about $35,000. Ouch! That well is an astonishing 1,207 feet deep!!! I also didn't know that Arizona has some strict laws about the amount of water that can be used on a golf course. I guess we have some way to meter how much goes to water the course and how much to regular landscaping. It would be interesting to learn more about what it takes to keep this place running. Perhaps I'll don a reporter's hat and scope out for more info.

Another Boring Weather Report

September marks the end of the official "monsoon season" in Arizona. This year the "monsoon" seemed non-existant. We only had two events that I would consider "storms". The first one I documented for you with my first ever video clip (I didn't say anything about professional quality) and the second was just yesterday. We had some dirt and wind last night but not of the strength that lured me out with camera in hand. We were hoping for some rain but had to be satisfied with a superb lightning show. Somewhere...someone...must have gotten precious rain, but it wasn't here. We did have a 13 minute drenching rain one night last week but in total, we've had less than one inch of rain so far this year. Even with the aftermath of the Baja hurricane headed our way, the forecast still only calls for 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms. I hope one finds Casa Grande.

Maintenance

It's a busy morning for many of us today. After morning household chores (empty dishwasher, dust, vacuum) I hurried off to water aerobics, then home to shower, then returned books to the library and picked up tickets for the upcoming Labor Day BBQ and ice cream social. Of course, I had to stop and chat with everyone I met along the way.

Maintenace crews were busy out on the golf course, doing some repairs at the hot tub, and replacing light bulbs and washing light fixtures. Unfortunately, this gent didn't see me approach with camera in hand and when the flash went off, he thought a bulb had blown up or something. We laughed, I apologized and went on my way.
I also saw the ladies from the housekeeping staff out scrubbing up the BBQ grills and getting them ready for the Labor Day party.

On the way back, I saw this gentleman climbing the palm trees along the path between the tennis courts. He climbs way up with the heavy chain saw hanging from his belt, manages to get past all the picky thorny dead leaves, saws them off and then climbs down again. One tree after another after another after another. Whew!! I chatted with him briefly and he even seemed to be in a good mood.

Expensive Upkeep

I took a couple photos today so you could see and appreciate some of the "behind the scenes" activities in taking care of our beautiful park. The garbage truck was in the shop for some maintenance this past week but the landscaping crew can't stop trimming so all the palm fronds and yard debris piled up. After some expensive repair and a set of new tires, the truck is back at work and has a lot of catching up to do.

This big well digging truck is busy at work with some major repair as well. This is the well located betwen Sites 6 and 7. I don't know exactly what is being done, but it looks expensive. There are many repairs and routine maintenance items that we never think about when we're here enjoying ourselves. Thank you, Wendell and staff, for taking such good care of our comforts.

Still Hot

I know you must get tired of me commenting about the heat....but....it's really hot. Here's a headline page from today:

Scorcher weekend ahead for Valley
Excessive-heat warning in effect
by Lauren Misak - Aug. 29, 2009 12:00 AMThe Arizona Republic

Valley residents won't get a break from scorching temperatures today.
The metro Phoenix area remains under an excessive-heat warning, although lower temperatures are just around the corner.
The three-day warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Temperatures today are expected to reach 112 degrees, just 1 degree shy of the 113 degree record in 2005.
Steve Sipple, a National Weather Service meteorologist , said excessive-heat warnings are announced when temperatures rise 8 to 12 degrees above normal. Thursday and Friday had record-tying highs of 113. The heat won't let up at sunset. Sipple said temperatures at night will remain unseasonably high.

Sunday will be partly cloudy, reaching a high of 110 degrees. Later in the week, Valley residents can expect the forecast to range from 108 degrees Monday to 105 degrees Friday with 10 percent chance of midweek showers, the National Weather Service said.
------------

Connie, my son Kevin, and I drove over to Maricopa today to play bingo at the Ak-Chin casino. We were quite surprised to get there and find the casino without electricity. The generators were going to keep emergency items alive but there was no air conditioning nor overhead lights. You can bet the slot machines were still working but it was so dang hot in there, I don't know how the people could stand it. We hung around while they handed out $25 off coupons for another game of bingo next weekend but then we were lucky to be able to leave. Those folks who came by bus had to wait till their bus leaves at 3:00. Yuck! I'm now back in my nice cool home and ready to cozy up with a good book and perhaps a nap. Life is good.

Weekend News

Good Morning, Readers:

After seeing the movie "Julie/Julia", I feel like Julie and share her curiosity at being a blog author wondering who all the people are that are reading this each day. We had 223 hits again last week. Who are all these people?? Every now and then someone will send an email my way to say hello ... which makes my day. Thanks! (Ken & Pat Hanson) I hope you'll all stop by to say howdy when you return.

By the way, if you haven't seen that movie yet "Julie/Julia", you must do so. Meryl Streep deserves a true academy award for her role. Wow. I dragged Don along with me and he said he really enjoyed it too because the acting was phenomenal. I can't say the same for the recent Harry Potter movie, however. Went to see it this weekend but there's no way they can make a movie as good as the books. I'm a true fan of JR Rowling. Her writing takes you away to "never never land".

Connie Morin, Billie, and I went to the American Legion Friday night for bingo. I won two games in a row! Awesome. There's obviously a hidden child in me somewhere who loves bingo and Harry Potter movies. The Legion has good bingo and they're some pretty serious players. I see the same people there every time I go.

Saturday Connie and I went over to the new high school to tour the school/city library. It is certainly a beautiful campus and I hope the kids appreciate what they have there. The library didn't have many books on the shelves as of yet but there were quite a few people doing the same as we were--just visiting out of curiosity. They have a nice big computer classroom with 30 on-line computers where they can hold classes or the public can come in for web access. All you need is a library card and you can use a computer for an hour. Alongside the classroom is another lab room with an additional 10 computers where people can access at all times the library is open. Students are not allowed in the computer rooms during daytime city library hours. I'm still upset with myself that I didn't take my camera with me. Sorry folks...no photos to post.

I think we were all wondering what affect the school would have on traffic in our Palm Creek area. To date, there is no effect at all. Maybe the fact that the school is only open for freshmen and sophomores has something to do with it because very few of them would have a drivers license yet. Cottonwood Lane is being completed as four lane which will help traffic patterns in the future.

How many of you have laminate flooring in your home?? We just tore out all the carpeting and laid new flooring..not wood...just a laminate flooring. I'm still experimenting and reading to find the best method of cleaning. Any suggestions?? I dust daily with a microfiber dry mop but haven't figured out the best way to "wash" the floor. The internet says laminate doesn't like water but we should instead use a light spray of vinegar and water. I'm finding that if I don't dry the floor, it tends to streak. Feedback from those with more experience would be appreciated. I gave my big beautiful Dyson vacuum cleaner to my sons for their apartment since I no longer need it and bought a tiny Hoover cordless Linx stick vac. It is the cutest darn thing, works like a charm, and easily fits in my closet. Does anyone use that new Shark steam cleaner?? Would love to hear your comments about it. Please email me at sue77hepler@yahoo.com

Thanks...and have a great day.

Summer Newsletter

Thought you might enjoy reading the September Newsletter. Looks like we have more fun events to occupy our time during this hot weather. No relief in sight yet. Weatherman still predicts over 100 everyday for a while.

Today's Dispatch News

There were some interesting tidbits in today's paper. Thought you might be interested.

I try not to shop at Wally World very often because the store is usually a mess, but my visit the other day was a pleasant surprise. Here's an article from today's Dispatch: (Pardon the fact that I got a little scissor happy down the left side of the page!)
Another story was about "Prickly Pear Season". The Boyce Arboretum is offering a one hour class so visitors can learn how to harvest the juicy fruit of the prickly pear without damaging their hands with painful cactus spines. I've tried several samples of prickly pear "stuff" before and always found it so tasty. It would be fun to attend the class and try to make some sauce. There are certainly plenty of the plants around!

The Dispatch is starting an "electronic edition" this week. The website will have an exact replica of the printed version. I checked it out this morning and it really is great fun. I found a few flaws but since its so early, I'm sure they'll work out the kinks. It is supposed to have a direct link so that if a website is listed in the paper, you just click on the link and it will take you to that page. So far, I found two links that didn't work, but need to give them time. The project is FREE until sometime in September, so check it out for yourself. www.trivalleycentral.com and click on the e-Edition link in the white navigation bar at the very top of the page.

Thank you to our troops

Kris Riedel (one of our house watch customers) recently forwarded this message. I thought it was great and want to share it with others. It's a quick way to say "Thank You" to our military when we pass them on the street or an airport. Take a moment and check it out.

Something well worthwhile to learn!!

This is pretty neat.....(30 second video)... Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how, or it felt awkward?Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which couldbe used to express your thanks and has started a movement to getthe word out..Please everybody take just a moment to watch..... The Gratitude Salute...and then forward it to your friends! THEN START USING THE SIGN.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfFYxSdKdo


Asbestos Cancer

EVENTS NEWSLETTER

Okay Everyone: Here's the big news letter of the year.....where all our upcoming events are listed and ticket sales become available. Just received this in my mailbox today and knew you would be anxious to see it. The very last page is a detailed listing of 09-10 rental rates.

To read each page full screen, click on the first page and after reading it, hit your "back" button to return to the blog and select the next page. This seems to work best for everyone. Let me know if you have problems loading on your computer.

Tree Trim Time

I hopped in my golf cart and was headed to the pool for morning water aerobics when I saw tree trimmers in action so had to run back in for my camera.

The trimmed trees look scrawny as if they've had a bad haircut but new branches grow back quickly and look their absolute best when you return in the fall. Trimming all the trees in this park is no small project as you can imagine. After trimming, a crew has to follow behind and pick up all the branches and debris. Last year our handy dandy park garbage truck hauled over 100 TONS of palm branches to the local land fill.

Here is a good before and after view as you look down our street.

We haven't had a single day below triple digits in a long time. The weather man said we're only a few days away from having the hottest summer on record. Sure am glad my job is indoors with cool air conditioning as I don't think I'd last long out there picking up all those palm branches and loading them in a truck. Whew!!

August Newsletter

Click on a page to enlarge it for reading. Then click your "back" button to return to the blog. Be sure to read about new TV options Dish Network coming our way.