Another Storm

The sky looked rather ominous last night.

Photo by Lynne Rogers

Our phones were buzzing like crazy warning of impending storms headed our way.

8:30 pm radar shows it coming from the NE

8:30....a small storm nearly here

9:08  The storm definitely increased in size and was upon us

Winds were up to 23 mph and brought major dust.  We watched the visibility of the street lights disappear into the dust followed by some lovely heavy hard rain.  Of course dust and rain equal MUD so this morning folks are out cleaning up for the second day in a row.

Terry Sommerville sent this photo of the dust cloud coming across the north fields.

There's no time to clean the streets between storms so things are a little messy these days.  Mother Nature is having a great time.  Granite is now beach front property.

Oasis is littered with debris from the trees.

The golf course and some streets are littered with palm tree bark.  We laughed at this poor tree as he almost got skinned.

We were out bright and early again this morning to inspect for damages.  We waved at other housewatchers who were out on the same mission.  No one had anything major to report.

Propane heaters tip over easily with monsoon winds.

Plastic pots are too light.

Rugs like to curl up and fly away.

Golf cart covers need to be tied very tight.

Sunscreens should be tightened.

Car covers need to be tied down securely.

There are a few skirting issues but nothing serious.

These summer monsoons are fascinating as the sky lights up with continuous lightning and rumbling crackling thunder.  Winds come fast!  The trees are perfectly still and suddenly bend sideways with strong forceful wind and dirt.  Visibility fades quickly through all the blowing dust.  Then comes the torrential rain which blows sideways due to heavy wind.  Tucking furniture under our patio roof doesn't protect it too much as the rain comes in sideways.

**We can't get our car window repaired until Monday morning so the interior may need a good detailing next week!  😏  

**Don and I were watching the storm from our kitchen window when suddenly one of our nice patio chairs blew into the street.  Don chased after it before it got too far but had a hard time pulling it back home.  Monsoon season is very entertaining.

**Kat and Mouse are on full alert during the storms and are glued to the windows to observe the action just like we are.  It must be entertaining for them as they rest well the next morning.

Thunderstorm (finally)

Wow!  We had a real honest to gosh thunderstorm last night ... and RAIN!  The sky was literally alive with lightning.  Awesome to watch.  I couldn't video any of the rain though as the 20+ mph wind was coming from the northeast blowing the rain right under our awning against the front of the house.  Everything on our patio was soaked plus muddy from the dust that was in the air.  Today will be a clean up day!

You're familiar with Murphy's Law, yes?  Well, he struck again.  I came home from Bingo at the American Legion at 8:30 pm.  When I rolled down the window to say hello to John at the gate house, I heard this ugly sound of breaking glass.  Yup.  The driver's side window broke and would not roll up again.  Then here comes the storm with wind blowing in the wrong direction.  Luckily Don backed the car into the driveway for me so the open window wouldn't be facing the oncoming wind.  I'm happy to report this morning that the inside of the car is dry.  It's a little dusty, but dry.  Whew!  

It was quite a storm.  There was one huge crack of thunder that actually shook the house and set off the car alarm.  I consider that a near miss.

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We've had very good news regarding Covid lately.  Pinal County only reported 16 cases this week.  The vaccine is now approved for children over the age of 12 so schools are permitting no masks if the child has been vaccinated.  We should have a good season ahead of us!  Now we wait for the Canadian border to open.

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The Holiday Inn is now the Radisson Hotel.  (from today's paper)

There was also an article about the Mission Royal golf course now being open with 18 holes.  Lots of work being done by the resident owners.  

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MY big news is that I truly have the subscription feature for the blog installed and working!  It has been a real challenge and I've spent hours on YouTube with tutorials.  Now readers just subscribe via the app on the right side of the posts.  Then you will receive an email (via MailChimp) whenever I post.  I've also been able to register all of our housewatch customers and can sort them with an easy tag.  

Sun's IT team should easily be able to set up a MailChimp account so Scott could send an instant email to all Palm Creek residents.  Sounds like a perfect solution to a lot of communication problems.

Event Tickets, Recycling

Lots of talk but no pictures today.

I attended a park sponsored coffee and danish session this morning.  Terri said 32 tickets were picked up but there were only 16 of us that attended.  That means danish and big pots of coffee were over-ordered. 

Marion has discussed this issue with us at several different occasions.  Our residents have intentions of attending, pick up the tickets, but then don't show at the last minute causing overages.  This inconsistancy makes it impossible to get a guest to sponsor the activity as they would anticipate a bigger audience to speak with and then be disappointed when so few people attend.  

In our informal coffee clutch, we tried to come up with ideas to solve the problem.  What do you think?   Charge $1 for the tickets instead of making them free.  We could either refund that dollar when they attend with tickets in hand.........or........use that $1 to purchase a gift to raffle off at the event.  We all like the opportunity to WIN something through a drawing.  We suggested Sun gift certificates that can be used anywhere throughout the resort.....or our favorite gift certificates at Culvers.  You can share your ideas by responding to me through the Mailchimp email or you can send your ideas directly to Activities.  It will be fun to hear your comments.

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June 14:  National Macaroni and Cheese Day!

Enjoy a catered meal from The Secret Ingredient food truck that will prepare BBQ pulled pork on a bun, Mac & Cheese, Broccoli Salad, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  All this for only $10 per person.  Dine-in begins at 5:00 pm in the Ballroom and take-out begins at 5:30. 

Purchase your ticket in Activities by July 12.

It's hard to type with cat paws on the keyboard while Mouse keeps me company.

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Our table of coffee drinkers also discussed the "garbage dump" areas around the park and I commented that these areas are so much cleaner and well maintained this year.  The credit goes to our maintenance personnel as they keep the areas neat and well swept.

I asked questions regarding what items to throw into that big green dumpster that says "paper, plastics, cans".  I was told that the cereal boxes and paper packaging boxes could be thrown in there as they're considered paper.  The only items that get crushed and bailed are actual corrugated boxes.  

Every old dead tire that is disposed of here in the park gets hauled to a waste facility near Eloy and the park has to pay $3 per tire as a disposal fee.

Don't throw paint cans in the dumpsters.  They can break open or leak and drip paint all over the ground and throughout the trucks.  They'll be held until a load accumulates and then will be disposed of properly.  

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REMINDERS

This coming Tuesday, July 13, is a golf clinic with Mark Kenner.  Lessons are free but limited in number.  Check at Activities for availability.

Next Friday, July 16, is rainbow sherbert day from 1:00-2:00 in the ballroom.  $2.00 and pay at the window.

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I'm finishing this entry mid afternoon.  Now Kat is here to keep me company.

Another new restaurant:

Had to run out to the Verizon store this afternoon and spotted a banner on the building.  

Sushi Gon

I Googled it but this is all I could find.

That's all my chatter for today.

Another Heat Wave, Roadhouse Video

** Notice the "subscribe" box on the right side of this post.  I think I have it now!  You should receive an email from MailChimp when I post new items.  I've worked VERY hard on this so sure hope it works!

Yuck.  Here comes another heat wave across Arizona.  We can handle triple digits when the humidity is low but that's not the case in July.  Humidity over 40% makes triple digits quite ugly.  The worst part of our forecast, however, is that our cool morning temperatures appear to be gone!  Look at the lows predicted for us this coming week:

There is an old saying:  "Red sky at night is sailor's delight.  Red sky in morning, sailors take warning."  I think the warning is another heat wave.  Kent Evans captured the sky in this photo this week.

WOW!  We have a new flag for the park and it is HUGE!

There is certainly a lot of construction activity at the corner of Henness and Florence Blvd for the hotel and the much anticipated Texas Roadhouse.  They've added a left turn lane to facilitate traffic into those two establishments.  Don did some drone video this morning.

And.........last but not least.........a short video of Mouse playing with his favorite fish toy.  (Thank you, Patti!)

Independence Day

Thank you to Marion and JD Nelson for the nice flag display as we enter the front gate this morning.  Nice touch!

We actually had some lovely rain last night!!  First time in months!  It only lasted about 10 minutes but it was much appreciated.  We need the rain but it does raise the humidity level making our triple digit temps quite unpleasant.

Canada Day, Cactus, Ticket Sales

Canada Day is the national day of Canada which is celebrated on 1 July every year. It is a federal statutory holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Popularly, Canada Day is known as ‘Canada’s birthday’ and thus people celebrate Canada day like a festival with great pomp and show and have lots of fun.

These Canadians like to celebrate.  Just received this email from Shirley Beck in BC showing off her party hat.  😀

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We're anxiously awaiting news about our upcoming season.  Activities has been BUSY signing contracts and planning the calendar for a fun-filled season.  The events will be published and distributed to us by approximately July 21.  Information will be distributed via the Palm Creek website and probably Facebook.  I'll make a special alert on the blog and on Nextdoor when the information is available.  

We'll be able to purchase tickets via phone, fax, or in person.  Watch for details.

It's rather late in the spring season but we found this beautiful cactus blossom this morning!

It's amazing how a cactus can expend so much energy to put out all these blossoms for a one day exhibit.  Too bad they don't last longer.  

And then you can find a cactus like this one that seems to sprout leaves!

I spotted this little sign in the Activities Office so thought I'd share the idea with all residents.  Need a quick gift for a friend or a birthday??  Give them a gift card for Palm Creek!  You provide a lovely gift and help the resort as well.  The cards can be used for golf, souvenirs, event tickets, AND at the Bistro!  

Readers always tell me they enjoy pictures of our cats.  This morning Mary Williams stopped over so her little granddaughter could visit with Kat and Mouse.  Made for a fun morning and the cats were delighted with the extra attention.  Thank you, Evelyn, for coming over.

SWOOP

We’re going to start playing SWOOP on Monday afternoons at 12:30 sharp in the Adobe Room.  Swoop is a FUN, easy-to-learn card game and is a great way to meet new friends.  Come alone, bring a partner, or come with a group.  The play starts promptly at 12:30 as we’ll wait for all players to arrive before the games can begin. Mark your calendar.

*It's also a great way to pass the afternoon heat!

Blog News & Subscription

Some of you have subscribed to this blog in the past by entering your email address in the upper right hand corner.  Then you received an email from FeedBurner alerting you that a new post had been made.  That was a wonderful service but is being discontinued in July.  SAD!!

I've been searching for a different alternative to replace FeedBurner services.  I "think" I can accomplish notifications by using a program in MailChimp but it will definitely take some studying and scripting work.  

You'll see the NEW subscription box on the right side of the blog now.  If you want to subscribe, just enter your email address and your name.  It also asks for a birthday but that is not necessary.   If you enter your email address there, you will (I hope) receive an email announcing the new post and (I hope) include a link to the blog so all you have to do is click on it.

Wish me luck.  This has taken HOURS of research for me.

Another scooter, Grounds crew, rain, internet

We actually had a short light rain shower today!!  It was brief but we heard some thunder a few times.  How exciting!  There are no puddles anywhere and the sidewalk is still dry under the trees, but it was actual rain for the first time in many many months.  All we notice now is the humidity has soared making 90+ degrees quite muggy.

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Kent Evans captured a beautiful sunrise yesterday.  Thanks for sharing, Kent!

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Geney Montalvo has joined the ranks of the E-Wheels gang.  Welcome aboard, Geney.  This makes 5 E-Wheels owners.....4 red and one blue.

We saw the grounds crew working on the sprinklers along the golf course so stopped to say hello.

It's a hot and heavy job in this heat.

We had a brief chat with our Grounds Keeper, George.  Hi, George!

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DISH Upgrade!

A Facebook message was posted from our management today announcing that our Dish internet upgrade is complete.  If we experience any issues, we are asked to fill out a work order at Guest Services.  Dish technicians are on-site to assist.  More info about billing procedures will follow soon.

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Kat still likes to curl up in that small bed by the window.  I guess he likes to face into the post to block the bright sunshine.  The plush expensive beds we purchased still go unused.  

Have a GREAT day!

Seafood, Blogger News

The Thirsty Donkey has another new owner.  It will soon become The Angry Crab Shack.  I spent some time looking over their menu.  Check it out at their website:  Angry Crab Shack  It's always exciting to have new restaurants in town.  

There was also a rumor that someone was moving into Mimi's but when I checked with the Building Department Engineer's office, they replied that no offers were made at this point.

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I have some sad news regarding this blog.  Almost 700 people have signed up to receive an email whenever I make a new post.  Your response has been great BUT....I received this message from blogger:

FollowByEmail widget (Feedburner) is going away
You are receiving this information because your blog uses the FollowByEmail widget (Feedburner).
Recently, the Feedburner team released a system update announcement , that the email subscription service will be discontinued in July 2021.
After July 2021, your feed will still continue to work, but the automated emails to your subscribers will no longer be supported.

This is sad news for many of you readers.  I don't post every day so it is a nuisance to have to log in every day to see if I've written something new.  At this time, I don't have a solution.  I looked into some other companies that offer this type of service but it sounds very complicated to get started and it's expensive!  I'm afraid without the email service, readers will miss important news flashes.  I'll keep researching to see if I can find a solution.

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It is not at all unusual to find an occasional scorpion in a sink or bathtub when we do our summer house checks.  What we discovered today, however, was quite out of the ordinary.  There were at least 5 little baby scorpions trapped in a bathroom sink.  They somehow get into a sink or bathtub in their search for water but then they can't crawl back up the slippery porcelain slope.

I tried to take a video so you could see how active they were.

(Remember that any time I post a video, you can go to YouTube, search for my name, and watch the video from that site.)

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I just checked the 10 day weather forecast.  It looks like our excessive heat wave is dissipating and we're going to be somewhat back to normal.

As long as the temp stays less than 110, we don't complain too much.  At least it will cool down a bit at night to make our mornings enjoyable.  Today it was still 86 degrees at sunrise.  That's too hot!

Our crews are still out there working regardless of the thermometer.  Today I spotted one of our maintenance men changing light bulbs in the lamp posts along the golf course.  These are all smaller jobs that keep our resort so lovely.

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LOL.....You can't turn your back for a minute when you live with cats!  Don was diligently making a quick sandwich starting out by buttering a fresh bun.  He turned to get the meat from the refrigerator and look what he found when he turned around. 

We have a nightly routine of taking a small handful of treats and "tossing" them out to the cats.  Mouse loves to chase after the treats but Kat only wants his tossed onto the rug.  We humans are so well trained.