There's two hours I won't get back...

No, we didn't waste time.  We drove about 100 miles further today than yesterday's drive.  That put us far enough into Texas (Yay!) to get into the Central Time Zone.  So, three states and two time zones today.

We were up and out early this morning.  Looking into the sun, it was apparent that we squished a lot of bugs in Arizona...

We drove separate at the start of the day.  Rufus asked, "When is Momma coming back?"

Not a lot of traffic in this area on a typical day.  Even less today.  I entertained myself by looking at the terrain - this looks like a guy in profile, reclining, reading a book...

I was looking forward to getting across New Mexico today.  The sign as we come into New Mexico, out of focus because the camera thought the bugs on the windshield were the subject...

We considered stopping at the first exit in New Mexico to set up for double towing, but there were trucks parked on the side of the exit/entrance ramp roads.  We drove on to the Rest Area at Lordsburg, where there was only one truck in the long parking spots.  We disconnected the trailer, pulled the motorhome forward, put the car between them, hooked the cargo trailer to the car, then hooked the car to the motorhome.  Whew!  We are ready to roll together...

Nice to be together while going down the road again; Rufus was happy...

Across New Mexico, and a stop at Exit 0 in Texas - we fueled up at the Flying J there...

We have a discount card with Flying J/Pilot - our price was $1.48 per gallon.  I think it has been about 20 years since we've seen a price that low.  Topped off and rolling, the next thing to deal with is El Paso traffic.  I dread driving through El Paso because of the crazy drivers - the lane switching is erratic and unsafe.  Now, obviously, not every driver there is crazy.  But, we see enough 4-lanes at a time changing that I am always on high alert.

The traffic was lighter than usual; we both thought the traffic density was about half of normal.  And, only 2 drivers, both in raised pickup trucks, one pulling a trailer, that made stupidly unsafe lane changes.

It is about 37 miles through El Paso on I-10.  We made it unscathed.  Once east of El Paso, the speed limit bumps up to 80mph.  No, we don't drive that fast - I usually run around 65mph or less when double towing.  The truck traffic on I-10 is always heavy; today, it seemed that it was almost all semi-trucks.  A few cars and pickups, and we saw maybe a dozen or so RVs on the road today.  This time of year, we usually see a lot of RV traffic as snowbirds head back home.  Not today.

Our planned stop for the night is Van Horn, TX.  We called ahead to make sure the RV park was open - yes, plenty of open sites.

Climbing in elevation as we head east...

The Border Patrol Check Point near Sierra Blanca had an officer in an enclosed booth, just waving traffic through.  The terrain as we got close to Van Horn...

Just before our stop for the day...

It was Mountain Standard Time in Arizona this morning (they don't change for Daylight Saving Time).  Across the border into New Mexico, we lost an hour being on Mountain Daylight Time.  135 miles or so into Texas, and we are on Central Daylight Time.  All three of us are tired, so I'm guessing we won't have too much of an issue acclimating to the time change.

Another 410 miles or so to get us through west Texas.  We'll probably not make that tomorrow... Joan requested not getting up too early and she'd make a real breakfast for us.  I'm good with that.

When I checked into the RV park this afternoon, the young man at the desk told me to pick any site I wanted (they have some double length sites across the street, where they generally put us).  There is one other small travel trailer in this part of the park.  He told me they were real busy when "the Corona Virus business kicked up.  Not now, though.  We don't have any cases of it in this county."

We are settled in for the night.  Cable TV.  Should be reasonably quiet.  We feel better about getting into Texas.  A few more days to get home.  Passing motels along the way, Joan said, "I am sure glad to be traveling with the motorhome.  We can "socially distance" as much as we need... I get out of the rig to fuel up.  Joan made us lunch in our own kitchen.  No need to use a rest area bathroom.  Even without the current situation, it's a good way to travel.

Looking at a local forecast, it looks like we will have a 10 to 20mph headwind tomorrow... Joan said, "Well, at least gas is cheap."

Yep.

Rolling...

The plan: be rolling no later than 10:00am.  We are not looking to make a lot of miles today, just get a start on the trip.  Steph and Dan came to our site for some hugs good-bye.  Our little girl was a bit weepy... well, sure, because we are leaving... but they had just gotten word that school is canceled for the rest of the school year.  She is attached to those kids.  It is going to be a different world, for all of us.

We were rolling out of the RV park at 9:30.  Traffic was reasonably light on I-10 eastbound...

We are driving separate: Joan in the CR-V, Rufus and me in the motorhome towing the trailer.  We stay in touch with our phones/Air Pods; it makes lane changes and coordinating turns easy.  We turned onto the new Loop 202; even less traffic...

I don't know if the mileage on Loop 202 is much different from staying on I-10, but this was a breeze.  Traffic picked up again when we got back on I-10, now southbound towards Tucson.

Rufus knows something is up.  He was quiet and mostly still while we were driving...

I may have mentioned it before, but... he is a good boy!

Passing Casa Grande, we started to see saguaro cacti and Piccacho Peak...

All the lighted road signs were about the Corona Virus...

We stopped on the far side of Tucson at a Pilot so I could put on fuel.  There was one motorhome in front of me at the RV lanes... I should have known better: it had Minnesota plates.  The guy didn't get out of the coach for about 15 minutes, and then started gassing up.  Good thing we weren't in a hurry - once you pull into those lanes, there is no backing out due to traffic behind you.  It took the guy another couple minutes to put on rubber gloves.  When he finished, he pulled forward about 10 feet, then stopped again... no, not enough room for us to get at the gas pumps.  Once out of the way, we got our turn at the pumps.  Three RVs came, fueled up, and moved on in the lane next to us while we were waiting our turn.  I pulled the motorhome into the large truck parking lot and backed into a site.  Joan turned on the generator and we had a sit down lunch.  Rufus had plenty of time to eat, because I fed him while we were waiting for the guy in front of us.

Back on the road, we had just under 100 miles to where we planned to stop for the night.  It is a climb as you head east from Tucson...

Parts of the desert are colorful right now: not sure what what the yellow stuff is (some form of ragweed??) - pretty, but it messed with my sinuses...

We are down for the day in the intended RV park.  We saw a lot of RVs along the way; snowbirds are on the move.  There will be LOTS more by tomorrow: Joan got a text from Cindy, letting her know that the Governor in AZ issued a mandatory "stay at home, starting tomorrow at the close of business."  It will be in effect through April 30th, but may be extended.  I think we got out while the getting was good.  That was our concern, and the reason we left a couple days early.  Ducey's order defines "essential" more broadly than similar directives issued in other states, and does not require people to "provide documentation or proof … to justify their activities.

We have been told that our home county in south Texas is requiring documentation if you are out... I don't know if that means someone has to write you a note stating that you are on your way to the grocery store.  (???)

There is no TV reception where we are staying tonight, but the internet speed is decent - we'll get our news that way.

We will be out of Arizona tomorrow morning, before the stay at home order takes effect.  New Mexico has a stay at home order in effect, but public roads and highways are not closed.  We should be through New Mexico by early afternoon.  Then, on to Texas.  And home.  Only 900 miles or so to go once we get into Texas.

Packed...

The only thing left to do is dump holding tanks and hook-up in the morning.  It was another busy day of getting everything ready to roll.  Rufus knows something is up - he has been on edge today...

Steph and Dan have been working on a small project for me: I was thrilled with the sugar skull Vespa t-shirt they made for me; I had a small bit of magnetic material from the backing my flames were on, and I asked if they could make me a smaller version of that to put on the scoot.  Knowing how much time it took for Steph to "weed" the detail on the t-shirt, I made some changes to that file and set it to them.  Even with removing a bunch of detail, it wasn't enough - since the material is cut, not printed, it is possible to have lines to fine to cut properly.  I went over to their house to visit with Dan about that file...

I think we have it simplified enough that the file will cut properly.  Steph will work on it for me to check out when we go back this afternoon.  When I got back to the coach, Joan had pulled the last of the few things that were on our patio.  It looks pretty empty...

Late this afternoon, we went to Steph and Dan's - one last time to eat together for a while.  We ordered out from Tailgater's.  The food was good, as was the company.  And, Steph had my Vesparado magnetic sticker done...

Looks good!  We enjoyed the last of our visiting... well, almost: they will come to our RV site in the morning for a hug good-bye.  As always, it has been good to spend time with our family.

Steph asked if I'd send her a photo of the sticker on the front of the Vespa.  The scoot is strapped down in the trailer, so not much room for me to back off, but...

Pretty cool, huh?  :-)

Where is that gonna go?

 No, this is not a "birds and bees" discussion.  For the record, I have always wondered if I'm a bird or a bee.

We started the packing process.  The back of the CR-V was full of my music equipment.  We unloaded that onto our patio mat, and I took the car to Steph and Dan's to get stuff that they have been keeping for us.  It filled the back of the CR-V.  Again.

Joan is an absolute master at packing.  Back when we were boat cruising, she could find places for 2 weeks worth of food and all the supplies we needed for daily life while living on Wild Blue.  I would look at 10 bags of groceries and think, "No way."  She always made a way, and it was always nicely organized.

Same with today's process.  The motorhome swallows a surprising amount of clothes, groceries, music gear, sewing gear, and all the stuff necessary to support a 16.8 pound cat.  Plus the cargo trailer and the CR-V.

First order of business was getting the scoots strapped for the haul home.  You know it is getting serious when that happens.  Since they won't be pulled out for the trip home, there is space for some things to be packed around the scoots.  Once we had the scoots in place, she started packing while I went around to check tires... motorhome (tires and airbags for the rear suspension), car, cargo trailer.  I was occasionally called as a consult for "Can this ride there?" situations.

Realistically, we got well over half of the necessary prep done to get this circus train rolling.  And, we still have time to cool our heels for a bit, then head to Steph and Dan's for supper.  We've been doing this for a lot of years, so we both know what needs to get done.  This trip has a bit more "What ifs?" due to all the closures, and more happening daily.  The big concern is: what if any particular state or county declares a shelter in place order, making any "recreational travel" subject to a fine.  It is not our intent to sight-see along the way - we'll just be heading for home.  But, bureaucrats can make stupid decisions; as already seen in some areas where RV parks and campgrounds have been considered "non-essential" and have had to vacate people.  And this time of year, there is a major migration of snowbirds heading north.

I have been asked, "Can't you just pull into a truck stop to spend the night?"  Truckers are working non-stop, within what the law allows for driving time.  It has put more trucks on the road, and they are required to be off the road for at least 10 hours after an 11 hour driving shift.  The info I am getting is truck stops are jam packed with parked trucks, just waiting to be able to take off again.  We don't need to take up space there if we can find an RV park... which will be quieter and have hook-ups.

So, we'll call ahead and try to schedule accordingly.  All we will need is a safe place to park - a hook-up will be a bonus.

There are over 1 million full-time RVers.  Some parks are allowing long term renters to stay, and not welcoming anyone not already staying there, and no overnight rentals.  These full-timers and those on the road to their home consider RV parks along the way to be essential.

-----------

We had an early supper with Steph and Dan.  Steph made parmesan chicken - quite tasty!  It was "dinner and a show," with the cats providing entertainment.  Steph got this photo of Alfie and Tango (the new boy) sitting in the window...

Quite a difference in size!  Alfie is a Siberian Forest Cat, a large breed; Tango is the slender boy on the right.  I would call him an orange tabby... or, just a cool cat.

Hugs when we left - I have missed that.  We plan to get together for a meal again tomorrow; assuming we finish the rest of the putting away process, we could be ready to leave Monday.

Mixed...

One last track that Mark and I got recorded while we're here in the Phoenix area: this one is a cover of the Elvin Bishop song Fooled Around and Fell In Love.

Mark played piano, organ, bass, and electric guitar (nice guitar licks, btw).  I played acoustic guitar, drums, and vocals.

https://soundcloud.com/captainjimb/fooled-around-and-fell-in-love

We did manage time for a scratch track on another song, but it will probably be a couple weeks before we get a chance to finish up our individual parts.  One of us has to trek on back to south Texas.

Wrapping it up...

Mark and I made some music today.  Joan and Cindy worked on sewing/quilting projects.  This will be the last time with them this trip.  It took time to pack up all my music gear; a bit of a sad moment, because this has been a treat to be able make music with Mark and leave gear set up... it was easy to come in to their house, and be able to plug in and start playing.  They are our friends, and it has been a treat to spend time with them.  I think Joan and Cindy have established a tighter bond.

All four of us are healthy; good thing because hugs were necessary for this good-bye.

This is the start of the "getting ready to go" process.  Tomorrow, the scoots get strapped down and the cargo trailer loaded.  As usual, when down for a couple months we have "spread out" a bit - it will take time to get things consolidated and arranged.

The world is a different place for this road trip.  We have called ahead to check for RV park accommodations, but not able to make any reservations because we don't know the timing.  We will head out when we're ready... but, not on a schedule.

Free...

No free lunch?  Probably not, but here is something you can read for free:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/27714

Smashwords, the e-book distributor asked authors to offer free or reduced prices on books for people who now find themselves with extra free time on their hands.

My book, Cat On A Leash, had a decent run; I still get an occasional sale, but the majority were sold in the first two years after release.

From now until April 20th, you can download the e-book version for free.

Well, that is just cute...

In yesterday's post there was a photo of Steph and Dan, with their new orange furry boy.  Tango... derived from Tang (the drink mix used by astronauts - remember that?).  I have to say: he is a good boy.  And I now have some experience with kitties of the good-boy persuasion.

Tango is half the size of their two big cats, but he makes up for it in personality.  He seems to really enjoy his new furry siblings, and they have accepted him.  Good thing, 'cause he isn't going anywhere.  ;-)

One thing that Tango enjoys is a game of fetch.  And he always brings back what you toss.  This video is with his monkey...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOCDvwKD94w&feature=youtu.be

We spent some time with Steph and Dan this afternoon.  We ordered a pizza from Oregano's that we picked up.  That place is usually packed late afternoon - there were a half dozen people picking up to-go orders - all keeping their distance from each other.  Yep, things are very different.

Dan went in to his school today; he volunteered to help put together packets that will go out to all the kids in his grade level.  Three volunteers, one each on separate copy machines.

So, not much else to talk about, so I'll show you a couple cat photos, because this is the internet and it runs on cat content.

Tasha above, being a princess.  Rufus below, telling me his done with our just before sunset walk...

The end is in sight...

No, that is not some doomsday prediction regarding the current virus fears.  We are about a week out from getting on down the road.

I let Mark know that we probably had one more get-together, but would be focused on getting gear packed up... I have a lot of stuff in his studio (and cases in his garage).  But, today, we just enjoyed making music.

It was New Bass Guitar Day at his house.  This nice G&L bass will be a good addition for him...

That is a happy-bass-player smile!  He has been playing my Yamaha bass since we've been here, and he has been playing the bass tracks on our recordings.  He pretty much needed a bass now that he is into it, and the Yamaha will be going home with me.  He picked a nice one!

We played a few songs when he could jam out on the bass.  Then, we decided on another song to record, knowing that we may not finish all the tracks before we leave.  It was a good day.

Joan and Cindy worked on separate projects, neither at the sewing/quilting stage.  I think all 4 of us will miss these get-togethers.

On the way back to our RV park, we stopped at Steph and Dan's house.  There were excited that the furniture for their theater room was delivered today...

That is the new boy, Tango, sitting between them.  On their new theater seats.

Steph pulled up just behind us.  She had been asked if she'd volunteer to hand out meals again today.  Interesting term: "asked to volunteer."  ;-)  She said it went a lot smoother and faster today; they let her do the organizing and got the higher ups to allow the volunteers to touch the bags that were being handed out (which has nothing to do with food preparation or serving).  They handed out over 600 meals today, with very little wait for those getting the meals.

Even though there is no school right now, both of them have meetings (online), projects, and teacher enrichment courses each day... that new theater seating is going to have to wait for evening and weekends.

Not just a ride...

TWO rides!

Joan wanted to do some deep cleaning in the motorhome.  That is code word for: Jim, get out of here so any cleaning stuff doesn't set off your asthma.  You don't have to ask me twice.

I thought I would get out the GoPro camera.  It hasn't seen any use since before we left home.  It didn't take me long to remember why... when it works, it can be interesting.  But, most of the time, it is just a pain in the ass.  This was one of those times.

I thought I'd shoot some video to share with my scooting buddies online.  The GoPro has an app so you can control it from your phone.  Nope.  So, while I did get a few videos, they weren't much to write home (or post online) about.  On the bright, but "how does that crap happen?", side: every time I turned the video on or off, the GoPro took a photo.  So, I have some photos to share.  And, before you ask, yes, I know how to run the damn camera.  The phone and the camera just don't play well together.

Getting ready to take the Vespa out...

"If I press this fake button, it should turn the video on."  It doesn't.

Rolling out of the RV park...

Yes, it is thinning out a bit.

Out on the road and heading south...

Yes, that is a curve above.  I stopped to mess with the camera for a moment...

No, that isn't a video.  Yes, that is my "hi-viz" jacket.  Hell with it, I'm just going to enjoy the ride...

I rode out PIR (Phoenix International Raceway, or whatever it is being called currently), then took surface roads back to the RV park.  I put the GoPro away and got Joan's Xmax out to give it a run back-to-back vs the Vespa...

No, Joan was still cleaning and didn't want to go for a ride, but she told me to enjoy her Xmax and made that "twisting a throttle" motion with her hand and wrist.  Then, she took my photo with her phone...

I took a different route with the Xmax - I wanted to run it through some traffic, some surface roads, and out on the Interstate.  Not a ton of traffic out there, but heading up to Indian School Road, I got the feel of it while pulling away from stoplights.  Yeah, this Yamaha is one peppy scoot!

I turned west and rode out through Verrado (a planned development).  It is a pretty community.  A few families out walking, but not much else happening.  From there, I rode south to hook up with I-10 and took that west to Buckeye.  Plenty of truck traffic on the Interstate, and the Xmax was well up to the task; riding 65, there was plenty of power left when I twisted the throttle.

The main drag through the newer part of Buckeye is typical newish retail and restaurants.  Anything with a drive through window had long lines; everything else looked closed.  I rode south to Yuma Road, then turned east.  You would think with that neon green jacket, I would be visible.  Apparently not... some douchbag let me get close, then pulled a left turn on me.  If that needs further explanation: the guy was a massive bag of douche.  He was coming at me, with no turn signal on.  He slowed for a nanosecond, the floored it while turning left across my path.  I had to get all over the brakes, which, incidentally, are very good on the Xmax.  There was no traffic behind me, it would have taken him 2 or 3 seconds at most to let me pass.  Apparently, he does not know how a turn signal indicator works.  Apparently, besides being a big bag of douche, he is also a sphincter of the asshole persuasion.

It didn't dampen the joy of my rides.  It is a real treat to ride both of those scooters.  That Xmax would be a perfect scoot for me, except for the height of the seat and the footboards.  It has more get-up-and-go than the Vespa; it feels more solid on the Interstate; it is stable, but still "flickable" (easy to maneuver); and I can tell you the brakes are first rate.  But, the Vespa just fits me.  I find it more comfortable.  Joan feels the same way about her Xmax.  That makes me happy.  But, it sure is fun to be able to take them both out once in a while.  While socially distancing, of course.

No Joy...

From my pilot days, it was a term used to say: we do not have the traffic in sight.  Air Traffic Control would give you a notice of potential conflicting traffic - "I have a visual" if you see it, "No joy," if you don't.

Joan went to the store early this morning.  By early, I mean she left the motohome just before 6:00.  With no coffee.  Also, no joy.  Both Fry's and Walmart are open between 6:00 and 7:00am for senior citizens.  We qualify.

There were lines at both places, but that was for the "younger" people to get in at 7:00.  She went in to Fry's, got a few things she needed, then on to Walmart.  Same thing with the line situation.  She got the rest of what she needed.  At Fry's, if you needed paper products, they were handing it out, metering how much you can have.  But, they did have everything, including toilet paper.

At Walmart, when she went to self check out, it was just past 7:00 - she said the amount of people flocking in was like Black Friday.

Other observations: people were cordial, but keeping their distance.  No one acting like they were panic buying, but there was also no joy on any faces.  She did get a chuckle out of the employees at Fry's: "With only senior citizens at this time, employees were acting like we were all feeble, but they were very cordial and welcoming."  Fry's only had one door open at that time, essentially routing you to the paper products or pharmacy area.  If you didn't need that, you could go anywhere around the store.  The paper products at Fry's were all the Kroger brand - not a time to be picky.

I offered to ride shotgun on this early morning outing, but she was out and about quickly.

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

The shelter in place order that takes effect in our home county tomorrow is pretty comprehensive.  We downloaded the 7 page document to make sure we can return to our home.  The pertinent part...

Closing Time...

No, nothing to do with businesses shutting down right and left.

Mark and I recorded this cover of the Semisonic song, Closing Time...

https://soundcloud.com/captainjimb/closing-time

It seems apropos with businesses shutting down all around.  Also something you can play when you need to let your company know that it is time for them to go back to their own "shelter in place" abode.

This has been a real treat being able to play and record together.  That time is getting short, depending on the travel situation.  We are taking it day by day.

While we were making music, Joan and Cindy were working on individual projects together.  Joan did complete her cat project...

She said she is ready to move on to another project, after working on this for so many hours.  I can't wait to get it on our wall at home!  It is kind of hard to see in this photo, but there are shimmery whiskers that pass through the border in a couple places.  Beautiful detail!

Social distancing...

Not everyone is following the guidelines...

Rufus is a snuggly boy; he likes contact, even when sleeping.  Lucky for us.  Right now, it is the only hugs we're experiencing... remember hugs?  Yeah, those were the good ol' days.

The mixer I have been learning apparently doesn't play well with my iOS (that's iPhone and iPad operating systems for those who don't speak the lingo).  Fortunately, I have an inexpensive Android tablet (bought for another music purpose) that seems to integrate fine with the X-Air 12 channel mixer.  The large condenser mic I bought for recording seems really nice...

It is not meant for use as above (hand-holding), as it is quite sensitive and picks up any noise from movement.  It came with a shock-mount for use on a mic stand.  I think it will be a useful addition to recording.  All this together should streamline my set-up once we are back home.

Propane...

Most RVs rely on it: it is what runs your stove, furnace, and when you're running down the road, your fridge.  When we had the 5th wheel, it had two tanks that were portable... that is a relative term, they were heavy when full.  Still, you could pull them out and take them anywhere to fill.  The motorhome has a built-in tank; if we need to fill it, we have to unhook and go where they sell propane.  Or, some places have a truck that comes to your site.  It is generally more expensive from the truck, but it is more convenient.

Our monitor gives us a relative idea of our levels on tankage: holding tanks, battery status, and propane remaining.  It is on 1/4.  What that really means is we have somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4.

Joan saw the propane truck go by this morning; she said, "You may want to see if we can get topped off."

I hurriedly got dressed and ran after the truck like a little kid running for the ice cream truck.  ;-)  I said to the driver, "I will stay 6 feet away, but can we get topped off?"

"Do you have an account with us?"

I said, "No, but I have cash."

He said, "A check would be better, because I can't make change."

"We can do a check, or pay cash and round up.  Whatever is best for you."

He is a young guy and was somewhat cavalier about the current concerns; he joked about having the check washed with bleach, cooked in the microwave, and sprayed with Windex.  When he came to our site, it didn't take him but a couple minutes to top us off.  He gave me the amount and I told Joan so she could finish writing the check (really, who prefers checks these days??).  He gingerly accepted the check, but had no problem with the cash tip I gave him.  ;-)

We are good to go for propane for the next 6 months or so.  I wouldn't want to run out while going down the road and have the fridge quit.

With the rate that businesses are closing right now, I was happy to have this taken care of.

Speaking of: some counties in some states are ordering the closure of "temporary lodging" - which means hotels, motels, and RV parks.  RV parks?  You mean: like the absolute best way to travel and still maintain social distancing?  No, it doesn't make sense.

While I am ranting: it doesn't make sense for California to shut down all businesses not considered "essential," when many of them could continue to do mail order or curb side pickup.  One such business is the Vespa dealer in San Diego - they are one of the biggest Vespa dealers in the country.  They do a LOT of mail order business with parts, all over the country.  Dealers in other states are continuing to do service and sell parts, even though their showrooms may be shut down.  It gives the business some income, as opposed to none.

It may make the difference for having a business to come back to when this passes.

Patio time...

After getting in a bike (bicycle) ride today, I did some patio time with Rufus.  We did not practice social distancing - he sat on my lap for a while.  We walked a bit, then he hopped up in his own patio chair...

He is quite content to sit out there and look around.  Even when the roadrunners came to call again.

I did get a chance to try out the new mixer and mic set up...

I think it is going to help me streamline things once we are back home.

Before going to Steph and Dan’s this afternoon, we stopped at Joann’s Fabrics to pick up some stuff that Joan had ordered online.  It was a bit creepy driving by a theater and restaurants and seeing empty parking lots.  The process at Joann’s was easy: Joan went in, got in line (with proper distancing), and they had her order already bagged and ready to go.  This is what current times call for.

Steph was wanting a ham-dip that Joan makes (for dipping chips).  It uses deviled ham; there was no deviled ham when Joan went to the store... she was lucky to find a small tin of "potted meat."  With no mention of what kind of meat, I am going with the assumption that they will be having "possum-dip" with their chips.  ;-)

Afternoon entertainment was provided by their cats, mostly Alfie and the new boy Tango.  Tango just wants to play and wrestle with his new "big brother," and doesn't seem to care that Alfie is about twice his size.  Fortunately for Tango, Alfie is a gentle boy... until pressed to the limit.  Tango is wiry, though, so is generally able to escape Alfie's wrestling holds.  "Two points for that take-down!"

Rufus was glad to see us when we got home, and I gave him more patio time until just before sunset - it cools down quick.