Here it is, Friday the 20th of February already.  We have had an exciting week.  As you all know, we have spent the last four months in a 19' trailer and have sometimes (Ha!) felt the cramped quarters.  We have been looking for a 5th Wheel we could pull with the Tundra and because it is only a 1/2 ton there is a limited number under our weight restriction.  Monday we went into Q to get some groceries and stopped to look at a used 24' Cougar on a lot.  No good for other reasons than weight.  Actually, we could pull a 28' Cougar.  Drove to the other end of town, and as we have been in all the lots at least once, we tried this one again.  We looked at a 5th Wheel but it was a big NO.  The salesman said, well I have a couple down at the other end of the lot you may wish to see.

2008 24' 5th Wheel, Sportsmen Select by K-Z with a dinette slide and a kitchen slide opposite just opened the space up wonderfully.  However, the interior was Pecan BROWN and we don't like BROWN!  Salesman said he could get it in another color.  He quoted us a price and told us we could pick it up in October on our way down.  Monday night we checked out the website for K-Z and found that Bucars in Balsac is a dealer.  Tuesday morning Gord phoned Bucars, which is where we purchased the Aerolite we are in, and they had an almost identical unit.  Color was Pistaccio which is a lighter color of Brown and had two recliners rather than a couch - Best part was the $$$ was the same amount.  Walla! we don't have to buy in US $$ and lose 20%.  We were just going to leave it until we get home in April, but Bucars said the 2009 with be $9,000 more because of the exchange rate, so we gave our Visa a shot in the arm to hold it for us.  So, it seems like we are the owners of a new 5th Wheel.  Just the thought of it makes the next six weeks bearable!

Wednesday Jeanne was at the laundromat by 8:15.  After laundry she sat in the sun reading and visiting for about 3 hours with Kathy and then Nita and Frank came over.  That evening she noticed a couple of burned legs.  That is good news - that means the sun was out.  It still cools off at nights - down to +40F or +5C.  It is supposed to be nice for the rest of the week.

Yesterday, Thursday the 19, we went on a ride.  Jeanne's wrist has been giving her a bit of notice so she hesitated about the ride, but decided to go.  It is very difficult being left behind and not seeing the country, as we usually don't go the same place twice. Told the others that we didn't want a 40 mile ride again.  They made sure it wasn't 40 miles -- it was 45 miles.  Next ride is scheduled for Monday.  Pictures are from yesterday's ride.  It was the prettiest of all our rides so far.  The desert is beginning to bloom.  There were large patches of little purple flowers, tall yellow ones and we even found a creosote bush with blossoms on it.  There was an old mine, just an open pit, where we could still see a vein of turquoise and a vein of a red stone which we don't know what is.  It must have been poor quality to have just left it.  We spoke to some people who were staying on a large flat rock strewn area - no vegetation but a mountain close at hand where they had seen a desert turtle bigger than a dinner plate and six big rams.  They told us "back there" they had gone into an old mine and got several good pieces of turquoise.  Yesterday we came upon an "active mine" with a "Keep out" sign.  We have been told that the defenders of mines will have firearms and are not adverse to using them.  As a result we turned around at the gate and went seeking our pleasures elsewhere.

The picture of the gang checking out the creosote bush is really them looking for a horned toad.  We saw him scoot into the bush and Glen wanted to get a picture.  Impossible as he blends in with the ground so well.  They were trying to get him to move out of the bush but he wasn't cooperating at all.  If we hadn't noticed him move we would never have seen him.

Hope all is well with all who have read our update.