THURSDAY

. . . . . . Olivia, [Natalia's weekly house keeper] arrived five minutes after Natalia left this morning, 8:30, so I quickly dressed, grabbed a breakfast bar that I keep handy for such occasions and left the house to start my day. Olivia brought her older teen age daughter along so I expected they would not be too long. Natalia's place is not really large. I walked to Old Town, stopping twice to sit in the shade and enjoy my new Lee Child adventure. By ten-thirty I felt the breakfast bar was letting me down so I stepped over to a little Pizza place and ordered a piece of pizza. The meat tasted like it was manufactured by Oscar Meyer, I was not pleased. They also served along with that a Mexican Cola that may have been fine but it will take some getting used to. After the Pizza and more reading I decided to stop by the bank to stock up on Pesos before trudging back to the house and making out a little grocery list.  I arrived home at noon -thirty and discovered they were still there and the bathroom door was shut. That Pizza was working on my lower intestine and I felt the need to release the pressure. I pointed at the bathroom door and said "Olivia?" to the girl. She looked at me and said, "Si". So I waited and waited, feeling worse by the minute. Eight or ten minutes later Olivia walked in the front door! I then pointed at the bathroom door and asked, "OK?" The girl looked at me and said "Si". I could have thrown a rock at her. . . . .  .By the time I got out of their they had made my bed and were back in the kitchen doing God knows what. I left. I walked to the market for some Granola, bananas and those large red raisins I like. The first time I bought raisins there [two weeks ago] the lady charged me 100 Pesos for 2.2 pounds. That is close to $3.76 American per pound. I complained but paid it. Today the man waited on me and charged me 72 Pesos for the same amount. You have to watch 'em around here, Gringo's are live targets. Natalia has laughed many times at my adventures. She said at one time that the same thing happens to her if she is not paying attention.

I think is was 1887 that the first donkey powered public transportation was put in place in Mazatlan.
This is a short section of the original track and ties. Located outside the Museum.

A much better view of Macaws Bistro that caterer's to us Gringos. The bar tenders name is Caesar.

 Poor Kitty, I should have taken another picture because he really does have two pretty eyes.

I couldn't not take this picture, the little doggy is following along very safely but dragging his leash.

 

 

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . . I have been wandering around all day thinking it was Tuesday, must be too  much sunshine, getting to my brain. After breakfast I stopped by the Membership Library and paid them for another years membership, about $12.00, even though I only use it for two months. I found half a dozen more Lee Child Mysteries I have not yet read so I checked out one of them and walked to the south end of the city for lunch and exercise. Again I ordered a full meal and ate it all, too much food. I have to find a way to control myself! The new book is about one third finished and I arrived back at the house about 4:45.

My attempt at Photo Art, It looked good when I took the picture but something is missing now. Perhaps my mood has changed.

The statue outside the Main Church in Old Town and I would guess the larges church in the city.

This guy was yelling at me to get off his sidewalk, he was on top of the third floor. He had a very large voice!

This little guy just sat in his own house and bothered no one.

TUESDAY

.   .   .   .   .The Gold Zone must be closer than I thought because I walked home from McDonalds in only one hour today. In years past I figured it was at least four miles and reported it as such. No chance. I don't walk four miles per hour. Perhaps one day when Natalia and I go somewhere in her car I will ask her to check it........On the walk outward this morning I stopped for lunch and ate way too much, that was not what I intended but the restaurant offered too much food for the price and I was unable [no surprise] to stop myself. After lunch I continued the walk along the Mali- con with the beach to my left and four lanes of traffic to my right. I got as far as McDonald's before stopping for a coke and while I was there I finished my Lee Childs book. It has been years since I have read fiction, except for the classics, but Childs has a great character named Reacher who bums around the country getting into all kinds of mischief. Natalia has loaned me two of her books and I have finished both of them. I will stop by the Membership Library tomorrow to renew my membership from last year and see if they have any other Lee Child productions.

 A few blocks West of Old town the Malicon ends. This statue stands in the middle of the previously four lane boulevard in honor of the deer of the area. I believe there is a connection between the word Mazatlan and deer. The antenna's on top of the hill explain why Natalia gets perfect reception with no antenna.  Her house is only a few hundred yards away.

This picture, believe it or not, represents the third time in three days, about 11am, that I have passed by this same spot and taken a picture of this man. I was convinced he lived on that spot but later journeys along that way produced no sign of him.

MONDAY

. . . . . . .Seattle won! I found an opportunity to pay $20 US and watch the last quarter on my puter but I am too cheap. Something tells me that would have been an exciting time! Perhaps I can find the same site for the Super Bowl, for the whole game I will pay the money.. . . . .  .Today was walking and reading. And lunch too, of course. . . . . I got a late start because I spent the morning getting my laundry caught up. It was about 11 AM when I left the house for my daily constitution. . . .  . I have a few more pictures to share:

This is the park two blocks from Natalia's house. Looking East. A few small clouds bouncing along in the background.

I enjoyed lunch here yesterday, directly behind me as I take the picture is the ocean.

I get surprises like this two or three times a week. The vehicles are seldom parked and I don't see them early enough to get good pictures as they go past.

Meet Ramon, he is the security at the corner pawn shop between the house and the park. He speaks no English but we wave to each other each time I pass. This is the third year this has been going on.

SUNDAY

................I got a late start this morning, Natalia had prepared a wonderful Mexican breakfast for us and after the kitchen was cleaned up it was almost 11AM. She said she was ready for a nap and I was ready to get some exercise. I didn't do anything exciting, sat in the shade even though there was a thin cloud layer overhead to read and 'people watch'. I had a chicken salad at a quit little place off the sidewalk inside a large building; that was about 2PM, then continued exploring. I had to throw out two rechargeable batteries that just refused to hold a charge any longer so I stopped by a camera store and bought four more. The ones I threw out were well over five years old, I expect these will last as long. Made by Kodak, at least they have the Kodak marker on them, probably made in China. Most stuff is anymore.

Here are pictures of some little street urchins I have spoken to on my travels around town.

SATURDAY

. . . . . . . . . Natalia starting cooking last night for a party today. They [3] were invited for lunch but the first couple arrived close to two o'clock. Actually, they are visiting in town and she left about 1:30 to transport them back here. The third lady arrived close to two PM. Lunch was in progress by then but she fit in with no problem. Natalia had prepared Tuna steak with rice and onions, salad on the side and wine. The third guest brought a German chocolate cake and all was good. The gathering was still enjoying the afternoon as I came in my room to post my blog. I have not been out of the house all day except to sit on the patio and listen to the conversation. Natalia had a great time and I helped in the kitchen as I could. I have most of the dishes washed and dried. This was a cool day, so to speak and two of the ladies are wearing jackets this evening.

The Members only Library where I get most of my books. I feel I have posted this already.

One of the many large artworks on the Malicon.

A very quiet residential street with, surprisingly, no automobiles to block the view.

Macaw's Bistro where I spend many happy hours partaking of their fine cuisine. Sorry about the vehicle.

FRIDAY

. . . . . . More of the same today, warm sunshine and a good book sitting on a park bench. It's tough, I know, but somebody has to do it. Not only that but I am soooo good at it!

 One of the local butchers operating on a hogs head.

 

Up close this car looks like it just left the show room floor.

City Park a couple of blocks from Natalia's house.

Natalia's house, if the picture were darker on the roof the bugler proofing would show on the roof.
It consists of very heavy, sharply barbed wire in coil form.

THURSDAY

. . . . . . . Most of today was spent reading on a park bench, or I should say on several park benches. The sun was very warm so I was happy when I could find a shady spot. I have a few more pictures to post, I hope you will enjoy them.

This is looking across the bay from where the independent fishermen beach their boats. Notice how they use rollers under the boat to transfer them out of the water to higher ground.

Photographic art......?

He is just a puppy but very protective of his sidewalk.

The Malicon from the South looking North to the Gold Zone about four miles away.

 

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . . . .I made a great discovery today: I discovered that it is cheaper to fly to MZT and have three teeth filled than it is to drive to West Kelso and have the same work done. Not only that; it was done with no needles. The dental appointment was at 6PM and I had to walk home in the dark but it was nice and warm and there was still a lot of traffic on the streets so there was no problem. Earlier in the day I visited the Central Market again and did some shopping, stopped at the bank and stocked up on Pesos for the dentist then had lunch. Again the lunch was still way too much and I actually left food behind. The pigeons came and cleaned my plate while I was only 12-14 inches away from them. They are messy eaters though, they had food all over me. Luckily none of it stuck so bad I was unable to brush it aside.

Remember the picture from yesterday? Here he is again, same spot 24 hours later, having breakfast.

These are my lunch buddies from today. I could have brushed them away with my elbow. They have no fear, I bet I could feed them from my hand.

The little red house behind the car is Natalia's. I took the picture to show the city workers sweeping the streets. Notice the little cart the trash goes in. This would be Obama's world, a  job for every one! Remember to click the pic.

TUESDAY

. . . . . . The trip to the dentist went well this morning. I spent 300 Pesos for a filling. That sure beats the heck out of the $325.00 I spent in West Kelso last month for one filling. I have an appointment for tomorrow at 6PM to get two more fillings on the other side of my mouth. It was not a bad experience. It was done without the needle, goody, goody! I stopped by the market on the way home this afternoon and purchased some bananas. Bananas and these red raisins I buy in bulk are a great combination with dry cereal and milk, I discovered that because Natalia had some bananas on hand for me when I arrived and I tried the combination. I have a few more pictures that I took today:

This is the small park two blocks from Natalia's house that I spend many quiet hours in reading.

A two picture panorama stitched together showing a diagonal street entering a square street intersection. This is a tough spot to be a pedestrian.

The restaurant I mentioned yesterday. I am still full from all that spaghetti.

Afternoon nap a couple of blocks from the Central Market. Remember to click on the picks.

MONDAY

. . . . . . .I was very lazy this morning and never got out of the house until after 11am. I took a soft cover work of fiction to read in the park, the Nook is difficult to read in the sunlight. At 12:30 I found myself at a restaurant that was advertising spaghetti and chicken for 68 Pesos, I figured that would fill me up. When the dish arrived it was with shrimp so I returned it and when they brought it back they had way too much spaghetti on the plate. I guess that was their way of saying they were sorry they got the original dish wrong.  They also delivered a very large bowl of soup and two rolls. After ordering the check [la quinta] they sat a large pudding in front of me. That was six hours ago and I am still full! I caught the city bus to the bowling alley this afternoon and brought my bowling ball home. While I was inside I was talking to one of the customers [from the USA] and told her I was being charged 500 Pesos for bowling ten games. She looked at me and asked, 'Is that a lot"? I told her it came to almost forty dollars. She had no idea what 500 Pesos were, she and her husband just look at the Peso as play money I suppose. I was also told I would have to wait a couple of hours for the owner to arrive before any refund could be made regarding the Locker I had rented. I quietly placed the key on the counter and said 'bye'. Below are pictures of a few new acquaintances around Old Town.

SUNDAY

. . . . . . . .I arrived at the bowling alley at 3:30 and was there until after six. I rented a locker for the bowling stuff before I bowled but decided after bowling that I can not afford to return. I will go  back tomorrow to try to get my locker deposit back. The cost per line is about $3.85. In Longview they only charge $1.25 if you do not belong to a league. I did bowl ten lines today and did poorly but at those prices I would not return even if I bowled really well.  .  .  .  .  The bowling alley is in the Gold Zone and they charge accordingly. Those prices certainly keep the locals out of the place. The lighting is so bad that most Seniors who would be interested in paying that price would not be able to see the spots on the lanes well enough to have a good time. The facility itself is in bad need of repair and the lights in the ceiling over the lanes do not work. Natalia and I both feel they will not be in business very long, again. The day was sort of sad in a way because  I really wanted to practice this winter. That's life in the big city. I got home after dark and that is against my religion around here, Natalia came out her room to say hi and we talked for a few minutes. She was busy today and is retiring early. I'm about to do the same. Eighty degrees today!

SATURDAY

. . . . . .  .I rode along today when Natalia went shopping for Tuna. The largest Tuna processing plant in western Mexico is a couple of miles from her house. The factory allows one retail outlet and it is just across the street. The bulk of the product is shipped around the world. After leaving there we drove to Natalia #2's and #3 house. Daddy was not home but we did see Natalia 2's new Chevrolet Tracker and I met Natalia 3 again. She is getting tall and speaks very good English. I noticed English language Saturday morning cartoons on the big TV screen. They are in the process of having a house built at the Marina. It will be one of the most prestige's locations in all of Mexico. . . . . .At the moment they live very close to the Bowling alley so Natalia and I stopped there on the way back to the house. We discovered that the hours are 3:30 till 11:30 each day. The bus is only a block from where Natalia lives and they come by every 30 minutes. [or so]. Since it was still early in the day we were not able to get inside. I will take my bowling bag and hop a bus over there one day soon and check it out. After we got back to the house Natalia prepared to leave for the afternoon and I packed my book and headed toward Old Town. Pictures below. I  will not promise to post pictures each day but once in a while it may happen; when I am not too tired  at the end of the day. Remember, click on the pic!

This is the front door [straight ahead] of Natalia 2 and 3's present abode. They are to begin construction  of their permanent home on the Marina Campus in February.

This is the restaurant I mentioned yesterday: Constanza's. Couple of blocks South of the Central Market.

This is the Central Market, the mom and pop restaurants are on the second level and today I ate at Karens,  the very far end above that bus you see way off in the distance. I feel that intersection is the busiest in Old Town. I feel I am looking down on the center of Mexico when I am up there. The food is very good too!

This is the lane that fronts the main theatre in Old Town Mazatlan. This was my view as I sat in the shade reading this afternoon. The theatre is the building on the left. To the right is the entrance to a newly refurbished hotel. The hotel was closed last year while I was here.

The above is before and after pictures of some work being done in Natalia's 'back yard'. She had a lime tree growing in the large space but discovered rats were using it as a bridge to get off the roof and into her house. They were very good limes too! The laundry room with washer and dryer is to the right.

Natalia is busily attempting to insert a new battery into her cell phone that she had dropped.

FRIDAY

. . . . . Natalia was nice and left me some scrambled eggs before going to work this morning, She is the greatest! I walked to the main market today and strolled around looking for a wrist watch to take the place of the one I left on the dressing table at home. It is a Casio with a plastic wrist band  but it tells time and date as well as the day of the week. It was 98 Pesos. I also bought a box of cereal and some Lala, an artificial milk that is very popular here. It requires no refrigeration and tastes just like pasteurized milk. I had a Chef's Salad at one of the nicer Old Town restaurants that I have frequented in the past. Got back to the house around 3PM and spent the rest of the day resting my feet and getting my email caught up. The temperature was below 80 without a cloud in the sky.

WEDNESDAY=THURSDAY

. . . . . . Ron Phoned me at 3am and arrived at the house at 3:30. We arrived at PDX an hour later and I got on the plane with no trouble. Landed at PHX right on schedule and I walked to Gate B4 per the instructions on the ticket. The plane left for MZT at 11AM but I was not on it because it loaded and left from gate A27. I stayed in the airport all night and perhaps got four hours sleep.  This morning I caught the flight to MZT on time and was happy to see Daniel waiting for me after Customs. It was 76 degrees and the air conditioning felt good. I was at Natalia's place by 2:30 and raided her fridge per her instructions. She told me she would cook dinner this evening so not to eat too much. I agreed but I had no idea that she was going out to dinner after work and had planned on cooking just for me at 6:30. She is dieting these days so she did not eat but I had a Tuna steak with rice and a nice salad with her special home made dressing. It was a fine meal and we had fun getting re-acquainted after so many months. She was well aware that I was pooped out so at 7:30 she told me to get a long night of rest and we would see each other tomorrow. I was very much in favor of that idea so I came in the room and made this entry to my blog. I failed to mention that last Saturday she had Internet access installed in her house. The router sits beside my laptop and works like a champ! She told me it was working for her until a couple of days ago when her laptop went on the fritz. She had allowed Natalia 4 to use it for a time Age 5-6 and it needs attention. It was a great trip and the warm weather is not to be believed! I love it!

TUESDAY

. . . . . . .I stopped by the lab today for my final Pro time check before leaving town for the winter. The test was a little high, [3.6] but I attribute that to the fact that I am cleaning out the fridge before leaving and there are not many fresh vegetables in there right now. I am sure it will come back down when I start eating Natalia's cooking. After leaving the lab I stopped by the Bank and picked up a bundle of cash to get me started when I land in MZT tomorrow. Peso's cost about 7.5 cents these days so I will be able to load up at the airport before even getting into town. . . . . I got caught up with my house cleaning this afternoon. Dusting, vacuuming, mopping, all of that good stuff. It really wore me out but I needed the exercise. I delivered ChiChi and all of his stuff to the Teigens this afternoon. Caren was not home but Ron sent me home with two servings of Caren's latest soup and two huge slices of home made bread. I had soup and bread for dinner and will have the same at 3AM when I get up to leave. Ron will be here at 3:30 and the plane leaves PDX at about 5:30. My next entry to this blog will be from MZT. If not tomorrow then the next day.

MONDAY

. . . . . I really wanted to pack all of my stuff including the bowling equipment into one bag and check that through to MZT. I found that the suitcase is too heavy and once I put all of my stuff in  it weighs over 50 pounds. I decided to check the suitcase and the bowling equipment as two separate items and hope for the best. I will carry the other stuff on board with me. Twice in my travels I have had luggage not arrive with me and I wanted to cut the odds of that happening by only checking one bag. No such luck. ChiChi and I drove over to Teigens today to see if they might have a larger soft bag that would hold everything but they also are short of such an animal. With a suitcase [on wheels] that weighs about 23 pounds empty and a 15 pound bowling bag inside there is not much room to add more stuff and still stay under the 50 pound limit. I dragged the case around Europe for thirty days with no problem but I was not carrying a bowling ball. Into all lives a little rain must fall. Speaking of which the possible snow that was forecast for this area has been recast as possible rain starting tomorrow night. It will make the drive to Portland much easier 3AM Wednesday with no snow.

SUNDAY

. . . . . . Another good day at the bowling alley but I am happy to note that it is not as good as my last League result.
The first five lines came to a 142 average and after I had lunch I bowled a 153 average. That came out to 147 for the day. It is a slow process but I am sure I am improving. After I got home I started packing the suitcase. The first thing I installed was the bowling ball and bag. I then filled the rest of the space with clothes and all of the other stuff I can't live without. Tomorrow I will weigh it and then begin to eliminate enough stuff to bring the weight down to fifty pounds. . . . . The Green Bay football game was fun as well as the San Diego game. I hope I am able to find a quiet bar in Mazatlan when the Super Bowl come on.

SATURDAY

. . . . . .ChiChi was happy to see I worked up enough energy to walk with him down to the river this afternoon. The sun was bright but very low in the sky and there were a few clouds peaking around the edge of the nearby hills. A slight wind was tossing the blades of grass to and fro but nothing really remarkable came of it. The river was very clear and inviting; too bad there are no fish at the moment. I watched a bit of football this afternoon but I have started a new book and I find that to be more exciting so I went to bed early to read. I'm sure glad there are no commercial breaks in books.

FRIDAY

.  .  .  .  .  I spent over two hours on the phone today getting my password acceptable by my Nook. It ended up costing me $40.00 but at least now I have it and the Nook goes on line just like it is 'sposed to. Sitting in front of the puter was all of the exercise I got today. I tried hard not to eat too much but I did leave room for chocolate chip cookies and milk before going to bed.

THURSDAY

. . . . . .  .I had a good time bowling today. The other team never showed up so naturally we won and not only that but I bowled a 150 average for the three games.
I also got out of the alley early and drove home to pick up the doggy for an hour or so at the Teigens. Caren told me she would stop by my place later to help me with the computer and she gave me three helpings of her famous [and delicious] Taco Soup. She arrived about 4:30 and we worked on the puter until 7:30. It is still working fine so we never broke anything but we also never found the password for the router. I am still unable to download books to my Nook. I will keep at it, there is a way to get that password. There has to be. She also figured out how to get my laptop to work properly through the router. That was a great accomplishment. Thanks for the help and the soup, Caren!

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . I had my laundry all folded and put away before breakfast this morning. I forgot it was New Years day and never turned on the TV until there was only five minutes left in the Rose Bowl game. I spent the day reading and messing with the computer. I phoned the Cisco Help department and after thirty minutes of working on things he told me that it would cost almost $180.00 to tune up my computer [via remote] and my router. That money was to also supply me with the password for the router. I turned him down and after hanging up the phone discovered that the router is no longer recognized by my laptop. So now I can't use my lap top or the nook. At least not at home. I think it would be cheaper to buy a new router and toss the other one. The only problem is that the computer is still in need of the tuneup. Or so the Tech told me. How can I tell he is telling the truth? He sounded more like a salesman than a technician. I put in a phone call to the  guy [Tom] who worked last on the conputer to get his advice but so far no answer. 

TUESDAY

.   .   .   .   .   My first five lines today averaged out at 151 but I dropped off to a 144 during the second five. The daily average of 148 was not too bad for me. Lets see how well I do on Thursday when the league meets. The temperature might have reached 50 today but I cant swear to it. It never felt that warm.

MONDAY

. . . . . . . This was a fairly nice day but I never did get out of the house. My Bad.
I spent time trying to download books to my Nook but although the computer screen tells me they are there I have yet to find them on the nook itself. I did find 928 pictures that I had no intention of loading to the nook. I have no idea how that happened. I did find a way to remove them but still can not find the free books. I will try again tomorrow if it doesn't  get in the way of my bowling.

SUNDAY

. . . . . . The temperature crawled up to 53 by early afternoon, not bad for this time of year. My bowling was not too hot today but my first five lines put me above my league average of 136 and the second five lines came out as 146. That is close to 142 for the day.. . . . .I got home in time to pop up a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the Seattle football game.. . . I got a note from Natalia, she said she was at the bowling alley yesterday so she knows it is open. I will be packing my bowling ball for the first time. The alley has been closed the past two winters in Mazatlan.

SATURDAY

. . . . . . Doggy and I washed the car today. The sun had come out and that was so tempting I could not refuse. That amounted to a little exercise, altho far from enough. I downloaded some free books to my documents folder in the computer today but still have not figured out how to get them to the Nook. It has been a lazy day and I enjoyed the last of the lasagna for lunch. I will have to return the container to Caren and see what else she has to offer.

FRIDAY

. . . . . . . I don't think the temperature got above 40 degrees today. I stopped by the Pharmacy this afternoon to get stocked up on enough meds to last me until I get home in March but it looks like it will not be easy. I have to get on the phone Monday and see what the doctors can do to help me.. . . . . I drove by Teigen's place today with ChiChi and we visited for a couple of hours. I was able to log on to Caren's WiFi and register my Nook HD tablet. I also downloaded four books from Barnes and Noble that should keep me busy for a while. She has sent me instructions for further downloading without having to go through my router. {t requires a password  that I don't have}. I had lunch while over there and she sent me home with a large serving of lasagna made from good stuff-delicious stuff! ChiChi was happy to get out of the house for a while and was well behaved. He is mellowing as he ages. It started raining on the way home. Lets hope the temperature stays above freezing.

THURSDAY

. . . . . . A slow day......I did get to the bowling alley for league day but my score was a couple of points below my league average so I felt sort of poopy the rest of the afternoon. I stopped by Safeway for a few more supplies to keep my going for the next two weeks then went home and buried my sorrows in food. I gave some thought to washing the car but that never happened. thinking ain't doing, you know. Roy put his truck on Craigs List today and the first phone call came ten minutes later, he thinks the guy is going to buy it. He had a total of ten calls the first hour. It is a 2002 four door pickup desiel. A real monster and he asked $15,000 for it. 

CHRISTMAS DAY 2013

. . . . . . I spent the entire day eating and sleeping. I also tried to get my NookHD on line but it refused to recognise my router without a password. I contacted Cisco who made the router and was told they could help me but it would cost me. There was no further information available. They have my phone number, perhaps they will phone me tomorrow. It is a shame to buy a piece of equipment from the company and find you also have to pay for a password. I was not expecting any problem because both my puter and laptop were able to access the router without the password.. . . I may drive over to Caren's place tomorrow and see if I can access the Internet via her router. After I go bowling that is.

TUESDAY

. . . . . . I bowled ten lines today and produced a 137.2 average. Of course I was not overly pleased with that score but it was one pin better than my league average. About 2:30 I drove over to the Teigens to help them celebrate Christmas Eve. Ron's folks and Solomon were there as well as Ruby and Coltor. We all had pizza before the annual gift exchange. I  had a piece of pumpkin pie for dessert. I also scarfed down two Rum and Cokes. A good time was had by all and I am now the proud owner of a Nook Ebook. I will play with that tomorrow and see how much money I have to spend to get all the books I want on it.. . . . This evening Ron was standing in front of the fireplace with his back toward it trying to get warm. I pointed out to him that the fireplace was really a TV presentation of a fire place. He said he was wondering why he was not getting warm. Coltor got into the act by put his hand out toward the flame and pulled it back quickly yelling "Ouch". He walked away from it muttering something about it was burning his sweater. .  .  .  .It was a fine Christmas, I hope we have another one hundred just like it. Merry Christmas!

MONDAY

.   .   .   .   ChiChi received his bath today. He did not approve but I got away without any loss of blood. The leather gloves were slightly damaged in the process but that only adds to the damage done on previous bathings. I am beginning to see a slight mellowing in him as far as baths are concerned. If he lives another ten years he may by then be able to accept bathing as a necessary evil. We shall see. . . . . The rest of the day was spent reading and napping as well as enjoying watching the rain come down. There was a lucky break in the afternoon when the sun was out for some time. That is always a welcome sight this time of year.

SUNDAY

. . . .  After breakfast I laid down to read. The idea was to kill time until the bowling alley opened at 10:30. Well, I fell asleep and woke up at 11AM. It was later than I had expected but I got there and bowled a 130 average for the first five lines and only 143 for the second five. The only good thing was that I did bowl my league average for the day. I was experimenting with putting a 'hook' on the ball and that did not go really well. However, one of my games while doing that came out to a 181. I will go back on Tuesday and try it again. . . . I stopped by Safeway to fill the gas tank and paid 2.999 per gallon. I can not remember the last time I got off so cheap.  The temperature is 50 degrees at sundown, with rain. The car is dirty but I can't seem to get at that job. So it goes on Pleasant Hill. 

SATURDAY

. . . .I posted my Presidential Libraries Project to YouTube this morning. Try this link and see if it works for you: http://www.youtube.com/celford52. . . . . . The rest of the day was spent staying warm. The temperature outside may have reached 50 degrees but I doubt it. I watched a three hour movie with Kevin Costner called 'The Postman'. I had never heard of it before; I would rate it a B+.

FRIDAY

. . . . . . . The high temperature for the day was about 38 degrees. That is not good. Rain started falling as the sun went down. I noticed it when ChiChi came in from outside and jumped into my lap. I can also report that it is a cold rain. .  .   .   .  Today I completed the audio portion of my YouTube Presidential Libraries slide show. Tomorrow I plan on posting it and putting the notice on FaceBook. . . . This was a day without exercise and I notice that fact; I feel sluggish and worn out. I made no effort to get to the fishing hole because I am convinced there are no fish available. And it is too cold out there!

THURSDAY

. . . . .Compared with my League average my 143 average for today was pretty good. I was not happy with the fact that I did not do as well as I usually do on non-league days. At least we as a team did win overall and that is always good. Only Noreen and I showed up on our team so bowling went pretty fast. After bowling I had a short snack with Charlotte then came home to settle in for the evening. She suggested I visit the Columbia Theater this evening to see a stage play called "Scrooge on Trial" or something like that. I may go but it starts about my bed time. We will see. Right now I am waiting for O'Reilly to end. I'll decide after that.

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . . This turned out to be another lazy day. I did get into town to do some banking and while there I stopped by to see Billy. He is doing fine; I got to meet his new care-giver. He is a skinny little guy and I have forgotten his name already. On the way home I stopped to do a little Christmas shopping for Ruby, Sol's little girl. I discovered that she will be at the Teigens Christmas Party and I had not picked out a gift for her. That little problem is now solved. I also delivered Mel's Christmas gift and visited with him for a couple of minutes. Tomorrow is bowling day, I am very interested to see how well I do. I wish me luck!

TUESDAY

   .   .   .   .   .Great day at the bowling alley! My average for the 15 lines came out to 148.6. The first five lines [before lunch] was 143 and after lunch I averaged 154.6. That gave me a 148.9 average at the time and since I felt I could beat that I bowled five more. That amounted to only 148 I am happy with the results, especially since I was bowling as well at the end as I had been when I began. I will go down again Tuesday and see how well I do before facing the team on Thursday.. . . . .After bowling I stopped by Safeway and stocked up on enough stuff to last me until I leave town on January 8th. At least I hope I have enough, I don't want a lot of foods in the pantry to sit and dry out while I'm away for the winter.

MONDAY

.   .   .   .   .   I had to get out to the Post Office today so I stopped by Teigens too.
I guess I was there for less than an hour but it was a fun visit. They have their Christmas tree up. I suppose this will be the first one Colton will ever remember. Got back to the house in time to take a nap and have a snack before Monday Night Football came on. No rain today and the temperature was not too bad for this time of year. That can't last much longer.

SUNDAY

.   .   .   .   .   I surprised myself with good bowling results today. I averaged 155.2 during ten lines of bowling. The not so surprising result was the 148 average before I ate lunch and the 171 after I had lunch. The high game of the day was 187 and the low was 117.  This evening I wasted time in the recliner watching Green Bay play football in Dallas. It was a great game but taking a walk would have been better for me. The weather is cool but I am happy to announce we have had no rain. 

SATURDAY

. . . . . . This turned out to be a most unremarkable day, absolutely nothing was accomplished, at least not at this address. I don't know about yours. The Army/Navy game was a bust after the first quarter except for the snow. I really enjoy watching those guys attempting a forward pass with the snow so thick the ball can hardly be seen flying through the air. I turned on a commercial free movie called 'Total Recall' and after twenty minutes I knew why it was commercial free. It was not worth putting in front of an audience. There was no rain today, that pleased me. The temperature stayed above freezing too, that is always nice. I will get a good nights  sleep and give tomorrow a chance.

FRIDAY

.   .   .   .   I enjoyed another nice day at the bowling alley. My first five lines averaged out at 145 and the come-back second set was 152. The third produced  147.  The 147 turned out to also be the average for the day. I did bowl a low of 108 and just before that I came up with the high of the day, 187. I was beginning to feel I had had enough by the time I finished the fifteenth line. . . . .  I fell asleep in the recliner this evening so I am sure I received enough exercise for the day. I plan on returning Sunday. I'm doing so well I have to keep at it just to prove to myself that I can do it. . . . . The river is slowly becoming clear again but it is really too high to bother fishing. I am sure the silt has built up in the sitting area and there have been no fish reported. It is all a good excuse to stay home and pig out. Speaking of which: my weight has reached 208. I have never weighed this much. Too bad that can't be my bowling score!

THURSDAY

. . . . . . . . I had a good time today. It took a bit too long to get my protime test completed so I was later than I had wished to arrive at the Christmas luncheon. The luncheon went well, there were 44 people there. Forty six had promised to attend but at the last minute one of the couples was unable to make it. The Turkey dinner was tasty and seconds were available. I was good and did not order seconds of anything. Champagne was also on the menu, good stuff, Champagne. . . . Mead Zeigler was good enough to pick up the bar tab for those of us who chose to imbibe. I might have gone for seconds on that but it was not offered. I was sitting next to Mead and had I made a noise there is no doubt he would have gotten a kick out of the idea and gone for it. I thought better of  pushing him for fear I might be caught for that duty next year.. .  .On the other side of me was Bob, he got honorable mention during the proceedings for coming up with any spare dollars that were needed during the creation of the festivities. Bob is getting around really well and there were lots of folks there who were happy to see him progressing at top speed. It was close to 3PM when I got home. I settled in and watched the Denver football game for the evening.. . .The freezing weather is not so freezing and is not to be for some days. A lot of rain is expected at lower levels, the snow will be in the hills though. Even the low hills.

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . I was pleased to see no snow on the roads this morning as I drove into town for my Kidney Doctor appointment. The Doctor reported that my stressed kidney that was discovered six months ago shows a lessening of whatever was ailing it. The meds will not be changed because the thought is that that may be what is helping the situation. My next appointment with him will be in one year. Now if Spring would come early [like next week] I would be doing just peachy-keen. The temperature in South Kelso, at the airport, is 32 at the present but there is no precipitation on radar within 200 miles of here. Perhaps the skies will be clear tomorrow when the local members of the class of '52' all get together for their Christmas Party. That is to start at noon-thirty at the Kelso Eagles. . .  .Before I get to that I have to stop by the lab and get my pro time checked; nice weather would be just fine with me.

TUESDAY

.  .  .  .  .  The temperature was 31 when I left for the drive into town this morning. The highways were clear so no problem but when I got within a couple of blocks of the Silver Star the street suddenly became solid ice. Thin ice to be sure but still very slippery. As I pulled into the parking spot I applied my brakes and gently slid the last four feet or so to a stop.. . . .Lunch was fun but only half a dozen got there. Some of the gang live out in the toolies and that drive in might have been too much for them. Bob was there for the first time in several months, it sure was good to see him doing so well. . . . . . After lunch I stopped by the bowling alley to see how well I had remembered my lessons from last time. My first five lines came to a 151 average but I improved during the second five and came up with a 159. That gave me a 155.5 for the day. Not bad for a kid. Especially this kid. . . .  .I stopped by Teigens place after leaving the bowling alley and visited with Ron for a short time. I also left my Christmas presents and returned the empty food containers Caren had sent me home with earlier. Caren was not home, off running around someplace I guess. The temperature is now 34 and rain is expected tomorrow. I'm glad it is rain because I have to see my Kidney doctor in the morning for my annual checkup. I'm feeling pretty good, those bowling scores certainly perk me up!

MONDAY

.  .  .  .  Another cold day! I did walk out to the mail box, a total of 6 feet. I've caught up on my reading and napping. Happy to know I will be going to the class of '52' luncheon tomorrow and the bowling alley. The weather site shows precipitation about 60 miles West of Kelso and at these low temperatures there is no doubt it will be snow. Hopefully it will not be so much that I can't get out by 11AM. Tomorrow afternoon rain is promised and the freezing temps are to subside. I am in favor of that!  .   .   .   .   . At the moment Monday Night Football is coming from very cold Chicago. I will have to turn up the thermostat to get comfortable but I may watch that for a while.