Wednesday, November 25,2009- We’ve been in Gila Bend, AZ for a few days. We came down from Ft. Collins. We connected with Judy and Ron Brundage. Ron installed our automatic satellite internet last November. We needed an adjustment done to the mount so it would track properly when we put it down. We have been really pleased with the system. Sure is nice not to have to climb up on the roof to aim the dish and pick up the satellite signal. We also have internet and email services on our iPhones. Would be less expensive if we could rely on them for internet, but we still spend a lot of our time in areas where the cell phone service is poor to nonexistent and in Mexico the internet dish is a must. We are hoping that since we have changed to ATT for our cell phone service, we will be able to use the iPhones in Mexico. Last winter we bought a Telnet cell phone in San Felipe with prepaid minutes . We were able to sign up for a service that made calls to the US/Canada very reasonable, one dollar US for 15 minutes. We shared the phone with friends. It takes 6 weeks to get the US/Canada calling program operational on the Mexico cell phone. We will be in Mexico the first part of January. We will buy a second phone ($50 US) and put 50 minutes ($30 US) and apply for the US calling package. By the time Sharron and Lynda arrive in late February, we will be able to give them a phone that has the US/Canada calling package. The Mexico cell phone really helps coordinating our “busy schedule” of events.
We are heading today for Campo, CA and our friends Jennifer and Ron’s place. We will share Thanksgiving with them and family. We have not been able to do this for the past few years, and have really missed it. Jennifer is cooking a turkey in the oven- ah, the smells. Ron is cooking two turkeys in the ground. We have not had turkey cooked that way, so will be a treat. They are both really good cooks!
We will stay at their place through Christmas and the “on the border snowbirds sheepdog trial “over New Year’s. Jennifer is a highly successful handler and trainer. She has been Linda’s coach for five years. Our dog Liddy is from her breeding. Linda will have the chance to work with her on finishing the training for Liddy to move to the open class, and Gabi to begin competing. Hopefully, Linda will also get to work with Tristan and get him ready to compete in the pronovice class. Finn and Fly have chosen retirement. I plan on spending my time golfing, reading, and cooking. I want to make and decorate Christmas cookies.