I know that it has been awhile, and I’m still trying to figure out where November went.   Once the rain stopped, it turned into a rather nice month.     

In fact, it got down right ‘warm’ and on certain days the steering wheel of the car was a little uncomfortable after a hour or so in the sun.  So I improvised, since I had this ‘cover’ handy.   And yes, that is exactly what you think it is - but it does the trick and I like having things that serve more than one purpose!

Dave found a new desert place near us called Creme & Chocolats that specializes in fruit puree filled crepes with covered with various chocolates and a fruit edge ice cream - - it is very, very good and very, very filling!  

This is Evita - a 16 year old cat who we cared for over a three week period while her ‘staff’ was on vacation in Taiwan.   They had just purchased a Park Model in the same park we are in, and had moved in about two weeks before they left.   So Evita had barely gotten use to living in a ‘house’ after 13 years in a motorhome when they left.  

We had original thought we would just stop in a couple of times a day, give her her pills, change food/litter and some cuddle time.   But after about three days she no longer came running to see us, just laid on the bed with a “oh, you again” expression and sad eyes.  So we ‘moved’ her over to our place and she immediately determined which part of the bed was hers and let us know her needs, which included at least two walks around our unit and other outings followed by her ‘treats’.   In other words, we became staff again.  She decided that during the day she liked the back of the couch looking out the window.     After three weeks, we moved her back home and she welcomed her regular ‘staff’ back.

Our friends Dave and Toni, who also started fulltiming in 2006, joined us for Thanksgiving dinner out on the patio.  We always enjoy catching up with them each fall.  

And it cooled down enough that we turned on the warming lamp during desert.  

We ended the month with a trip to the Musical Instrument Museum to see David Benoit on his  “Charlie Brown Christmas” tour - complete with Schroeder’s piano on the stage with the lop-sided little tree sporting one lonely bulb.   David Benoit has been associated with the  “Peanuts” TV specials for many years - it is his style of jazz and he does it all so well.   He is a very laided back musician

During the show, he introduced the Phoenix Girls Chorus while they did the sound track from the original “Charlie Brown Christmas” special.   The girls were so thrilled to be included and had participated in several of the numbers,.

And, at the end of the final song, the tree on the piano lit up!

Fortunately for us, this is a good year for musicians coming into the valley and we have another Christmas concert to go to featuring Peter White, Rick Braun, and Euge Groove