Dip Tasting Festival - 03/03/26

Dip Tasting Festival
Tuesday – March 3, 2026
Hosted by: Grant & Galya
Location: Imperial Dam LTVA
Reported by: Bob Drenning

Sharon and I were invited to attend a “Dip Tasting” event at the desert dwelling of Grant and Galya. There were nine “taste testers” to sample ten dips. An assortment of chips and veggies were used to sample the dips.

Taste Testers:
Grant & Galya
Dean & Erica
Duane & Becky
Bob & Sharon
Janet

Multiple tastings of each dip were sampled to insure each one was properly assessed for taste and structure. Each participant provided a verbal critique of each dip and assigned a favorability rating from 1 to 10. All of the participants complied with the test criterion, except for one! Who could that be? Well, none other than the “Master Story Teller” himself. You see, Dean is one of the kindest people one could ever hope to meet. So as not to hurt anyone’s feelings, when Dean’s turn came to critique a dip, his response was always a one-syllable resounding “ten.” Even though everyone knew what his response would be for each dip, Grant would turn to him anyway and say: “Dean I presume that would be a ten.” Dean’s response: “That’s a ten!” The group would immediately explode in laughter after each response.

Everyone was astonished at the very detailed critique Grant and Janet provided for each dip. It made us all want to do better next time. Well… at least Bob anyway!

Grant and Galya took their duty as “finders of fact” very seriously and compiled the results submitted from all of the taste testers. It took them quite a bit of time to review all of the comments and ratings and then determine the favorability of each dip. Bob was on the verge of having an anxiety attack awaiting the results. Sharon was at the ready with a plastic bag in hand to shove over Bob’s head should the need arise.

Grant stood up to announce the results. Total silence enveloped the group, all eyes were trained on him, eagerly awaiting the results. Grant began with the 10th place finish, critiquing each dip, as he worked his way up to the second place finish. A collective “ooh” and “aah” from the taste testers accompanied each critique.

Now it was time to announce the first place dip. Everyone was on their feet, anxiously awaiting the reveal. Grant announced in a most authoritative voice: “the unanimous vote for the first place dip was the Spinach & Artichoke Dip, a Marketside brand sold at Walmart.” Immediately following that announcement a breathtaking spectacle unfolded. Everyone is cheering and high-fiving one another. Bob swore he saw tears of joy streaming down some of the participants faces. It was a very emotional moment.

But wait, there’s more… total silence envelops the group once again as Grant announces he is ready to reveal who provided that “award-winning” dip. He hesitates for a few seconds, one can feel the momentum building, a soft murmur of excited voices flows among the participants. Then Grant announces, in a ring-master like voice: “This wonderful, award winning dip was provided by Bob and Sharon.” A roar of vociferous approval and applause immediately erupts among all of the participants. Bob and Sharon are humbled by this show of gratitude and support and vow they shall treasure this moment forever.

In an instant, all eyes turn to Dean as he lifts his tall, Clint Eastwood-like frame from his chair. Bob thinks to himself: “Oh how nice, he’s going to give me and Sharon a celebratory hug!” Instead, he says: “Guess I better have a taste of the first place and the tenth place dip.” With that, he walks right by Bob and Sharon and totally ignores them! Bob is crushed! Sharon tells Bob to get a life!

Second place went to the Tzatziki Style Dip, a Marketside brand sold at Walmart. This is a cucumber and garlic infused dip that was also provided by Bob and Sharon. They could not believe their good fortune. First and Second place awards! Truly overwhelming! Both dip containers have been washed, mounted on a plaque and now occupy a place of honor in our newly designated “awards cabinet” at our desert dwelling.

Galya provided each participate with a Tony’s ChocoLonely chocolate bar as a token of her and Grant’s appreciation for attending this momentous Dip Tasting Festival event. The chocolate was yummy!

Grant announced that perhaps next season’s event could be a liquor tasting, with each participant required to have a designated driver or walker present at the event. Bob is so excited he has already begun his liquor tasting training protocol in preparation for next season’s tasting.

Until next season… DRINK UP!

 

"Living the Dream" with good friends.

Dean & Erica
Bob & Sharon
"Get Your Hands Off Of My Wife!"

Remnants of Tony's ChocoLonely Chocolate Bar. Yummy!

Master Story Teller - 02/20/26

Title: Master Story Teller
Story by: Our dear friend Dean
Location: Imperial Dam LTVA - Yuma, Arizona
Date: February 20, 2026
Narrated by: Bob Drenning

This is a tale about two friends, annual wagers on the Super Bowl and a chance encounter between one of the friends and a legendary quarterback in the NFL.

This story revolves around long time friends Dean, Erika, Bob and Sharon. Dean and Sharon are the main characters in the story with Erika and Bob participating in supporting roles.

Dean and Sharon share a friendly rivalry betting on the outcome of the Super Bowl each year. One can tell, Dean enjoys gently goading Sharon into placing a wager. Once the wager is solidified he has this sly grin on his face, like a fox let loose in a chicken coop. Unfortunately for Sharon, she has never won a wager. This infuriates her to no end and she vows to never make another bet with Dean. But, come the next Super Bowl, the sly old fox entices her into that chicken coop again. Dean begins to gently bait Sharon into placing a wager on the outcome of Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Dean continues his pursuit to acquire a wager on the game. Finally, his persistence has paid off. Sharon reluctantly agrees to place a wager with Dean on the outcome of the game.

Bob is selected to facilitate the coin toss to determine who gets which team. The problem is no one has a coin for Bob to toss. So Bob has to improvise with a water bottle cap. The top of the cap is designated “heads” for the New England Patriots and the threaded portion of the cap is designated “tails” for the Seattle Seahawks. The toss is made and the bottle cap lands on tails. Dean could not help himself by goading Sharon that the toss could not have been more appropriate since he lives in northern California, closer to the Seahawks, and she lives in the Midwest, closer to the New England Patriots. Sharon was having none of that garbage and through her facial expressions and posture, pretty much conveyed a silent message to Dean to “stuff it.” You see, Sharon is a loyal, avid fan to one team only. If that team is not in the Super Bowl she could care less which teams are playing in it. Against her sound judgment she allowed herself to be cajoled by Dean and Bob into placing a wager on a game she had no interest in.

Super Bowl LX was played on February 8, 2026. To Sharon’s chagrin, the New England Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13. Once again, Sharon would endure the humiliating experience of paying off her wager to Dean, in person, while he savored the moment and expressed his appreciation for providing him with a crisp new bill as payment. With a sly smile on his face he told Sharon he would savor the victory and his new-found wealth by purchasing a beverage at Starbucks.

True to his word, Erika was ever so gracious to provide Sharon with a picture of Dean, that sly smile on his face, consuming a Starbucks beverage purchased from his winnings. Sharon felt dumbstruck at the time and was still in a “loser” recovery mode. However, a few days later, Sharon was overwhelmed when Dean presented her with a “gift,” a Starbucks green coffee stirrer. How thoughtful and so compassionate of Dean to remind Sharon of her loss in such a touching way. Sharon has it displayed in a place of honor within our desert dwelling, right above the commode.

Just when Sharon thought her devastating loss to Dean was over and done with, she received a call from Dean on February 16, informing her he has another “gift” for her. Since Sharon was on her a way out of town for a few days she told Dean she would contact him upon her return.

On February 20, Bob received a call from Erika (remember our supporting roles?) inquiring if Sharon and I were available for a visit with them at our desert dwelling. We confirmed a time and anxiously awaited their arrival with Dean’s “gift.”

When Dean and Erika arrive we notice Dean has a small shiny package in his hand. Now both of us are really intrigued and excited to learn the contents of the package. It was evident Dean and Erika had spent a considerable amount of thought and time in preparing this “gift” for presentation to Sharon. How thoughtful it was for them to gift wrap it in aluminum foil. It made for a wonderful shiny presentation and it was protected from the harsh elements present here in the desert.

After visiting a while and exchanging pleasantries, Erika turns to Dean and says to him “tell them the story.”

Dean takes a deep breath, that sly smile on his face, and begins to recite “the story.”

“We were shopping on Friday at the Yuma Palms Regional Center in Yuma, Arizona. During our shopping spree we were walking by Just Sports, a sportswear store. I spotted him first and could not believe it was him. In my excitement, I grabbed Erika and told her “look, that’s him!” Sure enough, walking into the store was none other than Patrick Mahomes, legendary quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

“We scurried into the store. There stood Patrick Mahomes, supporting his surgically repaired left leg with a crutch in one hand and holding a Kansas City Chiefs shopping bag in the other hand. I cautiously approached Patrick and said Mr Mahomes, my name is Dean and a good friend of mine, Sharon, has been an avid Chiefs fan her entire life, even though she lives in Chicago, Illinois. On game day, she proudly wears your jersey, she wears the Chiefs hat, she has her husband raise the Chiefs flag on the flag pole outside of their house, in Chicago of all places. In all of my years of following football I have never met a more devoted fan. At that exact moment, without hesitation, Patrick reached into his shopping bag and retrieved a small package. He handed it to me and said please present this gift to your wonderful friend and tell her I greatly appreciate her devotion to the team and her trust in me to lead this team to victory in 2027.”

As Dean completed his recitation of the story, he reached over and presented Sharon with the “gift,” wrapped in the shiny aluminum foil. Sharon eagerly unwrapped the aluminum foil and lo and behold, what a wonderful gift from the “MAN” himself. There, for all to see were two Kansas City Chiefs 3D beverage coasters, featuring a picture of the stadium. As tears welled up in Sharon’s eyes she thanked Dean for being such a dear friend and wished she had been there to meet Patrick in person and give him a big hug.

During Dean’s telling of the story Bob asked Erika if she had taken a picture of Dean and Patrick together. She replied no. Bob thought that was peculiar, but let it pass. You see, Bob initially bought the story, hook, line and sinker, the whole bit. Then Bob thought to himself: “what the hell is Patrick Mahomes doing in Yuma, Arizona?”

However, Sharon caught on right from the start and played along with the telling of the story. I told Sharon later, the older I get the more naive I get. She replied: “That is just one of the things I have always loved about you.”

So the moral of the story is…
When listening to Dean recite one of his stories: TRUST BUT VERIFY!

But wait… there’s more!

Just when Bob and Sharon thought this story had ended, Bob received a call on Sunday, February 22, from an unknown caller with an area code 707. Bob does not answer unknown caller numbers. Sharon googled the area code and informed Bob the area code serves northwestern California. Now Bob is curious, so he checks Erika’s number in his phone’s contact list and by golly there it is! Her area code is 707. So now Bob checks his voice mail. Sure enough, there is a voicemail message left by that unknown caller at area code 707. A chirpy male voice announces: “Bob, when you get a chance give me a call back.”

Well… Bob has heard those kind of solicitor voicemails probably thousands of times in his life and now ponders whether to call that 707 number back. After giving the matter much thought and prayerful consideration, Bob calls the 707 number. Immediately, a male voice answers the phone. Bob recognizes the voice as his good friend Dean and breathes a sigh of relief. But Bob’s relief is short-lived. In a stern voice, Dean announces he has something important to discuss with us and wants to know how soon we can arrive at their desert dwelling. Bob replies “we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Bob’s mind is racing with all kinds of thoughts about what is this “important” matter and why did Dean’s voice sound so stern, like he was really upset about something. Bob was apprehensive and then began feeling ill. You see, Bob had posted the Master Story Teller on his blog: “Bob & Sharon’s Travel Adventures.” The blog posting included Dean and Erika’s names and a reference to their home being in northern California. The blog also included a picture of Dean. Now Bob’s mind is in turmoil. What if they were upset over this posting? Bob is really chastising himself for being so stupid as to not ask for their permission before posting their information on his blog. So with all of this turmoil swirling around inside of Bob’s head, they arrive at Dean and Erika’s desert dwelling. Bob is prepared for the worst!

Dean greets Bob and Sharon at the front door of their desert dwelling and invites them in. Sharon asks “don’t we want to sit outside?” Dean, in his stern voice, absent a smile on his face, says “no, it’s too windy outside.” Bob is thinking to himself, “this is much worse than I thought.”

While we are all seated in their desert dwelling, I notice Erika stand up and begin to record on her phone. Bob is starting to get lightheaded. Bob begins to fantasize, “maybe if I feign a fainting spell, this will all go away.” At that moment, Dean retrieves an envelope from the table beside him and hands it to Sharon. Sharon opens the envelope and pulls out a picture and immediately breaks out in laughter with a look of amazement on her face.

Sharon hands Bob the picture. Remember that TRUST BUT VERIFY statement Bob had made at the end of Dean’s story? Well, to Bob’s horror, there indeed was a picture taken of Dean and, the "MAN" himself, Patrick Mahomes together at the sports store in Yuma, Arizona. A flood of relief encompasses Bob. He cannot believe his good fortune. Bob dropped to his knees, on the floor of their dwelling, and bowed down to the Master Story Teller in a show of great respect, muttering the words “I’m not worthy!” No need for Bob to panic after all. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. Bob had wet his pants!

As it turns out, the manager at the sports store had indeed taken a photo of Dean and Patrick together. The manager had informed Dean he would have a copy of the photo for him in a few days. So Dean received the treasured momento of a personal encounter with the legendary quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs and Sharon received the treasured Kansas City Chiefs 3D beverage coasters!

So, the new morel of the story is…
I’M NOT BUYING ANY OF THIS CRAP!

 

Dean enjoying his Starbucks beverage!

First "Gift": Starbucks Coffee Stirrer

Second "Gift": KC Beverage Coasters

Dean and Patrick Mahomes

Sharon opening envelope received from Dean

Blackwell FP eTrike Trip - 08/14/25

Blackwell Forest Preserve
West Branch DuPage River Trail
Warrenville, Illinois
August 14, 2025

Introduction
Today is a perfect day for a bike ride. The temperature is in the mid 80s, with a dew point in the low 60s. When the dew point is in the low 60s or less, we know it will feel much more comfortable being outdoors.

We’ll explore the West Branch DuPage River Trail on our electric trikes today. This trail originates at the Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Illinois, just north of Butterfield road. The trail is 4 miles in length and terminates at Gary’s Mill road in West Chicago. So our round trip will be a total of 8 miles.

Our journey on this trail will take us through oak and hickory woodlands, prairies, grasslands and wetlands. This forest preserve attracts a variety of native wildlife, including wild turkeys, deer, bald eagles, great blue herons, coyotes, red foxes, and muskrats.

So it’s time to unload our electric trikes and start exploring!

DuPage River Tributary
This year, work crews have been busy with restoration efforts on this tributary of the Dupage River.

Mack Road Concerns
Crossing Mack road can be challenging. Even with the flashing yellow warning lights, most drivers fail to yield to pedestrians attempting to cross the road.

McKee Marsh
This portion of the trail makes a loop around McKee Marsh. This wetland features two vernal ponds where amphibians thrive and are in abundance. Bird species such as the wood duck, blue-winged teal, and solitary sandpiper forage in the area. A 13,000-year-old skeleton of a wooly mammoth was discovered here in 1977.

Lunch
We stopped for a picnic lunch at the Currier Elementary School at Gary’s Mill road. This is the end point for this portion of the trail. The school is closed today, but opens for the first day of school tomorrow.

We ate our lunch seated at the “little peoples” picnic table and were thrilled to see they had a “Buddy Bench.”

End
Well that concludes our adventure for today. We had a wonderful time exploring this beautiful trail and look forward to our next trip on our electric trikes. Thanks for watching!

Lectric eTrikes - Goodyear, AZ

Fox River Trail eTrike Trip - 08/06/25

Description
Fox River Trail on eTrikes – Geneva, Illinois – August 6, 2025


Introduction
We explore the scenic Fox River Trail on our electric trikes we purchased in June 2025. For senior citizens, like us, who have balance issues riding two-wheel bicycles, this is the perfect mode of transportation for us. Once again, we are able to ride the bicycle trails we use to ride when we had our two-wheel bicycles.

The Fox River Trail is a multi-use trail in Northern Illinois that is over 40 miles long. The trail accommodates bikes, hikers, runners and walkers. It runs adjacent to the Fox River, passing through nature preserves and towns. The trail runs through several communities from Algonquin to the north to Oswego to the south.

On this trip we will explore the trail from Geneva traveling south to Fabyan Forest Preserve (located north of Batavia), a round trip of about 4 miles.

It’s a pleasant day with the temperature in the low 80s. The Dew Point is at 65 which makes it comfortable being outside and a perfect day for a bike ride on our electric trikes.

We parked at Bennet Park, which is located on the west side of Illinois 25 just a few blocks north of Illinois route 38.

Restroom Stop
As we depart the parking lot I stop a young man walking his dog to inquire about restrooms on the trail. Restroom locations are a top priority for us seniors with limited bladder control! He told me there was one at Island Park which is located on the south side of Illinois 38.

Underpass
We travel through the underpass under Illinois 38 and enter Island Park.

Island Park Stop
We stop at the picnic area in Island Park to check out the restrooms. The restrooms were closed for remodeling. A porta potty is installed there until the work on the restrooms is completed.

Bridges
Along the trail there are pedestrian bridges over the Fox River.

Trail Split
We arrive at a point where the trail splits. One trail runs parallel to the river and the other trail runs parallel to Illinois 25. Eventually the two trails merge back into one. We opt to take the trail that runs parallel to the river.

Picnic Stop
We arrive at the Fabyan Forest Preserve where we’ll have our picnic lunch. This forest preserve spans both sides of the Fox river. There is a parking lot at this location with a pit toilet.

On the east side of the river there is a historic windmill. On the west side of the river there is a picnic area with a historic lighthouse. We opted for a picnic lunch by the lighthouse.

Bridge Crossing
We cross the pedestrian bridge to the west side of the Fox river where the lighthouse is located and we’ll have our picnic lunch here.

Selfies
Time to take some selfies of us sitting on a park bench with our cooler between us, just enjoying each other, and thankful we are both in good health and able to go on these adventures.

Picnic Lunch
This location turned out to be a good choice for lunch. Wonderful scenic views in all directions.

Return Trip
We really enjoyed our picnic lunch at the Fabyan Forest Preserve. Now it’s time to head back to Geneva, load up the trikes and head for home. On the return trip I’ve turned the camera around to get a different perspective of the trail ride.

End
We hope you enjoyed our tour of the Fox River Trail in Geneva. Thanks for watching!

Lectric eTrike - Goodyear, AZ

Space X Rocket Launch - 02/10/25

Space X Falcon 9 Rocket Launch
Feruary 10, 2024

I was fortunate to capture this picture this evening. I just happened to go outside to retrieve an item form our cargo van when I spotted this magnificent view in the night sky.

A google search revealed Space X had launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. I captured these photos at 7:15 p.m. The rocket launched 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low earth orbit.

Our location is at the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area (25 miles north of Yuma, Arizona) which is about 450 miles from Vandenburg, California.
 

Naples, FL - 01/09/22

Naples, FL - 01/09/22

We will spend January through early April in Naples, Florida to care for my sister and her invalid husband while she recovers from major surgery.

01/09/22 - Sunday
Depart From: Zolfo Springs, FL
Depart: 10:50 AM
Odometer: 142,610
Arrive: 12:40 PM
Odometer: 142,700
Trip Mileage: 90
Trip Time: 1 hr 50 min
Google Map: 102 miles - 1 hr 45 min

Destination: Quail Creek Estates
City: Naples
State: FL

Zolfo Springs, FL - 12/27/21

Zolfo Springs, FL - 12/27/21

We arrive at Pioneer Park. This is one of our preferred campgrounds in central Florida. We will spend about two weeks here.

12/27/21 - Monday
Depart From: Fort McCoy, FL
Depart: 10:30 AM
Odometer: 142,310
Arrive: 1:30 PM
Odometer: 142,464
Trip Mileage: 154
Trip Time: 3 hr 0 min
Google Map: 157 miles - 2 hr 55 min

Destination: Pioneer Park
Address: US-17 & FL-64
City: Zolfo Springs
State: Florida
Website: https://www.hardeecountyfl.gov/departments/pioneer-park
Campsite: 19
Cost/Night: $20.00 + tax

Comments:
Pioneer Park is one of two campgrounds located within Hardy County, Florida.

We have camped at the Pioneer Park campground over the past years, Visit the following links for information about our past visits to this campground.

Pioneer visit on 01/25/2014.

Pioneer visit on 01/03/2017 with drone video.

Pioneer visit on 03/23/2017.