Jun2025

A MESSAGE FROM TRUCKR

Wow ! If there's anything I can say about our move from Oregon to Arizona, it's to expect the unexpected ! We all know that Arizona is warm and dry. That's the main reason we moved here. Last month a storm came through that dumped several inches of rain, and blased our neighborhood with winds which took the roof off of our house ! All of this occurrerd in a 45 minute storm that passed through Bullhead City. We're pleased to report that our insurance is going to re-roof our house and that the Bullhead City maintenance crews have been working around the clock to get our roads back in order.

Fortunately our internet connection wasn't damaged so we were able to keep in touch with you, our internet friends. Our MIRC server in Phelps, Kentucky was down for a few hours, but Ironhawk jumped on it and got it back up and running shortly after it went down.

Remember to join us every Tuesday and Saturday at 8:00 PM Eastern time for safe, friendly, family chat

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A MESSAGE FROM RUDDYDUCK

Another month has quickly passed. Half of 2025 is almost gone. Nothing is slowing down time. It is sure not to our benefit. Weather has been terrible across the country. Severe storms with wind and hail along with tornados have caused lots of damage. Hopefully this weather will get better, but hot temperatures are coming soon. Get those AC units ready. Spring events are happening now. Lots to do and see. TV does not have much to enjoy, so local events are a plus to go to and enjoy. We are less than a year away from the get together in Louisiana. Save now so you can be ready to attend. We hope everyone stays healthy through the rest of the year. Seems our age is against us at times. Some of us have yardwork and grass to cut. Others are lucky enough to not have grass cutting needed.

Don't forget to join us whenever you can, on Tuesday and Saturday nights at 8pm Eastern Time in 40-up. We have great times chatting and would love to see you. Come see what you are missing. We would love to have you. Have a great month and we will be here next month with better news in our country or at least we hope so.

A MESSAGE FROM BETHY

Happy Summer, Everyone!

School’s officially out for the summer—for my kiddos and for me! I’m soaking it up, even though I’ll be taking a couple of elective classes in July for the Social Work program. I’m actually really excited about them because I got to choose the ones I wanted, and they sound super interesting!

I wrapped up my first year of graduate school with a 4.0 GPA! I worked incredibly hard to earn that, and I’m proud of myself for sticking with it and pushing through.

The boys also finished up their school year strong and are geared up for an adventurous summer. Our youngest will be doing several camps, we’re hoping to secure a staff member for our middle guy soon, and our oldest already has his support staff lined up—and they’re busy making plans for some summer fun. Natasha is keeping busy with work, and business is going well!

Now, on to some exciting news about next year: We’re planning a gathering in the New Orleans area from May 24–31 (please note: these dates have changed from the original ones!) Even if you can’t make it for the whole week, we’d love to see you for just a day or two—it would mean so much!

I’ll be sharing some links below to activities I’m planning for the group, and you’re welcome to join any that sound fun! I haven’t nailed down a hotel yet, but I’ll be working on that throughout June and hope to have something solidified by the July newsletter.

IMPORTANT: If you need any special accommodations, please let me know before I start booking hotels. I’m aware we’ll need a pet-friendly and accessible location, but if there’s anything else, I’d really appreciate you reaching out ASAP. If you need my contact info, just message me or ask Truckr or Gidget.

I can’t wait to see everyone and make some memories! In the meantime, check out these fun ideas for our trip, and have an AMAZING summer!

~Bethy

Activity Ideas for New Orleans Trip

Global Wildlife Center This place is magical! It’s fully handicap accessible, and you ride in a wagon pulled by a tractor to feed animals by hand—if you want to. I’ll purchase a couple of big feed bags for us all to share!

Steamboat Natchez A classic paddlewheel boat with beautiful views and fun vibes. It’s mostly handicap accessible and offers an optional traditional Southern dinner onboard. Highly recommend the narrated cruise—it’s a relaxing and informative way to see New Orleans from the water.

The French Quarter You can’t come to NOLA and miss this! Jazz music, incredible food, rich culture, and (of course) shopping! It involves some walking, but the vibe and atmosphere make it totally worth it.

Honey Island Swamp tour My absolute favorite! We’ll be visiting at the perfect time to see all kinds of wildlife—including alligators. The guides are amazing, and the boats are small but manageable with help. If you can do a few steps with support, we’ve got you! Those of us who can assist are happy to help.

A MESSAGE FROM GIDGET

First of June and the year is almost half over. It's beginning to get hot here in Arizona now so that means most things we do are inside. Summer flowers don't do well in June/July/August because of the heat. There are certain ones – mostly blooming bushes – that do fine. I got some UV protected real looking silk ones and am putting them in pots for the front yard. I saw them at a friend's house and thought they were real so decided to get some.

I have plenty to do inside, I just have to find the energy to do it! There's all kinds of crafts, puzzles etc. not to mention house cleaning! Some of that (house cleaning) makes me tired just thinking about it LOL. I take Hayley out for her walk early in the morning before it gets too hot. We have beautiful parks here and we like to walk along the river.

The first week of May we had what they call a once in a lifetime storm go through here. We got 1-1/4” of rain in less than an hour and it was flowing down the street along with a lot of mud! We were lucky because some areas got a lot of high water – by high I mean up to the windows of people's cars. Wind came with that storm and blew off a lot of shingles from our roof. We're getting a new roof next week. We're grateful that was the only damage to our home. I do have to say that we sure needed some rain but not that much!! LOL

Hope you have a great June and stay safe and well.

A MESSAGE FROM BRUCE

Here it is, the 1st of June already. This means several things, One is: in 22 days the days start getting shorter. Another means it's one less month till we have our next Reunion/get together in LA. I just had an appointment with my Primary Care PA. He is happy that finally most of my blood tests show normal. He and my Cardiologist are recommending I have what is called “the watchman device” implanted in my heart. This will help me to not have blood clots starting in my heart. Also will allow me to quit taking some of the meds. I now take. I'm all for that! I hope everyone is getting ready for our get together. Only 10 more months before the fun begins. I understand Bethy is already working on making sure we have a great time. I hope she is working on it in her spare time. She needs to make sure it doesn't interfere with her schoolwork.

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