Our web site and Members Lounge seems to be stable now and working well. Whatever the host problems were they seem to be corrected.

For those of you that have been using Live OneCare here is an update. OneCare is no longer available for purchase but Microsoft will continue to support it through 2010. The replacement is code named Morro. It will actually be called Microsoft Security Essentials  and will be released during the second half of 2009. It is currently under Beta testing. I tried to get in on the testing but was too late as it has been closed. It will be free. I do not know but I would expect maybe it will come with Windows 7. You have to wonder what will happen to Norton and all the others when Microsoft offers an antivirus program for free.

Windows 7 will go on sale October 22, 2009. If you buy a new computer between now and then, be sure to get your free upgrade to Windows 7. I really like Windows 7 and have pre ordered my copy.

07-01-09
Hi Chuck
Sorry that I too, have been at fault for not writing. so I will fill you in on a few activities that we have been doing. We have just returned from Houston, TX where we stayed with our daughter and family for a few weeks. We endured their HOT HUMID weather of over 108F and used their swimming pool many times a day to cool off! Being with our grandkids was a blessing. We have returned home with our oldest granddaughter who will be with us for a month. Now we are off to take her to Calgary Stampede, the Rocky Mountains and try to do many other activities...IF we can keep up with her!
We certainly hope and pray that Harvey will be feeling better real soon , Sonia.
Bryce is having a difficult time with his garden because of the drought that we have in our area. The farmers are truly suffering and many are relating this to the 1930's.

We wish everyone well and hope that a few more people will write so that we can keep our newsletter going.
Delores and Bryce Woodrow

07-03-09
Hello to all my winter buddies.........
all is well here in Oregon......we have been hotter than normal BUT I figure that is because I was moving. After renting for almost 2 years I finally bought a place. I am actually saving money over what I was paying for rent.
new address is...

Linda Driver
4200 Summers Lane Unit 69
Klamath Falls, OR 97603

Joe came out to God's country and now knows what "real" mountains look like...and I also took him to Redwoods so he could see a "big" tree. We had a great time running all over the state and visiting friends for 3 weeks.
I will go back to Ontario to visit for 3 weeks mid-August.
Our gas prices are higher than what I see from the newsletter. We are at $2.79.
Hope all is well with everyone.......Sonja -- hope Harv is getting better and take care moving. That is what we have moving company's for.

hugs to all, Linda

07-08-09
Yes, we have been having beautiful weather. Today fire bans went up in all of the counties around us. Very dry. The first year for long time that we had a dry warm 4th of July.
Ruth wrote about our "First" picnic and we are getting some responses but room for more......
We are doing well now. When we first got home Warren had an emergency gall bladder (with some complications) operation but is back to golfing and yard work so he has recouped well.
In spite of the dryness the garden I planted (with my neighbor) is doing very well. More tomatoes and zucchini than we will ever use.
Chuck I sympathize with you, with the Diamondbacks doing so poorly as our Mariners were there last year. But this year they are doing good.........
Thanks for continuing the monthly news,. We really look forward in reading what people are doing. Thanks
Darlene and Warren

07-09-09
Chuck, take a look at these photos from over Mt Rainier. Perhaps you could put one or two of them on our Rock Comp newsletter. I have never seen anything like this before. The Fishers have been busy over the summer with home remodeling projects, Ruth working a few days a week and taking care of Ruth's parents has become almost a full time job. Plans are in the works to make some different care options for them, they are 88 and 89 still trying to live on their own. Mel and Ruth have plans to spend July 25th through August 1st in the Olympia, Washington area with family and friends. The summer is flying by quickly. Wenatchee has had weather over 100 already this summer. No rain, very dry and of course that brings on forest fire dangers. A challenge to all Rock Comp computer club members. Send an update of your summer activities to Chuck, lets keep this newsletter interesting. Have a good summer to all. Will give you more details of our family gathering in August.                      Click on picture for a larger view

Mel and Ruth Fisher from Washington State

07-14-09
We've been home a little over 4 months. Winter was in no hurry to be gone & soon after getting home we had a good 2 feet of snow and lesser amounts several times after that. We've not had any real hot days, a few in mid 80's. Have had high winds & electric storms & heavy rain that usually doesn't last to long. Lots of cool days, today 70 for high.
Well I thought I was doing pretty good health wise but had to have back surgery the 9th of May. It went pretty well just took awhile to get going again. Doing fine now. Dale's problems are on going. He is going to therapy for hip & leg pain as well as his shoulder. Today he had cataract surgery on right eye & will have left done in 10 days.
We did manage to get some yard work done. We put up an arbor & planted a couple grape vines. Gosh those are fun to watch. They certainly took off & look as though we might have a handful of grapes. We wanted some plants that come up every year so should be pretty next spring weather permitting. We are waiting for a tree trimmer to come & trim about 8 feet from our Sweedish Aspen trees and frost damage from others.
Lola & Harry Arvidson were in town for Dr. visits so we were able to have lunch & visit with them a couple of times. They are doing well & keep busy. Swanson's will be here the end of the month. Will be nice to see them.
Dale & I had a garage sale last week end. What a job. We each had to sacrifice some of our treasures. Dale, tools, nuts & bolts & me about 100 cook books from everywhere I've been. I'm just glad I'm not moving & having to get rid of everything.
Thanks Jerry for the recipes. You must have lots of books too. Thanks to you Chuck for all the time you put in working to bring us news of our Rock Shadows friends.
Hope this finds everyone getting along fine. We are already looking forward to our return trip to Rock Shadows and seeing all of our Arizona family of friends.

Dale & Elsie Clark #343

07-21-09
Well Don and I traveled to Gatlinburg Tenn for a family reunion. There were about 80 there. We or most of them stayed in a lodge on top of the mountain. We had to take a steep hill to get to the lodge. Obviously there was no place for the kids to play outside except to rappel the mountain behind us but the lodge was three stories high and on the third floor they had pool tables and such for the kids. The second floor had tables for games and tv's for Wi. First floor was humungus for kitchen dining and sitting with porch off of this. The day we went to leave it had rained the during the night and when Don tried to drive up this hill we was slipping and sliding all over and put on the brakes and we slid right back down the mountain. Was a little scary. But had a great time. Granddaughter from Alaska coming this week and in Aug is our Michigan get together so we have had a busy summer. Well that's all for now.
 Don and Katie Yadlosky

07-27-09
Hi everyone,
Just for your information, we have moved into a townhouse in Central City that is about a half mile from where we were living but we don't have to worry about taking care of the yard, etc. Our new address is: 2708 13 Ave, Central City, NE 68826. The phone number is still: 308-946-3449.

Also, Harvey is still in St. Paul, MN after falling while we were visiting our daughter and being hospitalized for 3 1/2 weeks. He had a minor bleed but then had lung trouble and was on the ventilator for about 2 weeks. I am leaving on Wed., July 29 to go back to MN. They want to have a care conference with Kathy, our daughter, and me about Harv's care. He has been in a transitional care unit for rehab so he can get his strength back and strengthen his throat muscles so he can eat again. He is currently on a feeding tube and only gets pudding, etc. when the speech therapist is with him. They want to train me to use his feeding tube, etc. so I can bring him back home to Central City. I plan to stay in MN until they release Harv to go home. I don't know how long that will be but I don't think it will be very long. They are going to set up some home health care for him in Central City. I guess he is walking fairly well and is talking pretty good
again. He hasn't had anything to drink since he entered the St. Paul, MN hospital on June 5.

I came home to Central City on July 1 and had to move and try to get settled before I went back to get Harv. There is still more to do but I guess it will have to wait til later. I really like our home. It is on one level and has no steps, not even to get inside. We have three bedrooms, two baths, a living room, dining room, utility room and double garage. We are using the third bedroom for an office and sewing room. I know most of our neighbors and they are mostly retired people.

I invite you to come see us in Central City if you ever get this way.
Sonia

07-30-09
Not much happened in our house this past month. The most interesting thing is the weather this July. It is going into the record books as one of the coolest Julys on record for our city. We have had lows in the low 50°'s early in the month and more lows in the 50°'s the last days of the month. We have only had one day when the temperature reached 90° and this past week some of the highs were only in the 70°'s. A very unusual month of July! Not to good weather for Winston's corn crop in nearby Iowa..
The other thing of interest has been the gas prices. In early July, the price was $2.14.9. Two weeks ago it jumped to $2.25.9 and a week later to $2.39.9 a gallon. Thursday it dropped to $2.38.9. It's funny how the prices go up in large amounts but down in small amounts.
Chuck, I hope you hear from a number of our members for news. It shouldn't be too difficult for them to write to you at least once a month. I miss the weekly one but I don't blame you for going to once a month when there seems to be so little interest in the newsletter.
Fred Kudym

His dizzy aunt ----------------------------------------------- Verti Gogh
The brother who ate prunes------------------------------- Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store ------ Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia ----------------------------- U Gogh
His magician uncle -------------------------------- Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin ---------------------------------------- A Mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin's American half-brother ------------ Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach --------------- Wells-far Gogh
The constipated uncle ------------------------------------- Can't Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt -------------------------------- Tang Gogh
The bird lover uncle -------------------------------------- Flamin Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin -------------------------------------- Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking ------------------ Way-to-Gogh
The little bouncy nephew ----------------------------------- Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco -------------------------------------- Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV --- Winnie Bay Gogh

I saw you smiling . . . there ya Gogh!

So far we have had a non Monsoon here in Prescott Area but the Valley has been hammered by storms including dust storms known as "haboobs". A week ago Monday we were eating dinner on the patio and the TV was reporting heavy rain and 107° temperature in Phoenix. We had to go inside as it was getting too cold, it was cloudy but no rain. Our temperature at the time was 66°. Isn't that amazing, a 44° difference. We did get a little rain later in the evening.
Fred mentioned that Omaha has experienced the coolest July on record and I saw where Chicago also has had the coolest July. Well, wouldn't you know The Phoenix area has had the hottest July on record. That was followed by a very cool June. Here in Prescott Valley we have had nineteen days in July that the temperature was in the 90° range and it actually hit 100° on July 17th. In the Valley, Sky Harbor, there were no days in July under 100° and seventeen days had temperatures above 110°. Prescott Valley has continued to miss the rain storms but surrounding areas have had some rain. Currently the whole state is in very dry conditions.

Here is the daily temperatures for Apache Junction for July. Notice the three days of 116°.

As this is local news, you may not heard that Bashas' Grocery has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is closing ten stores. They plan to emerge from bankruptcy in about a year. The closed stores does not include the Mesa nor the Gold Canyon locations. The closed store are in Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, Green Valley, Page and Prescott.

The price of gasoline at Costco in Prescott is $2.33.

Thanks for the letters from home.

The Diamondbacks have now won 44 games and lost 58 games for a .431 average. They are now eighteen and a half games out of first place and in next to last place, ahead of San Diego in the National League West. 

Send me news from your home area. Send all news to Chuck.  Just click on Chuck or send to chuck@rockcomp.org. When you include pictures send them as an attachment rather than inserting them in the body of the message. It makes life much easier for me.

Chuck