Our Saturday in Arizona

Our day pales in comparison to Danica’s news above.

Today we decided to see some more of the country. We have mentioned that we’ve gone to Tortilla Flat a couple of times and that the road beyond SR88 becomes a one lane gravel road however it does continue onward and joins up with SR188 out of Globe, AZ at the Roosevelt Dam. So today we decided to see what the other end of SR88 looks like.

Hwy 60 which is a freeway going through Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa becomes a four lane road and then a two lane road just outside of the city. The Renaissance Festival which takes places yearly here just started today so the traffic wasn’t that great but we got through it and on our merry way. We drove east on Hwy 60 through a few small towns.

We reached Globe, AZ around 11:00 a.m. and visited the Tourist Information Centre. These places are always a wealth of information. There was a lady at this one who gave us all sorts of information about the three copper mines which also mine turquoise and how only one is now in operation. She recommended visiting rebuilt Indian Ruins at Globe called Besh Ba Gowah. I didn’t go into the ruins but Gordon did and he will be posting photos on pbase at www.pbase.com/merriwolf. I did take some photos from outside the gates.

After that we continued north on Hwy 188 to Indian Cliff Dwellings. Again Gordon climbed ½ mile straight up to the dwellings and I stayed with Bib. My back doesn’t like these kinds of climbs. I prefer my walks around the RV park. Then we drove to Roosevelt Dam which is at the north end of Hwy 88 or Apache Trail. They have a beautiful bridge there called the Roosevelt Lake Bridge which is pictured above as well as Roosevelt Dam also pictured above.

Then we headed back to the park arriving home around 4:20 p.m., had dinner and I just returned from my walk around the park. Now it’s an evening of Law & Order!

Danica Wins!

Last week I got an email from my sister telling me that her daughter, my niece won a $500.00 scholarship so I got an email from that niece today telling me that she had gotten her picture taken accepting the cheque and referring me to a website so I have downloaded the information and picture for my blog.

Danica, we are so proud of you!

Both our niece and nephew are doing so well. Must be thanks to their upbringing so congratulations Margie and John, you’re doing a great job!

Here’s the writeup from the website. The photo is above.

PIERRE POILIEVRE PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIP TO DANICA DE JONG
February 9, 2006 - Pierre Poilievre today presented the Youth Scholarship for Crime-Fighting contest winner with a $500.00 scholarship sponsored by Scotiabank. Last August when Poilievre was working as an assistant to a police officer to learn more about crime fighting and community safety, he announced a scholarship contest for the student who submits the best community safety idea to his website. Poilievre, the police officer judges and Scotiabank are pleased to present Danica DeJong as the winner.

A Much Nicer Day!

Today dawned bright and sunny but only 47F when I got up. Gordon had gotten up and headed out before sunrise for photography so Bib and I got our walks over with as well as breakfast and then I did some interneting and TV watching until he returned at around 11:00 a.m.

He had gone back to Tortilla Flat and beyond but 5 miles past Tortilla Flat the paved road ends and about two miles past that goes down to one lane so he didn’t go any further. One lane mountain roads are reminiscent of going to see the elk in the mountains near Waynesville, NC. Not fun especially in a one ton truck!

I had a fast lunch and then headed out to get some groceries. Almost out of orange juice again! I stopped at the Goodwill Store to see what they had. Sometimes they have great bargains but this one had junk, then on to the 99¢ store. Picked up a few groceries there and then on to WalMart. I had a pair of jogging pants to exchange or return and I wound up returning them. I got my groceries and then headed back to the RV arriving around 3:00 p.m. Traffic was really heavy on Southern Ave. outside the RV Park. Had to wait for a long time before some nice person in a truck stopped to let me turn left.

My back was not in good shape when I got back so I lay down for a while and it’s much better now.

Gordon went back out for sunset and I decided to stay here and relax some more.

Temperature today got to about 75F, just beautiful.

TV and internet on the agenda for tonight.

Photos today are someone’s idea of decorating for Valentine’s Day and sunrise on the cactus. You can see the outside edges reflecting the sun.

Not much going on today!

Wow! When I got up this morning at 7:20 a.m. it was 67F but cloudy! There was a bit of a breeze blowing so Bib and I headed out to the doggie walk area. It is near a construction site and with all the noise of booms lowering etc. Bib, my wimpie little dog gets scared so we had to come back and go down the street to a grassy area near one of the dumpsters. All comes with dog ownership! I went for my walk after that and came back and got ready for Gordon and I to take the truck in for its 78,000 km check. That only took about an hour so since we had taken the freeway to get there, we took the scenic road back along Baseline (yes, there is a Baseline Road here too). Lots of shopping and office areas along Baseline but hadn’t been in that area before so since we were there anyway…….

Other than that, I played some word games on the computer this afternoon. I’ve downloaded Scrabble and Flip Words, both good word games.

It’s been cloudy all day today and the temperature reached about 77F late this afternoon. The wind picked up for an hour or so around 3:00 p.m. so I decided to take my afternoon walk early in case it got worse or blew in rain. I always take my camera and today I was looking at someone’s grapefruit tree when the owner opened the window of his park model and told me to pick some grapefruit for myself. He and his wife are on cholesterol drugs so they can’t eat grapefruit. So I picked two and brought them home. They are huge!

It’s been 114 days here without rain and there was none in the forecast, but you never know! It’s so dry here that you can see rainclouds but the rain never hits the ground. Amazing!

When Gordon and I got back to the RV this morning, he didn’t have a picture of the day for his pbase photos so we walked around the park a bit and he took a few photos. His photo gallery can be found at http://www.pbase.com/merriwolf.

The photos for today are of a red rose, one of many on a beautiful rose bush and an orange tree.

Tortilla Flat

Today we dropped Bib at Smoochie Poochie, the dog groomer for 9:00 a.m. He wasn’t impressed and neither were we but they seemed to have lots of clientele. There were three lady groomers in what looked like a small red barn (a sort of shed). I gather from when we picked him up that he was not a good boy. The one groomer commented “he really doesn’t like to be groomed, does he”. Anyway he’s trying to make up by being cute and rolling around on the couch. One of today’s photos is of Bib after we got home from the groomers.

Anyway, while Bib was at the doggie spa, we again headed north on the Apache Trail, our destination being Tortilla Flat. We hadn’t taken any photos of the small town (population-6) when we were there last week as there were too many vehicles in front of the buildings. We got there early enough today so there weren’t so many. Another of today’s photos is of the restaurant/gift shop where we each had a $2.00 cup of coffee. It must have been the ambiance! The restaurant is kind of neat. People from all over the world have been there and the waitress will put a dollar bill (or whatever you want to give her) up on the wall. Consequently, the walls are covered in money! They claim not to know how much is on the walls but now you need a ladder to get to an empty spot. We took lots of photos of the town and Canyon Lake and the area. Another photo for today is of Canyon Lake and the mountains behind it. The other photo is self explanatory.

History of Tortilla Flat

Prior to 1906, this location was a welcome stop for travelers on the Yavapai Trail which connected Tonto Basin with the Salt River Valley. In 1906 the trail, now known as the Apache Trail, was completed as a freight road for the construction of Roosevelt Dam. Tortilla Flat became an important water and supply stop on this road. The Apache Trail is now Arizona State Route 88, but Tortilla Flat remains a welcome stop.

On our return to the RV after picking up the dog, I decided to get laundry out of the way. I’ve been putting it off far too long so that’s done.

We’ve also been trying to decide today if we wanted to follow through on our plan to go to Tucson on Saturday, to head north to the Sedona area or stay in this area. We decided to stay where we are for another week as we still have things to see in this area and maybe by then Sedona will have warmed up a bit more.

It was another bright sunny day here – about 85F at the high point. It also got to be 90F inside the RV but we haven’t turned on the air conditioning since we’ve been here. Dry heat is so much easier to take than humidity. I’m sure I’ll remember the dry heat next year when we’re dripping from the humidity in Florida.

A Very Pretty Sunset!

This morning Gordon left before sunrise again to do his photography. Since Bib had gotten up really early and Gordon let him out about 5:00 a.m. he actually let me sleep till 7:45 a.m. Then we did our walks and breakfast.

Gordon came in mid morning just as I was getting ready to vacuum. So I got the cleaning done and sat outside and read for a while. I bought a cheap AM/FM radio when I was out yesterday to help keep me entertained when I’m sitting outside and also for walking. I didn’t bother with a CD player as we don’t have that many music CDs and no room to store them so good old AM/FM will have to do!

After lunch I decided to go and find the Dollar Tree (it’s an American dollar store similar to our Dollarama in Ontario) where everything does cost $1.00. Amazing how dollar stores have turned into $1.00 and up these days. Also like Dollarama, their merchandise is usually very good. This is where I buy my bags for doggie walking. They are actually for diapers but work well for dogs too. You get 100 for $1.00 unlike the actual doggie bags which are about 40 for between $3.00 and $4.00. The quality isn’t as good in the ones I get but they work for us!

So I found Dollar Tree, got my bags and a few other items and also went to Big Lots. I picked up a few things there as well. There was a Crafters Market too and I toured that but didn’t buy anything. If I still had my craft room though………

Came back and packaged up all the meat I bought yesterday. They put meat in such large Styrofoam containers these days and with my small freezer I can pack in much more by repackaging.

As I was sitting down to write tonight’s blog, Gordon said he was going out for sunset photos so I decided to go along. We headed north to Hwy 87 looking to photograph Red Mountain from the north side. Then we drove through a very high end part of Scottsdale. Very nice houses! Almost felt like we couldn’t afford to drive through the place. Then we headed back toward Mesa on the Bush Hwy taking some photos of the sun shining on the mountains and then stopping just before coming in to Mesa and took photos of sunset, one of which is shown here. Then to Taco Bell for dinner.

When we got back at about 7:30 p.m. I went for my walk and then we settled in for a night of TV.

Off to Wally World!

This morning it was quite windy but almost 55F when I went to walk Bib so it was quite pleasant. Also on my walk this morning I got to talk to the owner of the other Titanium here. They are from Stratford, Ontario and are here till February 19th. It’s the first time I had seen someone around their RV.

Yesterday I had decided that I needed to shop for groceries today. We ran out of lots of things this morning including bananas and orange juice so off I went to Sprouts as I’ve been told that their fruit and vegetables were good. Their store is much like Rainbow Foods in Ottawa except it has a large produce section and meats as well but does have the vitamins, breads and some gluten free foods as well.

After I finished there I headed to Wally World to part with lots of $. For some reason every time I go there for groceries I come out with over $100 of stuff. Where do I put it in an RV? Who knows? I decided to drive myself today as Gordon doesn’t enjoy grocery stores and sitting in the truck today waiting for a couple of hours would have been very hot. It reached 78F today on our indoor/outdoor thermometer.

When I came back I read for a while (inside) and tried to take a nap. I was trying to rest my lower back as it gets sore when shopping these days. Decided I wasn’t tired so made potato salad for dinner tonight and then we went to take our showers.

I need to go back to the recreation centre to their library and turn in three books and get some new ones. I love the lending libraries at RV parks. Some of them are huge. The one here is quite large but I think the largest one was in Surrey, BC.

Not much new and exciting today!

The photo today is of some of the palm trees in the park. These are very tall.

A Cactus Forest

This morning started as usual with walking and breakfast. I was happy to see it was 51F this morning, unusually warm. In the morning the birds are singing and it sounds like spring in Ontario.

We had planned to drive to Saguaro Lake but it was cloudy so since I was still tired I went back to bed and read for a while and then back to sleep. I woke up shortly after noon and felt lots better.

It was looking a bit sunnier so we decided to drive up to Saguaro Lake anyway. On the way we stopped at Michaels and I bought the wood plaque for our names to hang on the front of the RV when we’re in a park. When it’s done, I’ll take a picture of it but don’t expect it any time soon.

We headed north on Power Rd which turned into the Bush Hwy and into the Tonto National Forest. There are some very pretty mountains and lots of cactus of all kinds. The picture today is a forest of chainfruit cholla cactus that we saw. There are a number of recreation areas along the Bush Hwy but all of them require a $4.00 fee. Since we’re only going to take a few photos and move on, we’re not interested in paying $4.00 to do so. It would be different if we were spending the day of part of the day there so we left. We saw Saguaro Lake but there wasn’t really much place to take photos of it and besides the light wasn’t right so Gordon has now headed out (5:30 p.m.) for sunset to take some photos. I decided to stay behind and get dinner ready. I expect we’ll be going back up there this week.

We’ve noticed in the west that people use cattle guards often in place of fences. For those of you who have never traveled to the great west, cattle guards are horizontal steel rails placed at fence openings on highways to prevent cattle from crossing. For some reason the bovines will not step on the guards, probably because they fear getting their feet caught between the rails. We’ve seen these in British Columbia, Arizona and last year in Texas. I found it quite interesting that these things would keep cattle where you want them.

On our way back to Mesa a young coyote crossed the road in front of us with a small animal in his mouth. That’s only the second one we’ve seen, the other one being from our picture window over the fence at Catalina Spa at Desert Hot Springs. I would have thought we’d see them on BLM land at Brenda.

When we got back I went for my late afternoon walk again and took a few more photos around the park. There’s a bush of light pink roses in front of someone’s park model that are very pretty but people were outside so I didn’t photograph it. There are so many flowers out here, it’s just so beautiful!

I don’t expect much to happen for the rest of the day other than Desperate Housewives and Gray’s Anatomy!

Canada Day in Mesa, Arizona

Today after my morning walk and breakfast, I decided to go to the pool and spa. Gordon was busy interneting so I walked up to the pool and was just going through the gate when my sister, Betty called from Toronto. She said it was cloudy there but not cold but they are looking forward to their trip to Spain which is coming up shortly. We had a nice chat and then I sat by the pool for a couple of hours. I spent some time in the spa and then in the pool returning in time for lunch. While I ate lunch I sat outside in my lawnchair and read. It reached 83F today but very pleasant with no humidity!

Mid-afternoon we went for our showers to be ready for the potluck at 5 p.m. Canada Day is a yearly event here and apparently at most parks in the area. Each year it is hosted by residents from a different province and this year was hosted by Manitoba. We had a great meal. I’m still stuffed! They handed out information pamphlets about Manitoba and then we had a quiz. It so happened we had a retired teacher from Bell High School in Ottawa at our table so although Gordon and I completed the quiz for the table, Chad marked it and we got 100%. At our table was the couple from Ottawa, Aggie & Chad and Ken and Joyce from Regina. These potlucks are only for Canadians in the park. Apparently each state also has a potluck between now and the end of March.

When we got home I decided to take the garbage out and go for a walk. I didn’t walk nearly as far as I usually do in the late afternoon but it was nice walking in the evening.

After returning to the RV I checked my email and I had two emails from my nephew, Nicholas, one sending the promised pictures of his paramedic team and the baby they delivered which is my picture for today! My handsome nephew is the farthest on the right. Thanks for the photos Nick and it was great to hear from you!

Hot and Sunny!

This morning started as usual, Gordon left before sunrise to get photos, I walked the dog, walked me, and had breakfast. I had decided yesterday I wanted to go to the SwapMeet over in Phoenix. I had picked up a card at the tourist information place at the RV office giving us free admission. Sure glad we didn’t have to pay to get in! Mostly tacky junk, probably worse than Quartzsite. We saw the place (they claim it’s 3 acres indoors) in an hour and then headed back. I wanted to go to Michaels to get some wood to start our plaque but couldn’t find it on the way back. I checked on line when we got home and now I know where it is.

This afternoon I again sat outside. It was quite hot in the sun today and it probably got to 78F. Very nice day! The only difference was I didn’t have a nap!

When I came in I asked Gordon if he wanted to go to the tourist information place over on Apache Trail so we loaded the dog and ourselves in the truck and headed over there. It wasn’t much either so we continued on to the overlook that goes to Weavers Needle. I only had sandals on so I stayed with Bib. Also it was too hot to leave Bib in a closed up truck so Gordon walked the mile or so to take photos of the Needle.

Then back home and I again went for a long walk around the park. I can see a difference in myself when I do these walks twice a day. Other than my back, I feel better.

Gordon is now barbecuing some burgers for dinner. Tonight is one of my favorite TV nights – Ghost Whisperer and Close to Home.

Photos today are of a flowering cactus and a bottle brush tree.

Sunny and Warm!

This morning after walking Bib, I went for another long walk around the park by myself, then came back to do some internet and watched some TV before heading out for our showers at the park. I like to use the park showers if they are clean, less cleaning for me although when we do use them, Gordon is the one that uses the squeegee to wipe down the walls.

This afternoon I had my dentist appointment. Very nice people, lots of forms to fill out. I even had to have an x-ray as the dentist wanted to be sure that there was no fracture. Apparently an old filling has chipped and in his opinion the tooth needs a crown. He said he thought it could wait until I get home but no guarantees so I’ve decided to take my chances and wait as I don’t really want a crown. I’m hoping my dentist in Ottawa can remove the old filling and just put in a new one. Since I saw the ad in the magazine they have here at the RV park which had a coupon for free examination and free x-rays – NO CHARGE! I had visions of hundreds of dollars.

We stopped at a grocery on the way back so I could get some beans to make my Calico Bean recipe for the potluck on Saturday. It’s better made ahead of time so I’ll do it tonight.

I sat outside and read for a while when we came back, then fed & walked Bib and then Gordon and I went for a walk around the park. He wanted some bird photos. He did get a couple of shots but they weren’t close enough for me to photograph with my little camera.

It was another beautiful sunny day and it reached about 75F. It also hasn’t been getting so cold at night and was 47F when I got up this morning. Lots better than 32F that we had some mornings in Quarzsite!

Nothing else happening around here today!

Photos are of some flowering trees around the park.

Not Much Happening Today!

Today's photos-top to bottom:
Bird on a cactus
Bunny seen on my walk this afternoon
Sky view from my lawnchair

Gordon got up before sunrise and headed out to take photos. Bib and I went for our usual walk and after I brought him home I went for a real walk. I think I’ve covered most of the park by now. It’s interesting to see where people are from either from their license plate or plaque that they have hung somewhere. I haven’t seen anyone else here from Ontario but I have seen people from Manitoba, B.C. and Alberta. It will be interesting to see how many people are Canadian that turn up for the Canada Day potluck on Saturday.

I made an appointment for next week for Bib to get a haircut at Smoochie Poochie and made myself a dentist appointment for tomorrow. I chipped a front tooth before Christmas but we haven’t been in one place long enough or in an area that has dentists that can take you right away so I was lucky to find this dental office and close by. Let’s hope it’s a minor repair at least until I get home.

I had planned to go to the Mall but decided I was too lazy. There’s a SwapMeet this weekend that I’d like to attend and I think I’ll check that out first.

I’ve also been thinking about making a plaque for us with our names and where we’re from. I had hoped to find someone who would make one at Quartzsite but the only one that looked like it might make signs to order was never open when they were there. So, I thought I could go to Michael’s and get the wood (after all the wood I practically gave away for crafting when we sold the house), I have my paints. We have the expertise! I even have a wood burning tool if I decide to go that way rather than paint. Anyway it’s still in the planning.

Most of the morning I did interneting and watched TV. This afternoon I sat outside in the sun for a while where it was really hot although only about 70F and then moved to the shade where it was quite cool. I took another walk around the park and back to internet.

Today Started Out As Ho Hum!

Today started out very slowly. I was up early to walk the dog but still felt tired so after my walk around the park and breakfast, I lay down on the couch and read for a while and fell asleep. I got up and went to sit outside but it was a bit cool so I took my blanket and sat out and read and napped again.

This afternoon was partly cloudy and a bit windy and not a good day for sitting outside so we decided to go “scouting” for pictures. We wound up driving north on Apache Trail to a little bit past Tortilla Flat about 20 miles away. We saw some very pretty sites and took lots of photos. Mine are posted at: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smerrikin/album?.dir=9ae2 . Some of them haven’t been named yet as I haven’t found out the name of the mountains. We got back about 5:30 p.m. in time for a shower, walk the dog and make dinner.

I got an email today telling me that we have been named RVers of the month for February by RV Resources. Here’s the link: http://www.rvresources.com/links/rv_travelogues.php

RV Resources is an internet directory specializing in information on RV's. It has links to dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, rentals, service, insurance etc. The site is focused on providing the best information about RV's available on the internet.

Tonight is internet and TV!

Today’s photo is of Bib and I with Canyon Lake as the backdrop taken by my husband, Gordon.

Beautiful Day in Mesa!

When we arrived on Saturday we were to go to the office on Monday at 8:30 a.m. to get registered. So we showed up but were told that the office computers had locked up and to come back later.

Since groceries were the next on the list and Gordon wanted to do some more scouting for photos, we went to the WalMart on Apache Trail where he dropped me off. I got groceries, finally got my watch band resized and got my blood pressure reading to keep my doctor happy.

When Gordon got back from his scouting trip, we had coffee at the Subway at WalMart, then came back and unloaded the truck.

After putting groceries away, we headed back to the office but they were closed for lunch so we hung around, finally got registered and paid. While I was waiting I noticed they are having a “Canada Day” potluck on February 4th so I signed us up. More food!

It was such a bright, sunny and warm day when we got back to the RV, I put together my new folding table that I bought at WalMart to go with our outside chairs, sat outside and read and yes, again took a short nap. I spent about 1 ½ hours in the partial sun. Gordon had put the awning out but it didn’t keep all the sun off me so I lathered up with sun block. Then I took a long walk around the park looking for a photo to take to put on my blog. So, today’s photo is of the swimming pool and spa. I may spend some time there tomorrow as it’s supposed to be another beautiful day and even warmer than today.

We had a treat for dinner tonight. Gordon got out the BBQ and cooked chicken breasts. It’s been a long time since the BBQ has been out as by the time we eat dinner it’s usually too dark. They were yummy!

Now it’s back to the internet and TV for this evening.

Saturday Night and Sunday

When I uploaded my blog yesterday I thought that other than dinner and TV we were finished for the day but Gordon got his second wind and we headed east to see some of the sights. He was particularly interested in photographing the Superstition Mountains so we headed in that direction and wound up at the Lost Dutchman State Park where we took a few photos then to an “authentic” reproduction gold miner’s town called Goldfield Ghost Town which might have been authentic except for the phone booths, signs for jeep sightseeing trips and prices for the sightseeing trips that you would have been able to buy a farm for back in the 1800’s. Anyway, when we left I told Gordon that I didn’t have anything ready for dinner so he suggested we find a Taco Bell. I checked the internet before we left and found two on Apache Trail which was the road we were taking over to the mountains. So on our way back, we stopped there for dinner and watched the beautiful sunset. I did take a picture but with all the wires and signs, it isn’t much of a sunset photo.

This morning we were slow moving. After getting showers and sitting outside to read for a short time, it was noon! This afternoon, I again took my book outside and read a bit and I will admit had a short nap in the sun. It was very nice in the sun with a gentle breeze. Then I came in and asked Gordon if he wanted to drive over to the nearest WalMart SuperCenter so I could see where it is. I usually don’t mind driving as long as I know where I’m going. The traffic is bad getting out of the park and you do have to make a left turn on a 4 lane road. That will probably be the worst part. We found the WalMart and also a large shopping mall that I just might have to check out. If my back was the way it was five years ago I would walk to the mall, walk around and walk home but about two hours walking is all it can take these days and then it’s tightened up for a few days.

After we located WalMart, Gordon asked me where I wanted to go and I said I didn’t care so we headed for downtown Phoenix to see what it looks like. It’s about 20 miles away but we found it. Lots going on there, also lots of construction so Gordon took a few photos and then we headed south on I-10. I-10 is quite puzzling here and I don’t really know how to explain it but we had to double back and then came in on the new 202 Loop which isn’t finished so we took the last exit and came north to the park from there. We saw a lot more of the area anyway.

So tonight it’s hamburgers for dinner and my favourite shows – Desperate Housewives and Gray’s Anatomy.

Today’s photo is me at the “authentic reproduction” jail. I’ve posted a couple of other photos on my yahoo photos website at: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smerrikin/my_photos

For our original website go to: http://web.newsguy.com/gordonw/News/News.html Links to both our photo websites can be found here as well.

From Countrified to Citified

Today we packed up and hit the road about 9:55 a.m. heading for Phoenix. We had reservations at the SilverRidge RV Resort in Mesa which is a very large suburb of Phoenix and I’m told is the third largest city in Arizona. We arrived after getting through Saturday Phoenix traffic at about 12:30 p.m. and were set up by about 2:00 p.m. There was some hassle with our check in. We were guided to two sites by the little man at the front booth and both were taken (by seasonal dwellers) so don’t know where he’s getting his information but we finally ended up on site 630 which is very close to the doggie walk area.

The doggie walk area is through a gate and into a back street near where the city keeps their vehicles so it’s not a place where you can let the dog run. Our site is nice, quite large but not as large as Black Rock, also no picnic table again but we do have two concrete slabs, one for our patio and one to park the truck. The nice thing about this park is that the streets are paved so hopefully I’ll get out and get some exercise.

When we left Brenda it was mostly cloudy although the sun was bright when it first came up this morning. As we continued east it became more sunny and here in Mesa it is very sunny with a slight breeze. I tried sitting outside for a while but only got one chapter read. I need to go and check out the facilities. I always like to see if the showers and washrooms are clean so I know if I’m going to use their showers or ours. I’d rather use theirs, Gordon would rather use ours.

As the office isn’t open till Monday, we haven’t checked in yet so don’t have a map of the park so will have to wing it. We do have better cable here than we had in Brenda, I should say we have more stations.

It's quite a difference going from Brenda, in the country where you're surrounded by BLM land to Mesa, in the city where you're surrounded by freeways and shopping malls but we're here for two weeks!

Looks like 72F today for a high.

The photo today is Gordon sitting outside our RV at our new location.

We’re Headin’ On Out

Today I was up earlier than usual so got some photos of the sunrise from the farthest east part of the park. Bib and I walked in the wash that goes under the Hwy 60 bridge just east of here. Also discovered a 9 hole mini put golf course in the desert on the Black Rock RV Village property that I didn’t know about. It doesn’t appear to be advertised the way the 18 hole golf course is.

After getting my act together I decided since we are leaving the area tomorrow, I would get the laundry done as I’ll have to get groceries when we get to our next stop and didn’t want to have to do two things. That took most of the morning as there were only three washers and one was being used and three dryers and one was out of order and one was being used. With that out of the way, I got back just in time for lunch.

It was a nice sunshiny day so Bib and I took another short walk, then I dropped him off and went for a longer walk by myself with my camera. Didn’t see anything worth photographing. Came back and sat in my chair outside for a while with my fleece jacket on but even that didn’t keep me warm enough. The sun was warm but there was quite a cool breeze. Must be coming from Canada! I came back into the RV with cold hands so decided to read and of course, had another nap.

All in all, not a stressful day!

Now it’s time to find something for dinner and another usual TV and internet night.

Tomorrow we’re headed for SilverRidge RV Resort in Mesa, AZ where we’ve booked two weeks, buy one get one free! I like those kind of deals. Just hope the park is decent. I usually don’t like booking that much time sight unseen!

Today’s photo is of the morning sunrise.

Thursday's here again!

Today, as usual I walked the dog first thing. I don’t usually mention it because it occurs daily usually between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. After feeding him and me, I usually do some internet surfing. Gordon is usually either out taking sunrise shots or sitting in his chair already on the internet since he got up usually somewhere between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.

Today we decided to head west toward Blythe, CA as we hadn’t gone far in that direction. We saw the Colorado River again and that’s about all. Not much of note going west. On the way back I took some photos of the sea RVs on BLM land and this is my photo for today. I wanted to take one from a distance so you could see the expanse but my camera isn’t equipped for wide angle or distance.

After we got back and had lunch, it seemed cool outside so I lay down on the couch to read and of course, fell asleep for a while. I then got up and headed for the campground shower and realized it had gotten nice and warm so when I got back from my shower I sat outside and read and let my hair dry naturally.

Then Bib and I went for another short walk around the park. I will miss this park in some ways. It’s the first park we’ve had in a long time where the sites are so huge! You actually feel like you have some space to yourself rather than being so close to your neighbor you’re sitting on his septic system. It’s also fairly quiet here and a short walk to the BLM area making you feel like you’re in the country, which you are. The price is pretty good - $125/wk less Good Sam Discount. The minuses for this location are lack of good grocery stores, all the roads in the park are gravel and dusty.

Since we’re leaving on Saturday for points east, we have to make some arrangements for a new park……..

Now I’m thinking about what to have for dinner and am leaning toward sandwich steaks and rice so I’d better get to it, then another night of TV and internet. The exciting life of the retired!

An Uneventful Wednesday

A slow start this morning. Gordon went out before sunrise and got the truck filled with diesel before the rush in Quartzsite. There are no gas stations in Brenda. Then he went south on SR95 to see if there were any photos to take. Most of the scenery there is the same as on the BLM land that is right next to us.

I decided that I needed to try out our new beater brush before the RV Show ends in case there is a problem with it. All in all, I’m pretty happy with it. It seemed to do a pretty good job on the rug, not as good as the vacuum cleaner I had when I had the stick house but it’s better than the brush we had for the rug.

After that we went for a walk on the BLM land and I took some photos of the 18 hole desert golf course. Pictured here is the first hole. There is no putting green as there is no green so you chip up onto the area around the flag. Must be difficult playing with all the scrub around. I think you’d be forever looking for balls but every morning the guys are out there early playing. We also saw some guys with model airplanes but they weren’t flying when we were out there. I also walked over to the rec hall area where the lady was selling oranges and grapefruit on Saturday. She was to be here again today and indeed she was so I bought four more oranges and she threw in an extra orange for $1.00. She says she'll be back on Saturday so I'll probably buy some more oranges and possibly some grapefruit before we head out to wherever our next location might be.

After lunch I tried sitting outside but there was a bit of cloud cover so it wasn’t all that warm even with a sweater on so I came in and started to read and fell asleep on the couch. Bib woke me up at 4:00 p.m. for his dinner.

After more interneting, I’m trying to get caught up with fulltimers Howard & Linda’s website: http://www.mytripjournal.com/rv-dreams. I’m starting January 2006 so I’m almost caught up. This will be a daily site visit for me along with Susan & Rick who are from Ontario : http://www.coulsoncastle.ca/index.php. Susan & Rick were the ones that invited us to stay at Catalina Spa at Desert Hot Springs in December for the 5 days for $25.00.

Bib and I went for another walk this afternoon to the east end of the park. I had never been there before and found the Laundry Room #3 has lots of washers & dryers. I may do another laundry before we leave here on Saturday.

At home in Ontario and most other places other than in the desert when you cross a bridge on a highway, you usually see a river or lake. In the desert when you cross a bridge, you see a wash. It’s a gravel ditch which takes the flash flood waters away when they have heavy rains. There are all kinds of them and you see them often when traveling on the roadways. They do have some irrigation canals but other than that you don’t see much in the way of water. Also pictured is the wash behind Laundry Room #3 which goes under Hwy 60 which is the highway where the campground is located.

The exception around here to this is the Colorado River which divides California from Arizona. It is a well used river for irrigation and hydroelectric purposes.

Also pictured are my duck boots. Note how dusty they are. Walking in the BLM and even on the crushed gravel streets of the campground is very dusty! Just wanted to mention the names of the streets here. We are on Los Coyote. Other street names are Which Way and Easy Street among others. Cute names!

Tonight again is TV and internet, our usual fare!

Happy Birthday Garth!

Just wanted to acknowledge our brother-in-law’s birthday today, while he’s in the ice and snow, we’re in the sun!

Today we headed back into Quartzsite. I decided I wanted to get a hummingbird feeder as in the last few places we’ve been there have been lots of these little creatures flying around. I purchased one, now just have to figure out how to get it to work with a suction cup on the window and also find some nectar or make my own. I’m also looking for beads for my niece. When I talked to her this weekend, she said she didn’t have any green beads. The ones I looked at today didn’t do anything for me and most of them need to be restrung and a catch put on them. I don’t want to do that as I’ve gotten rid of all my beading supplies so I’ll have to keep looking.

On our way back, we stopped at a little place in Brenda called Kathy’s Kitchen. It’s little more than an aluminum shed with patio tables and chairs. The front of the shed/garage is open so some tables are outside and the kitchen is just to the side of it in a small trailer structure. The breakfast was excellent and has agreed with my husband. For those of you that don’t know him, he has Celiac disease and can’t tolerate anything with gluten so if there is any cross contamination it will cause a reaction like cooking pancakes on the same grille with bacon and eggs.

Today’s photo is of Gordon and I having breakfast at Kathy’s Kitchen.

This afternoon I sat in my chair and read and napped for about 1 ½ hours. It was a beautiful day in the sun and got up to about 75F. The breeze came up this afternoon and although it’s not bad, the sand is masking most of the mountains around. I took a walk with Bib and Gordon to see what sunset might be like with the blowing sand and didn’t look like it would be much so Bib and I came back to the RV. I also updated our expenses, hadn’t done that since the end of December. December was a wash but January seems to be doing okay. We’re still under $2000.00 for this month.

I don’t have much to comment on yesterday's Canadian Federal Election. The Conservatives got in with a minority government. Maybe it’s time to give them a chance, the Liberals have been in power for a long time!

Another quiet night of TV and probably spending some time on the internet.

London Bridge Isn't Falling Down!

But it is under construction. Looks like they are about to repave it.

We left the campground this morning at about 9:15 a.m. and made one stop at the Parker Dam on our way to Lake Havasu City. Lake Havasu City is home to the real London Bridge which was purchased from England in 1968, disassembled in London and reassembled in Lake Havasu. The bridge was reassembled on dry land and the Bridgewater Channel was dug out from beneath the bridge causing the peninsula to become an island. There is a lot more to the history of the move of the bridge but I won’t bore you with further details.

Other than London Bridge, there’s not much more to Lake Havasu however I did go grocery shopping as Quartzsite is very busy and I’m told expensive for groceries. We also went to Home Depot and got a very tiny shop vac. We need something to be able to keep the truck clean and thought a shop vac might come in handy. It’s very cute but has lots of suction!

On our way home we stopped at all the scenic lookouts to take photos and arrived home around 6:00 p.m. in time to get dinner ready.

So now we are settled down to a night of interneting and TV watching.

The photo today is of me at London Bridge. I have on a T-shirt, a cardigan, my jean jacket as well as my fleece jacket. It’s not that it was that cold, but very windy. It was about 59F at the time the photo was taken.

We Attend the RV Show

Today we got up thinking that we might go to Lake Havasu City but decided to put it off for another day. Instead we thought we’d go to the RV Show in Quartzsite. The traffic in Quartzsite has been horrendous and with the RV Show starting yesterday we expected it would be much worse.

When we were in the office signing up for another week I noticed that they had a sign up sheet for a shuttle to the RV Show for free. We hadn’t signed up for today so at about 9:45 a.m. we headed up to the office to see if we could get on the 10:00 a.m. shuttle. We were in luck and we left for Quartzsite in the shuttle at about 10:15 a.m. Indeed the traffic was not something we wanted to drive in let alone trying to find parking so we were very happy to have the shuttle take us there and drop us off.

We spent about 2 ½ hours there. There is a huge tent with all kinds of exhibitors from Passport America to clothing. Of note was Armand from 3i Communications was not there. His booth was empty but the company name was on the booth. We bought our internet satellite system from him when we were in Lindsay in June 2005. Guess he was too busy wiring up the buses for the Canadian Federal Election tomorrow.

Some purchases were made. Our Passport America expires at the end of February so I signed us up for another year and got my temporary card. We saved $5.00 US signing up at the show. For those of you that don't know about Passport America, it saves us 50% on campgrounds that are listed with PA. We also got some shorter bars that we use to keep things on shelves and found a beater brush for our vacuum at the Dirt Devil exhibit. I’ve been talking about going to a vacuum cleaner store to see if I could get one as the rug brush that came with the vacuum just doesn’t ‘cut it’. Ever heard of cutting the rug or are most people that read this to young for that phrase? Anyway it means dancing which is entirely different from vacuuming (to me).

The shuttle picked us up at about 1:15 p.m. and we returned to the park where Bib was anxiously awaiting us. After doing some interneting and having a nap, Bib and I went for a walk on the BLM land next to the park where he got some sort of burr like stuff in his fur so he got a brushing tonight.

Oh, and by the way, I did get the freezer defrosted last night. It doesn't take long once you get started, it's just getting at it.

I’m starting to get comments on my blog. Cool!

That’s all for today – photo of the day is of the RV show.

My Saturday

Today was our last day in site T-5 so we packed up and moved to site J-6 where we will be for a week - still in the same campground so it wasn't a strenuous move. We got here and set up and it was still only around noon so I got laundry ready and headed to the laundromat. There are 3 of them in the campground each their own little building with 3 washers and 3 dryers and 2 folding tables in each as well as some chairs and magazines. After loading up the machines, I called my sister, Margie in Ottawa and got to talk to my nephew, Nick and my niece, Danica. Bonus!

They are both very busy, Nick is finishing up his last semester to be a paramedic and is now travelling with the paramedics, school is finished for him. Danica, too, has news but I can't post it yet because she has some people that she hasn't told yet. Margie is doing well at her new job and was asked this week if she wanted to work full time. She has decided at this point that she doesn't want to do that. John has seen a neurologist about his back pain and is now on some new drug for the pain. He is to have another test done at the Civic and will be scheduled for an MRI.

The good/bad news is that it snowed 8 inches last night in Ottawa and the guys had just come in from shovelling wet, heavy snow/compared to sunny, breezy 65F here in Brenda, AZ.

When we were out this morning before moving sites, we filled up our propane tank and there was a lady in the parking lot selling citrus fruit so I got some oranges and grapefruit. I just had an orange and it was really good. The prices were good too - 4/$1!

After finishing the laundry, Gordon, Bib and I took a short walk over to the BLM land and took a few photos so I would have something to post for today. My work for today isn't done though. When it gets a little cooler I have to defrost the refrigerator. I'll put a table outside and put the milk and stuff out there. It did get down to around 25F last night so it should be cool enough. Sure glad it warms up during the day!

I also just called my sister, Betty who lives in Toronto and got to talk to her and her husband, Garth. Amazing that I was able to reach everyone today! They are busy planning trips to Spain, Florida and their Amazon cruise all to take place over the next 3 months.

That's all for today. Photos today are of Bib and I in the little park close to our location and our new home at J-6. The sites here are huge!

Saguaro Cactus - a bit of trivia for today

The saguaro is the largest cactus in the USA commonly reaching a height of 12 metres and an age of up to 200 years. It grows very slowly and by the time it is 50 years old it reaches 4 metres tall. Somewhere between 65 and 70 years it develops its first arm and is considered mature at 85 years. The Saguaro only grows in the area of southern Arizona and extends into western Mexico. It requires a reasonable amount of water and can swell substantially when it rains. They can be damaged by frost, lightning and wind as well as by the gila woodpecker who uses it as its pecking tree. I won't go into a lot of detail about this cactus but it is rather interesting and anyone who wants to learn more only need type saguaro cactus into google to come up with a plethora of sites. That's your tidbit of knowledge for today.

My husband said I should explain yesterday's photo further. The camel is actually made of wheel rims.

Today we headed into Quartzsite again and walked around a larger part of the "Main Event". Again booths and booths of rocks and gems and more and more junk. We purchased a long handled squeegee. I guess that means we need to clean! Then we drove around some more east on I-10 and then north and west back to our park. On the way back we stopped at the Country Store in Brenda to pick up a few vegetables so that I could make my famous Hamburger Stew. It's a favourite for both of us and since it has cooled off, it's good weather for stew.

It is still bright and sunny but only about 64F today. At least the wind that we had yesterday died down so it wasn't as chilly walking around the flea market today.

Don't expect tonight will be any more exciting than stew and TV!

The photo today is of guess what - a saguaro cactus!

Tribute to Hi Jolly!

Today, Gordon was out before the sun rose taking photos again. When he came back we got ready and went in to Quartzsite again. As it turns out the “Main Event” is all over town, not just in one area so we wandered around another part and then left when things started to get busy. We did buy a few things and looked at more binoculars. Still haven’t decided on the binoculars. I got a toaster that can be used on the stove. I’ve sort of missed having toast. The only time I’ve had it, I’ve done it in the frying pan and that makes it kind of soggy. Gordon bought a humungous ground stake for staking down the satellite dish. Looks like it could hold down the whole RV! Unfortunately the ground in the desert is like cement so we can’t use it here, just where we need it with all the wind.

We headed west a bit on I-10 and drove through some of the BLM lands taking a few more photos.

When we got back we managed to sign up at this campground for another week so we’ll be here till Saturday January 28^th. I’m glad because the RV show starts on Saturday and I did want to see some of it. I’ll also get to see more of the flea market.

I tried to sit outside this afternoon but the wind had come up this morning and it turned a bit cooler also with some cloud. We’re not in Yuma anymore! So I read inside, had a nap and prepared chicken cacciatore for dinner.

A Partial Story of Hi Jolly

Hi Jolly (that is now the foreign name sounded to the desert people) came here from his native Syria during the mid 1850's with score or more of North African camels. They had been ordered by the U.S. Army for a desert experiment, and Hi Jolly was hired as the chief camel driver.

This didn’t work out however as the camels weren’t compatible with the army’s mules. Hi Jolly stuck around and tried to develop a freight business from the Colorado River port cities to the mining camps to the east. The short story is that Hadji Ali died in Quartzsite in 1903. If anyone is interested, the abbreviated story can be found at: http://www.quartzsitechamber.com/points_interest_hijolly.html

Anyway, today’s photo is a tribute to Hi Jolly just outside one of the areas of the “Main Event”.

We Arrive at Quartzsite, AZ

Today started with a really pretty sunrise for our last morning in Yuma. We got packed up and left Yuma to head north to Quartzite shortly after 10:00 a.m. and arrived at our campground, Black Rock RV Village at Brenda, AZ about 12:15. We got set up, walked around the park a bit and then headed into Quartzsite to see what all the hoopla is about.

We went to the “Main Event” which is a flea market type place which we found to be lots smaller than Stittsville was when it was open. The rest of the town however has booths and signage all over the place. The plan is to go into town tomorrow and park on the main street and walk around to see what we could see.

The only purchase I made was a pillow sham for the couch for $2.00. It wasn’t up to my mother’s standard of quilting but I couldn’t buy the material for that price! We also looked at some binoculars that are stronger than the ones I have and I’m still thinking about those. I’ve been wanting some more powerful binoculars and have been looking when I see sales but these were a very good price.

We are at this park for three days and have asked to be put on a cancellation list to stay for the week. Parks fill up fast here at this time of year. Brenda (the town) is about 15 miles east of Quartzsite off I-10.

After checking out the flea market we drove north on SR95 for a bit and then took the exit just out of Quartzsite and took some photos of the saguaro cactus in the desert. Then we drove east for a few miles on Hwy 60 past Brenda towards Hope. We turned around at Hope and headed back. Not much to see going east.

There are all sorts of places in and around Quartzsite to dry camp on BLM grounds, some free for two weeks, some you pay a nominal fee. There are lots of people dry camping.

The photo today is Gordon beside Big Harv and Big Larry at our site T-5 at the Black Rock RV Village.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

This morning Gordon left before the sun came up to go to the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park to take photos. He got back about 9:30 a.m. and we headed for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

This is the first city that we've stayed at where there's been a Cracker Barrel since we crossed into the US on November 1st. I still have gift certificates that were given to me by my co-workers when I left work in August 2004. Their breakfasts are always really good!

After breakfast we went to downtown Yuma to take some photos and found a small outdoor market that takes place on Tuesdays so I had a look around there while Gordon took some photos of the downtown area.

From there we picked up the dog food that I had ordered for Bib at a local vet and then we went east on North Frontage Road to see how close we could get to the mountain which turned out to be not very close. The road ended and there were ATV trails but nothing that would accommodate a one ton truck!

We returned to the RV park where I sat outside and read for a while again in bright sunshine. It was below 40F this morning when I got up but it warmed up to about 68F this afternoon.

Tonight we're watching TV and processing photos.

The photo today is of me at Cracker Barrel.

Going Shopping

Today I thought I'd like to check out the Yuma Malls so I took off around 10:30 a.m. and headed west. There is a shopping area off SR 95 North. I went to Target, Kohl's, Marshalls, Ross and then thought I'd check out what I thought was a big mall with a JC Penney and Dillards however I found out it was an outdoor mall and those were really the only two stores there. There were a couple of jewelry stores and a Lenscrafters also only accessible from outside. Didn't find much I liked better than my money so headed into town and stopped at another mall that looks as if it's about ready to close. Again it was an outdoor mall so only went to Mervyns. By then it was nearly 3:00 p.m. so headed back to the RV.

Today was cooler and windy. Gordon put an extra strap on the internet satellite just to be sure that the wind wouldn't take it away. It was still sunny though and the wind has died down now. It was nothing like the windy day we had in Twentynine Palms.

I called a vet today to see if I could get Bib's dogfood and they had to order it so it is to be in tomorrow so we'll have to pick that up. Other than that and Gordon going to photograph the old jail, we'll just be getting ready to move on to Quartzsite on Wednesday. At that point we may be out of commission for a couple of days as we won't have an electricity.

The photo today is of the aisle of the park that we are in. More and more fifth wheels are being towed by semis. The one here is a Peterbilt. There is a sign on them indicating they are for recreational use only. There are also a lot of Ford F550 and 650s. The fifth wheels are just getting heavier and heavier.

Just Hangin' Around

We're leaving on Wednesday for Quartzsite, AZ. The town of Quartzsite has about 3500 people normally but the last two weeks in January every year they the largest swap meet in the world located in the desert as well as RV shows and gem shows. It's pure coincidence that we are going there at the busiest time of the year and we may not be there long as we've been told the traffic is very heavy. It is rumoured that the number of winter visitors & tourists swell to a MILLION & more. We haven't booked an RV park however Armand Lalonde, the person that we bought our internet satellite from this summer had planned to come from Lindsay, Ontario to sell the Anywhere Internet system at the RV show but since he is busy installing satellite on the buses for the Canadian Federal election he doesn't think he'll make it. He has a site booked and paid for at Quartzsite and emailed me to say that if he doesn't come, we can have his spot. I still have to get details from him about where it is and how long it's for but if he does attend and we can't get a spot in an RV park, we'll have to dry camp in the desert. There is no end to places in the area for dry camping and this is what most people do, just for the experience. Some places are free for the first two weeks, others you have to pay a nominal fee. It's on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) and there is a lot of it available in the desert.

So, I've been told that although they have grocery stores in Quartzsite, selection may be limited so since I need lactose free milk and Gordon has a special diet, I headed out to SuperWalMart this morning to stock up. Big Mistake!!! I have never seen a WalMart so crowded except maybe at Christmas. When I went to check out, it was noon and I was starting to get the shakes from hypoglycermia. The lineups at the cashes were long so I decided to get something to eat at McDonald's before checking out. Good thing I did. I was in line for about 45 minutes before getting checked through! I had been warned the day we checked in that both WalMarts were very busy but I didn't realize it would be that busy. Apparently plans are in the works for a third WalMart to be built very close to where this RV park is located.

On my return from shopping, I again sat outside in my lawn chair and read. Beautiful bright sunshine with a breeze......reflected in my photo for today.

Late this afternoon Gordon headed east from here to see if he could find something to photograph. He came back with some photos that he seemed to be happy with but he's still not enamored with the area for photography. Weather sure is good though!

Checking out the Area

Today we drove to San Luis, AZ which is a small town of about 20,000 people and about 20 miles south of Yuma on the Arizona/Mexico border. It wasn't the interesting small town I had hoped so we just drove through it to the border and returned to Yuma.

Then we drove north on SR95 and came upon the US Army Yuma Proving Ground which is a general-purpose desert environmental test facility. YPG is located 26 miles north of Yuma, Arizona on U.S. Hwy 95. This installation covers nearly 1,400 square miles and offers climate and terrain similar to major desert areas worldwide. YPG is primarily involved in developmental and operational test of artillery weapons and ammunition, aircraft armament systems, mobility equipment, and air delivery systems.

Not seeing much to photograph, we returned to the RV where I sat outside and read for a while. While I was outside the lady who recommended this park to me on one of the campground discussion forums dropped by and introduced herself. It's always nice to meet people in person that you have 'talked' to on line.

After that, I came in and made some potato salad for dinner, read some more, had a nap and here I am watching Law & Order.

The photo for today is Bib enjoying his trip to San Luis with the windows open and his ears blowing in the breeze. It was another nice sunny day about 75F.

Hanging Around the Park

After I took Bib to the doggie park this morning, I went for a 15 minute or so walk around the park. It's interesting to see where everyone is from. There are quite a few RVs here from Ontario, lots from Albert and British Columbia and a few from Saskatchewan. There are even a few Titaniums here.

Since I've been putting off doing the laundry for too long, today I finally got my act together and got it done. The laundry machines here don't take quarters. You buy a card for $10 and you get $8 worth of laundry done and you get to keep the card. Yippee! You can use it when you come back to this park again. If and when we do, I wonder if I'll be able to find the card! I have to say it's more efficient than carrying around a bag full of quarters. They had this system in the park at San Diego too but you didn't have to buy the card. You just had to return it to the office when you were done and had to forego whatever amount was left on the card. I was lucky and had about $3.50 on the card when I got it from the office and returned it with zero dollars on it.

Anyway the laundry is done!

I also got to sit outside in the sun in my chair for a while. It was hot in the sun but there is a slight breeze again today.

Gordon went out just before sunset to photograph the dunes again. He found another road that went to a different spot in the dunes that he wanted to try out. I decided to stay here as I had seen enough dunes for now and I was tired from all the manual labour today. Also I wanted to get dinner ready. I hate getting home at 6:30 p.m. and having to rush to get that done.

The photo with today's blog shows our site at Las Quintas Oasis RV Park, site #54.

Getting to Know Yuma and Area

Neither of us have been to Arizona before so this area is new to both of us.

Today we left the RV at about 11:00 a.m. leaving Bib behind to guard the RV. It's too hot sometimes now to leave him in the truck if we're out taking photos. First we drove up Business 8 to see if we could find WalMart. There are two WalMarts here and neither are really easy to find. We were also looking for a Verizon store as my phone hasn't been showing message waiting for some time. We found one WalMart, then started out to find the other but wound up driving outside of town looking at scenery. We did find the other WalMart as well as the Verizon store but there were too many people at Verizon so we didn't stay.

There are literally field after field here of vegetables. I didn't realize so much produce was grown in this area. There are also citrus groves and date palms which produce Medjool dates. Medjool is considered to be the gourmet of the date family. Shown above are photos of the produce fields and date palms.

We had lunch at a Taco Bell and then continued driving around just to get to know the city and see if there was anything to photograph. We stopped and picked up a few groceries and got back to the RV at about 4:30 p.m. to a hungry puppy dog.

By the way, it was another nice sunny day, 76F with a light breeze!

Goodbye Californa, Hello Arizona

We left Desert Hot Springs this morning around 9:15 a.m. and arrived in Yuma around 12:45 p.m. (actually 1:45 p.m. as we're now on Mountain Time). It was a good drive, mostly freeway and the sun shone the whole way. Just before we crossed from California into Arizona we noticed some really special sand dunes that Gordon wanted to photograph.

So we got to the Las Quintas Oasis RV Park which had been recommended to me by someone in one of the forums that I participate in, got settled in and then headed back about 16 miles to take photos of the dunes. Very interesting, no vegetation of any kind. They look like they belong in Egypt.

We also stopped at a grocery to pick up some water on the way back to the RV. We needed the water but we also need the jug to tie down the internet satellite dish as we apparently forgot the one we had at a campground somewhere!

While Gordon was finishing setting up I checked out the pool, spa, showers and laundry room. Everything looks really nice so we're here for a week!

Saying Goodbye to Palm Springs

Today we got off to a slow start. After showering we just sat around for a while, then I went outside and sat in my lawn chair and read my book and while out there decided we needed to go in to Palm Springs again. So about 3:00 p.m. we headed in to town and took some photos of the downtown area then had dinner at a really good Mexican/Southwestern restaurant called The Blue Coyote Grill. The food was really good. I had a seafood enchilada with shrimp, crab and scallops and Gordon had a beef enchilada. He still thinks it wasn't as good as Feleena's in Ottawa. The photo at the right is me sitting under the blue coyote picture.

Then we headed home to get packed up and ready to leave for Yuma tomorrow.

Rescue of the Grapefruit Knife

A few weeks ago when setting up at a new site my grapefruit knife somehow got wedged under the kitchen slide and we couldn't get it out. It has caused some damage to the kitchen floor. Today Dean and Bob (Dean and his wife sponsored our guest status here at Catalina) came over and got the grapefruit knife out. Yeah! That's one problem down, now if we could just get the bathroom sink replaced, I would be happy! Luckily I had just finished vacuuming when the guys arrived as they had to get down on the floor to retrieve the knife.

Then Gordon and I went in to Desert Hot Springs to get some things that we needed for our get together planned for this afternoon. Gordon still needed to take his picture of the day so we headed west on I-10 and he got a photo of one of the wind turbine farms. They are everywhere down here as its a very windy area going through the pass between two of the tallest mountains in southern California.

Dean and Lin, Judy and Bob came over this afternoon and we had some wine and chips and cheese and crackers. Judy also brought me some fresh fruit that had just been picked off a friend's tree. I had two of the oranges tonight and they were yummy!

Tonight has been another quiet evening watching TV.

The photo is one Michelle sent of granddaughters, Grace and Faith having fun in the snow.

I'm Retired - Why Do I Have To Work?

Today, I bought an RV wash permit and we finally got the fifth wheel washed. It was really grimy from wet and dirty roads and all the wind and dust storms we've had in the desert. I know it won't be clean for long but at least it has the last few months grime off it!

Today has been a slow day other than giving Big Harv a bath. Gordon went out before dawn to the El Dorado Polo Club as they are having a hot air balloon festival this weekend and he wanted to see the balloons lighting up before takeoff. He managed to find it but it's 30 miles away at Indio. It was also the first time he had been to a polo field which he found interesting.

The photo shown is of our upper club house where the large family pool is located and where they have their pot lucks. They are having a pot luck on Wednesday, too bad, we have to leave Wednesday morning!

Again this afternoon, I had a long nap (it's getting to be a habit), then took Bib for a walk.

Looks like another quiet night for Desperate Housewives and Gray's Anatomy!