Back in Ontario…

 

Our Location:

Valens Lake Conservation, Flamborough, Ontario

We woke to sunny skies and coolish temps in Perrysburg, Ohio but it did warm up on our drive. Wheels rolling by 7:45 am we had the best kind of drive….uneventful. The regular rough stretch entering Monroe, Michigan, but other wise other than a noisy road surface, all was good. 

Our last state this journey.

We arrived at the Canadian Customs, paid our $11.00 and rolled across the Ambassador Bridge pulling into line about 9:15 am. A new Customs Officer, reading from the “script” was pleasant and by 9:30 am we were wheels rolling on past the Customs yard onto the streets of Windsor.  Our second bonus of the day, an easy crossing.

The Ambassador Bridge

TD Duck is crossing the St. Claire River for the first time. Lol.

We are going to cross that bridge to Ontario.

Chatham Kent was our first rest stop in Ontario. The call to our intended destination brought us our first curve ball of the day. Due to new management, no returning early admissions allowed. Hmmmmm… this is not good, we had based everything on this park. Riley came up with the place we never wanted to return to, I called and yes, they are open, in fact open all year. We had little choice and took a spot. Our third bonus of the day.  A call to Dad to let him know we are back in Ontario, and on the road we were once again.

Not birds, boats on the St. Claire River as we cross, you can tell we are high up.

Riley texted our usual folks to let them know we have arrived and soon we were pulling into the Conservation area. Just under $500 CAD secured us a spot for the week.  We stayed in this park once before with the old Igloo, which was 30 amp, but now we discovered there are no 50 amp sites. Not knowing this is rig was 50 amp when we bought it, and since we plug in so infrequently, I left my 50/30 conversion at home. While the rig came with a short 50/30, this one plugs into the rig, not the end of the 50 amp cord like the one I have at home. So that didn’t help us. We decided we would continue with our plans and worry about later.

That is Ontario, Canada. Weare almost back to our home province, but nit home.

We left around 2:30 pm with the Igloo running as usual on battery and headed off to Brantford to see daughter Bradey, SIL David, and grandsons Auston and Lincoln. It was a great visit, the boys are growing so fast, and are full of energy. We enjoyed a very nice turkey dinner, but shortly after, we headed out, stopping at Walmart but not finding a 50/30, instead finding a 30 amp extension cord. We had a solution. We bought the cord, came home, plugged in the short 50/30 to the rig, connected the 30 amp extension cord, and voila, we are good to go. I think this might be our option of choice going forward. The 30 amp chord is much easier to handle than the very heavy 50 amp. We shall of course carry both but we are thinking of using this set up. Our fourth and fifth bonus’ of the day.

The green grass of Ontario.

It’s hard to tell but there is the slightest suggestion of green in the trees, barely but it’s there. 

We travelled 250 miles/402 km. We stopped a number of times, travelling approximately 6 hours, we used about 20 gallons/75 litres of fuel, we averaged around 57 mph/91 kmh. We had a bit of a head wind, side wind at times, some stop and go traffic getting to the park and a bit of hilly countryside as well. So my math says about 12.5 mpg. Considering our fresh water is almost full, I think that was good. 

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

Another day of visiting…….

 

Our Location:

Olympia Village Rv, Waterdown, Ontario 

A very mixed day, a little rain, a little sun, lots of warm air with some humidity added in, clouds, wind and just a hint of cold hanging on the outer edges.

No pics today, I just didn’t remember to take any. I’m getting forgetful I think. We had no plans for most of day and just stayed in, I managed to do a number of things on line and still have a couple more phone chores to do before we leave the area.

We headed off to check a few things at the local Brantford Walmart, we will be heading back to do a big shop in the next day or two in preparation for our travels southward. A few little forays into a couple of stores nearby and soon we were heading to Bradey and David’s place. 

A wonderful few hours, thanks for dinner guys, it was fabulous! The boys, Auston and Lincoln were full of giggles and smiles. We heard about school, Halloween costumes, and many other things as we played and chatted until it was time for Linc to go bed, we had hugs and kisses, and headed home. We may see them again before we pull out but we aren’t sure. 

Back home around 8 pm, the night driving reminding me of why I dislike it so much. I’m always happy to be off the roads before the sun goes down and the blinding lights take over. ‘Nough said!

A birthday note again today. Happy Birthday Leah. Leah is the beauty that married my nephew Jason and together they have two adorable children. Leah is a warm, wonderful young lady that lights up any room she enters. Leah is the DIL/Auntie of the two birthday ladies mentioned in yesterday’s post, Barb and Hazel. We hope you had an amazing day Leah.

On that note, thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit.

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

Spring is coming to Manitoulin Island......

 

 

Our Location: Tehkummah, Ontario

 

It's been a while since my last post but I thought I'd catch up today. The winter has pretty much ended here, although we still have some snow and more will come but it won't last long. In the past week the ground is starting to show in places, the creeks and rivers are running, the fields are showing water laying everywhere and a few spots are showing a hint of red in the far off distance of tree tops. The now present mud is everywhere and if not careful one might find themselves wallowing in a mud bath. 

 

A few fru fru's sis and I assembled at work. 

 The winter has been long here, bleary, dreary and cold. A few medical issues with Riley and I as well as the Dogsled. However things are moving along and we are hopeful that getting back into the Igloo and the summer will do the trick. (for us, not the Dogsled) 

 

Sunrise on a morning walk.

Crisp and cold on these mornings.

Around mid Feb the Dogsled just wasn't feeling well, nothing exactly but something was off. Long story short, a flatbed took him from one garage to another where he sat for about two weeks waiting for a head gasket to be delivered, and eventually he came home, full of pep and doing well.  More expensive than paying my rent for the winter but oh well, we can't move the Igloo without him. A big thanks to Dad for the loan of "Marion" his car during our time of need.

Last week this road was just one long mud lane.

The local dairy farm.

 Work at the little Inn has been very quiet although it's picking up again as spring makes its entrance.  I currently do a little light housekeeping for a couple of elderly couples to help with the boredom of winter. The general agreement is spring can't arrive fast enough. 

 

It's beautiful in the right light, isn't it?

But it's cold and damp, chilling to the bone in fact.

 A few things to mention for my own future 'remembering' . Middle daughter Bradey and her hubby David are set to welcome their second child at the end of May. A brother for Auston. Nephew Jason enjoyed his trip to the far west coast of Canada where he spent about 5 weeks sledding in the mountains with friends.   Get well wishes to Connie. The entire family is doing well, healthy, happy and for the most part glad we can see spring. I've enjoyed my morning coffee with Joan this winter. We are about 6 weeks from moving back home in to the Igloo. Looking so forward to that. 

 

Looking back the way I've come.

 I will admit I've been slowly catching up on my blog reading, I just couldn't seem to read them over the winter for some reason. I'm envious of all you folks out there living the dream, soaking up the sun and scratching the hitch itch.  Al's (Travel with the Bayfield Bunch ) neck of the woods are much closer to spring than we are, but we're moving right along trying to catch up. Lorne and Sue (  A place called away )  Harold and Pat down in Mexico look to be just living the high life with daily outings and tempting food. Deb and Tom (  Celebrating the Dance   )  are teasing me with all the views they are enjoying. Thanks for the emails throughout the winter, brightened the day for sure. Doug and grandson Nick ( Miss Adventure Travels  ) are doing some great exploring and I've enjoyed all those views a great deal. Sorry to hear about the WL issues but hopefully a quick fix and you'll be on your way once more. Bill ( On our way )  and Patsy ( Chillin' with Patsy ) seem to be filling their days enjoying friends and family as well as introducing their newest family member young Master Gibbs to the RV community.  Ivan ( Road Trip )  and Hailey seem to be keeping a low profile out there in the grasslands.  Ken and Shirley ( Seeing America with Ken and Shirley ) are making me tired just reading about their busy days!  Colin and Contessa (5C's Que Pasa ) are also enjoying their new family members, a set of chocolate Doxies which they are enjoying introducing to the sights, sounds and smells of Mexico. Jim and Barb ( Jim and Barb's RV Adventure) are just wowing me with all their energy and making me chuckle often with their wit. Nice new wheels folks. Mz Kissack ( Kissack Adventures  ) is on uphill learning curve but I have no doubt you will breeze to the top with no troubles. Congrats on the big step and I'm sure you will enjoy the freedom. Rick and Kathy (It's about time ) seem to be doing well down there in the Windsor area, hopefully things continue well and you will once again be back on the road out of the cold.  I miss George and Suzie very much and think of them often. I think that about ends my reading, if I missed anyone I'm sorry. 

 

So that about sums up this post. I hope to stop in to your blogs on a bit more regular basis but can't promise. Summer is coming and I'm truly thankful for that. I may celebrate a "thanksgiving" just for that fact alone. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit. 

 

 Until next time, 

 Take care, stay safe, be healthy, 

 

Deb

Family visits, exciting news, arrived at Buttercup Ridge....

Our Location: Buttercup Ridge, Roseneath, Ontario

Woodstock was a good stop for us and we rested well there. The rain came down and we were happy we hadn’t stayed farther away. Less than 45 minutes later we arrived at Brantford but found that getting into Bradey’s driveway was not going to work. Even if I could get in, all things had to be aligned before I could get back out. Even one car in the wrong place on the street and we were stuck, so we opted for a different option. The local Catholilc Church (right across the street) wouldn’t allow us to park even for a donation, so we once again reverted to Walmart. A nice assistant manager told us we could stay for 3 nights (it’s what I ask for), knew we would be unhooking and even putting the slides out. He had no issues with it and so we stayed at the Brantford Walmart Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. We spent some money in Walmart to offset our using a piece of the parking lot. For future reference, it is an excellent place, quiet, and easy to get in/out, close to everything and a lot of stores near by. 

 

You can see the grass is starting to turn green. B & D live in this small town now.

 

We enjoyed our visits with Bradey and David very much. We spent a good deal of Sunday with them, Monday evening and part of Tuesday evening as well. They have settled into life in their new to them home, and are looking forward to the future. Held up by magnets on the fridge door are the first ultra sound pictures of the baby that will bless our lives. A first child for them, a first niece or nephew for their of the siblings (all sisters as a matter of fact, Courtney & Riley are Bradey’s sisters of course, and Nicole & Danielle are David’s sisters) and of course a first grandchild for myself and for Peter & Mary. (David’s parents). Some exciting times ahead. We wish for them a healthy baby, and the joys that children bring to a home.
 

Middle daughter, her future husband and their puppy.

 While parked in Brantford we journeyed to Hamilton for a couple of errands. First thing Monday morning had me at Dr. Bobba’s office, he’s my Rheumatologist. A few things have changed but we agreed to leave everything the same and will access again in the fall when I see him next. From there Riley and I headed for the blood labs as I was over due for blood work. Long story short, we couldn’t get in to either location we tried and eventually ended up back at the first one later in the day. Our next stop was the storage unit on Barton Street. We had a few things to remove from there and distribute to their rightful owners. Took us a while to find them but we managed to get everything packed into the Dogsled and storage unit locked back up before heading off for a quick stop at Timmie’s for a drink. A quick phone call to find that the meeting I thought I would have on Tuesday wasn’t necessary. Yeah, now Tuesday would be pretty clear for us.
 

David, Riley and Bradey.

 From that fun filled morning we stopped again at the blood lab, bingo, in and out in less than 20 minutes and we were off to our last errand in the city. The dentist and our friend MaryAnne to catch up and have some dental work accomplished. Cleaning for me, cleaning and some fillings for Riley, a nice long chat with MaryAnne and we were off by 3:30 pm heading back to Brantford. Riley and I had a very late lunch after which we had a visit with Bradey & David before calling it a night.
 

That is the Hamilton skyline in the distance.

 

Tuesday was a day to stock up on a few things that we needed and just to sort of relax a bit. We like those days without too much planned. Warmer but still damp and cold outside. An evening visit with B & D topped off the day.

 

Moving toward Toronto, close to the airport.

  Wednesday morning at 9:30 am found us getting on the road to head further east along the 401. A slow down on the Ancaster Hill in Hamilton pretty much set the tone for the first half of the drive. Stop and go from Ancaster to about the middle of Toronto before traffic picked up and moved along. Toronto is always busy now, and I doubt there is ever a fast trip to or thru the city these days. Like all major cities around the world the amount of people, vehicles and businesses just make it ‘rush hour’ all the time. Ironically, not much construction along the way, only in a couple of spots. 

 

Riley liked the ball atop of that cement piece. Of course this is Toronto.

  

We arrived at Buttercup Ridge (Janet & Dennis’ farm) before 1:30 pm. The driveway is long and very rough as the winter has been a tough one. Thaw, freeze, thaw, freeze, snow, ice, water, rain, sleet, thaw, freeze, and repeat. You know what that does for a gravel driveway. Closer to the house and the barn the ground turned soft and I was worried about getting stuck but we managed to get ourselves backed into the far driveway and get leveled up before 2:30 pm. Sounds like a long time but it wasn’t. I’ll take some photos to show you in another post. A call to dad, a text to Janet, we had lunch and just kind of fell into our chairs. We are closer to home but not quite there yet. A couple of weeks should see us arriving on the Island to hopefully warmer weather. 

Welcome to Toronto.

 

Today I had a quick chat with Mike (he rents the barn here at Buttercup Ridge), says they had a long winter here in Southern Ontario as well. Lots of snow, lots of cold and overcast days were the norm. Like everyone else he’s in a hurry to see spring arrive. We can see it coming though, flowers are poking up from the beds, trees are taking on new shades of red, yellow and green. The grass is losing its brown to a tiny hint of green. Birds are chirping and singing everywhere, water is open and not frozen, and of course everywhere you look Robins are busy gathering nesting material. Spring is coming soon. 

Of course Toronto is a sprawling city on the northern shores of Lake Ontario.

 

A belated Happy Birthday mention (I called on the actual day) to my older brother Rick. We won’t discuss how old he actually is but he’s older than I am. April 16 found him another year older, wiser and more handsome than the last year. Hope you had a great day Rick.
 

Here we are heading north of Cobourg on Hwy 45 toward the town of Roseneath.

 

So there you have it, a catch up of the last number of days. I’ll be catching up on the reading and commenting as well over the next couple of days. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

 

One day we'll get some BBQ from this spot.

 

Until next time.. take care, be safe,

Deb

Problem fixed, further south, snow, rain and over cast day....

Our Location: Crossett, Ak

 

(Walmart, Unity Road)

 

An early morning this morning. We were both up before 7 am, packed and heading out of Big Buck Resort before 8 am. The weather was cool, right around the freezing mark but the skies were overcast and threatening. We hung a left at the end of Sparks Road heading toward Selmer, TN. We passed through Selmer and on into the fine state of Mississippi where we zipped right past Corinth and on down the road to the town of Biggersville, MS. Officially the repair shop is located in Rienzi, MS but our gps couldn't find it. We arrived at Butch's Repair Shop before 9 am, parked and headed inside to find out where they wanted us. Brandon, Butch's son was there and was very helpful, he even just backed us right up to the doors, let us plug in our heater and they went to work. About an hour and 15 minutes later we were on the road again, on our way south. Josh and Brandon worked quickly and efficiently to find the problem. A possible solution I had mentioned to David next door at Big Buck but he assured me it couldn't be. A blown fuse in the truck panel. David wasn't testing the proper wire in the plug in the truck. So alas, we didn't check the fuses in the truck. Our entire light issue is now solved, along with a new break away cable as well. We discussed the plug in the truck which has a small piece out of the side casing and since it's a factory install I'll simply use the one in the bumper until we get home and brother Rick or my dad will change it for me.  Brandon and Josh were extremely nice young men, very courteous and knowledgeable. The bill was a reasonable $150, which included yesterday's service call to the rig. No complaints here. Butch's RV Repair, 159 US 45, Rienzi, MS38865. 662-594-5048 will get you in touch with Butch.  While 662-664-1442 will connect you with Brandon.  Wonderful service, wonderful people. If you're in the area and you need some help give them a call. 

Butch's Rv Repair near Biggersville, MS

Brandon and Josh, our competent technicians.

 

From there we headed south on US 45 all the way to US 82 West. We travelled about 335 miles/533 km today. We passed over the mighty Mississippi River into Arkansas and continued along under cloudy overcast skies. We had rain, sleet, and snow today on our journey. One can see the snow in the trees and along the country side in fields. Not much but enough to say, yes it snowed. We arrived in Crossett, AK and have pulled in at the local Walmart for the night. Big lot, lots of trucks but we're parked close enough to the store to be using their fast wifi and still in the designated truck parking area. Not a bad deal. The temperature today reached a high of 35F/1.6 C and tonight is predicted to go to 24F/-4.4C. Hopefully it doesn't get that low but we've decided to heat the inside as hot as we can get it before bed, shut off the heater and I'm usually awake through the night and I'll turn it on for an hour or so and that should hold us through until the morning. Tomorrow the temperatures will be warming up significantly from the last few days and under sunny skies we're looking forward to a nice day. Our goal tomorrow is into Texas and then Friday we'll reach the small town of Crosbyton, also in Texas, where we stayed last year. We'll stay for a few days to rest and enjoy the warmth before heading on. 

We passed through Tupelo, MS

Snow on the roof over there, do you see it?

Called dad upon our arrival and gave him an update. He reported they have 5 inches/12.7 cm of snow (approx), very cold temperatures and a warming trend coming that will produce more snow in the days ahead. Lucky he has lots of wood for the winter ahead. 

The bridge spanning the mighty Mississippi River between Mississippi and Arkansas.

The mighty Mississippi River.

 

So there you have it, the fix for our problem, our travels and our catch up.  Thanks for stopping by, hope you had a great day. 

Snow on the trees in Arkansas.

On the roof too.

Until next time... take care, be safe, 

Some nice colour to the sunset as we drive toward Crossett, AK.

 

Deb

Very busy productive day, visit with family....

Our Location: Walmart, Rymal Road East, Hamilton, Ontario

 

(yesterday's post)

 

It was cold when we woke this morning. Cold inside and out but we started the heater and before long it was toasty warm. I didn't tarry long as I had an appointment downtown at the Rheumatologist's office. I always dislike going down to the downtown area, the parking is a bear to begin with and with the Dogsled it's not fun. The spots aren't meant for anything bigger than a Tonka toy.  

 

Eventually I got parked in my favourite lot and headed up the hill to the Carlton Building where the good Dr. Bobba is located. After a years wait for the elevator (I won't climb 6 flights of stairs) I managed to snag a ride upwards. Ever notice how no one speaks in an elevator? Haha..ride with me sometime, I talk. Never know what I might say but I talk. 

 

Before I even managed to get checked in I was hustled into a room by the good doctor himself. We chatted for about 4 minutes, I answered the same 6 questions, did a few new bends and twists, told to come back in 4 months, which I said I wouldn't be in the area but would be back in 6. We agreed that would work and off I went. I managed to get checked in as I was leaving the office. How good was that? I was getting out about the time I should have been getting in. I like Dr. Bobba as I think he's pretty good at what he does and there is never a long wait for your appointment. You're almost in and out right on time every time. I never feel rushed though and I know if I have questions or concerns he'll take the time to answer to them for me. So I have no complaints. 

 

Downstairs I headed to the blood lab, I'm a bit late on getting my blood work done. Oh well, that's the way life goes. I waited for about 15 minutes before I was called in. Fast simple and easy except they kept my blood requisition form which they shouldn't have done. I need it to get blood work done every two months. So now I'll have to get in touch with the dr's office to get another form sent to me. I should have remembered to take it but well I just didn't. 

 

Back at the Igloo I picked up Riley and we headed for the bank. Her debit card stopped working earlier when we were away but since mine worked we managed. I thought it was the strip in the back looked a little hinky. So yes they replaced the card but also there was a lock on the card, use for deposit only. So we had to call the Loss Prevention Center. Long story short, after about 40 minutes we had that corrected as well. Thanks to Colleen at TD Canada Trust, Rymal Road branch for all her help. 

 

From there we headed a bit further down the road to Queenston Tire on Upper Centennial Parkway. I've used this tire place before in the past and had great service there. Also the one down by the traffic circle in the east end of Hamilton is good too. I went in to explain my tire issue and we came up with a great solution. Go back get the Igloo bring it there, park there for the night, they'll have the tire replaced, back on, and the spare back where it goes by the time we finish our appointment tomorrow around noon. Sounds excellent right? So off we go, pick up the Igloo, drive the 5 minutes to the tire place, turn in and I've got a fellow directing me to go NOT were I had been told to park. No problem, I know this guy, not his name but I know his face, he works here. So I pull up where he directs me, get out and guess what? It was all done within 15 minutes and I was told I could still park there overnight. Is that service or what? Thanks to the folks at Queenston Tire, Upper Centennial Parkway. We were back at the Walmart (less slush here) within a half hour and set up in no time. 

 

A quick lite lunch and the rest of the afternoon was spent reading. Around 7 pm we hopped into the Dogsled for the 3 minute ride to the Vicar's Vice, an old church converted into a restaurant. Yes we could have walked but it was cold windy and we'd have to cross a very major roadway with no lights available, easier  and safer to drive. Very nice place, a bit on the expensive side but not overly. We met Bradey and David, (middle daughter and her fiance) there for dinner. Unfortunately they can't make it to Buttercup Ridge for a visit. It was nice to see them and catch up, they are full of excitement with a house purchase perhaps in the future, as well as a wedding tentatively set for late 2018. We all came back to the Igloo to continue our visit but around 9:30 pm they headed out for home. They both have to work in the morning and a dog that needs to be walked before bed. 

 

So no post as it was late for me and I was tired. I'd had a very busy day. Again no pictures as the internet slows down extremely the busier Walmart gets. Even though it's our own jet pack there are so  many cell phones being used it slows everything down here. 

 

So there you  have it, our busy day yesterday.  We had a change of plans late yesterday with regards to our travel to Buttercup Ridge in the next few days. So I'll be filling you on that in the next post.

 

Thanks for stopping by, hope you all had a fantastic day. Feel free to leave a comment, or feel free to just stop by without leaving one. I'm always happy to hear from you should you chose to make your presence known. 

 

Until next time... take care, be safe

 

Deb

Leaving La Posa South for more BLM camping.....

Our Location: Quartzsite, Arizona

I had a hard time dropping off to sleep last night but finally put away my iPad around 1:30 am. Nothing on my mind just didn’t seem able to sleep. I may have had a 10 minute snooze at some point in my sitting down process late yesterday afternoon, but I can’t swear to it though. Some times I’ll be reading along and suddenly find myself dozing or just nodding off. No idea why but it just happens.

Moon and stars greeted me as I stepped outside this morning....

Still some puddles left ......

I woke up at 4:30 am and had a silent conversation with myself about it being a ridiculous time of the morning to even think about getting up or staying wake, in that two way conversation I must have agreed because I soon fell back asleep. The next clock sighting was around 5 am and so here I  sit with the opening lines of tonights post already in hand at 3 minutes past 5 bells.

Sunrise is beginning....

That glow is getting brighter...

  
Moving day today but only a few miles so it’ll be a quick thing, except perhaps the dump station but who knows, and truly it isn’t a big deal as long as we don’t get impatient. Then it becomes a tough day. 

I have no idea what would crack rocks but there are numerous of them around....

Two cacti growing side by side touching, a hole in one of the skins leads to a hole between them. They aren't growing into one cactus but are tight against each other. Note the spines under the hole.

I was out the door before 7 am to take my last sunrise pictures at La Posa South for a while at least. It was nice, nothing to spectacular but I got a few good shots. It was coolish and my hands were aching by the time I got back inside. My mini gloves in my pocket, DAH!! Some days I’m totally clueless.

Nothing like that pink/purple colour off in the distance...

The sun has started colouring the mountains with it's rays...

We enjoyed our hot drinks, finished packing up the outside, then the inside, put her HRH Miss Kitty into her carrier and proceeded to hook up. Lots of dew so the back window wasn’t easy to see out to line up the necessary places. Yes, I know I could have cleaned it off but honestly I wasn’t about to climb into the back of the Dogsled and crawl over a ton of stuff in the box, just to wipe the window. On our second try we hooked up, so it wasn’t so bad. 

These things dot the landscape everywhere.....

See that first hint of the ray?

After our usual checks, and walk arounds we were able to put the Big Dog into tow, and 4 x4 until we got out onto the roadway, and of course the letter D indicating we were ready to go. We slowly proceed to the main road, rolling along until we came up to a familiar looking 5’er and Motor home with a Stinger ‘B’ near by. Pulling in we noticed Miss Patsy (Chillin’ with Patsy)watching for us. We stopped to deliver some books we’ve finished reading and hope someone else will enjoy them also. While we were saying our goodbyes George and Suzie (Our Awesome Travels) came along as well. Hugs, smiles and well wishes for safe journeys all completed we climbed once more into the Dogsled to head off to empty/fill/leave behind the the necessaries (tanks, water, garbage/recycle). While filling up with water a familiar big black Ford pulled up and Bill’s (On Our Way) smiling face greeted me. We chatted for a few minutes, said our goodbyes before he was off home.

Information about Quartzsite with the La Posa North welcome center in the back ground...

Quartzsite city limits...

 

Climbing into the Dogsled after having completed our chores we headed for the long drive to Dome Rock. Perhaps 20 minutes later we were sitting at the camp host spot filling in paperwork. We chatted with the nice fella for a few minutes, and then headed off to our previously scouted spot. It was indeed still empty, although it’s not any longer.

The beginning of sunset at Dome Rock.

I just love this wood...

Across from us are a couple of folks in a couple of tents. I realize that it’s always interesting when  new people come to town but is it really necessary to walk out behind your vehicle to stare? Me, I waved. Hahahaha, he had no option so he waved back and disappeared. I’m not leaving pal, I want this spot and I”m going to take it. I’m far enough away not to bother him in any way so he can just stand there across the big road and stare as long as he likes. He’s farther away than our neighbours had been at La Posa South, so I think he was trying to intimidate us hoping we’d leave and find another spot. Obviously he doesn’t know me.

Sunset shadow's cast upon the surrounding mountains...

See the shadows?

We got set up and settled in, I parked the truck at an angle so the folks in the tent can’t see us without walking a fair distance one way or the other. I know I’m petty but oh well, that’s me. 

The sun's fading rays making this old tree light up...

Can you see the sun's rays shining thru some of the holes?

I called my dad to tell him we’d survived our long trek, he was out and so I spoke with Marion and she promised to forward the message. It was now time for lunch and we were hungry. Riley made herself a salad, I still hadn’t had mine from yesterday and with no dressing on it, it was still fresh. We enjoyed our salads while the chili was heating up. I can tell you folks, we were wise to make it yesterday. It had a chance to ‘blend’ over night and it was very good. A couple of pieces of toast and that was lunch!! Good stuff. 

Been with me all day....

Love that baby arm nestled in the crook of the other one...

We cleaned up, then headed out for a walk. I have no idea how far we walked but it was a good half hour probably. It was very nice to see new spots, mountains, and valleys. We met a couple of Razor’s motoring along, they slowed right down so as not to cause any dust or flying stones. Very considerate of them. 

Back home we both headed off to read or whatever. Mine ended up being whatever, I did however started off reading but soon was snoring away making the curtains flap and the Igloo shiver. No, not really but I did have a nap. Riley called me around 4:30 pm. Oh my, that was a 2 hour  nap. Too long but nothing I can do about it now. 

This cactus is starting to get a green tint to it...

Might those be buds ?

We chatted about a number of things before I headed outside to take sunset pictures. Our future plans are starting to come together nicely. We’ve decided to stay in California a bit longer than first planned.

The sun's just peeking around the edge...

Love this picture....

Outside I walked around snapping pictures of numerous things, but the sunset itself was disappointing. Unless we have cloud cover the sunsets won’t be great here. Oh well, we’ll manage to take pictures of something. I once again enjoyed the light/shadow contrast on the surrounding mountains. I snapped some pictures of interest to me, probably not to anyone else but I’m just getting to know my camera a bit better and so I’m enjoying experimenting with focus, light, etc. 

Shadow's starting become evident...

I think Chevy or Keystone should be paying me for these pictures..

Before the sun was totally set the coyotes started to howl off in the near distance. Riley came outside to see what it was making the noise. She’s heard them many times of course but not quite the same kind of yapping as tonight. Almost sounded like an audition as each tried to out last the others. Very loud, meaning quite near. The camp host told us they are very aggressive here so we’ll be keeping an eye out for them and not going anywhere without our sticks.

Back inside as the air was cooling down quickly we shut the windows, vents and shades. We like keeping the heat inside, or at least I do. I called middle daughter Bradey to chat for a few minutes. Bradey works with autistic children and loves her job. She and her fiancé David have a beautiful Sheltie cross named Leia. It seems Leia is having a foot issue and has been to the vet a few times. Hopefully they get it cleared it up soon. Always nice to chat with the girls and get caught up on what’s happening. 

Looking up a row of spines on a tall cactus...

Those are baby arms way up there....

 
After that I called my Dad to chat for a few minutes. He was happy to hear we’d made our long trek without any issues. He informed me it was raining there on Manitoulin Island with a high temp of 5C/ 41 F. He says another cold spell is on it’s way within the next few days. I hope it doesn’t last too long as winters up there are damp and when it gets really cold you just can’t put enough layers on.

See the boot?

See the irregularities in the ribs of this cactus?

After that I started editing pictures and continuing this post. It’s been a busy day, not a tough one at all except that we’ve said good bye for now to our new friends Bill and Pat, as well as friends George and Suzie. Riley and I hope to meet them all down the road some place, and wish both couples safe travels and sun filled days. 

So there you have it, our moving day. Nothing exciting but a new place is always interesting. We’ll get better acquainted as the days go by. Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave a comment, I will read them.

Amazing colours over there..

Until next time…. take care, be safe, 

Courtesy of Bill Richard's drone yesterday. Approx 150 feet above us...

Approx 400 feet high....

Same height, different angle.

Thanks Bill!!!

Deb