Some visitors dropped by….

 

Our Location:

BLM Ogilby Rd, Winterhaven, California 

It has been quiet here for the most part, very few daytime aircraft flyovers but for a while the early night time flyovers were low and loud. We have been sticking close to home, a few errands in Yuma and of course a few trips to the Rest Area on I-8 for trash deposits. Otherwise we go no farther than our feet will carry us.

An FYI about the rest area on I-8, they have removed the water spigot, it is completely gone, no remnants of any kind. Some very big new white posts in that area. The building that was in the middle of the roadway near the previous water location is also gone. There is a new building in the middle of the rest area, near the bathrooms, that has a spiked iron fence around it, it appears to have an outside water connection unreachable inside that fence. There haven’t been any workers around during our stops there to ask about water but maybe in the future.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving America! We had surprise visitors show up that day, Jerry and Elva Shannon dropped in driving Gerry’s new Jeep. A nice quick visit but alas no pics, sorry. Later Riley and I enjoyed a Thanksgiving lunch of salad, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing and corn. I forget if we had dessert!

Today’s photos are of two different sunsets, Nov 25 and 29. There have been few spectacular sunrises or sets this year but these 2 sets were worthy of pics.

I chat with dad every night, sister every few days and have even managed a couple of chats with friend Linda over the past week. The weather on Manitoulin is cold, snowy and mostly overcast with a fair wind blowing those squalls off of Lake Huron. A rough guess from dad, they have about a foot of snow. Brother Rick has already shoveled off part of dad’s roof as the snow from the big roof slipped down to the lower one but decided it had fallen far enough and stopped. Dad thought it was about 3 ft deep up there. It is way too early to be shovelling the roof!

We are both a little under the weather with sniffles, sneezes, headaches  and in Riley’s case a wee bit of a sore throat. I’m wondering if it’s allergies as everything is so much dustier this year, very little green of any kind. No fevers, no coughs, no watery eyes, nothing like that. We aren’t sick but a tad off. It tends to make us lazy feeling this way.

I liked this one so much I posted it twice. Lol.

Last night we had another surprise visitor at the door. Not anyone we knew, but a pigeon landed on the silver step plate at the bottom of the door and stuck his head in through the magnetic screen. I hustled quickly over to shoo him away least he come in and think it was his coop. It stayed around all night and I heard it leave just as dawn was fighting for a foothold this morning. It was very odd.

Now why do you ask is there a magnetic screen on the door? It is there because our rig has no screen door, just a very long door window that will tilt open. It became obvious to us that we needed something to keep out flies, bugs etc, and this is an easy solution.

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

It just wasn’t meant to be…. Or maybe it was..

 

Our Location:

Road Runner BLM, Quartzsite, Arizona 

It has been quiet here, well except the wind. It is a very constant sound some days. I can see how it could drive a person to lose a solid foothold after a while. Don’t worry, we aren’t in danger of that happening. If you have never been to the desert to hear this wind, perhaps the tick, tick, tick of a clock in an otherwise silent room, or the steady drip, drip, drip of water from a leaky faucet, sounds that never cease but beat a tattoo into the brain so that we hear it even if we step into a silent room that does not have those sounds would give you an idea. Like muscle memory of the brain. The wind in the desert is often like that, steadily humming along, a few gusts here and there changes the sounds on occasion but the steady hum is there. It caresses the thorny growth giving slight movement but no rustling noise, some dust in the air maybe, but just the sound of the wind. It is not everyday, but I wake up listening for the tell tale signs of it every day in the desert. The desert winds sounds nothing like our Island winds back home, there is a lonely, haunting quality to the desert winds, almost like it is softly whispering tales of long ago. The Island winds are different, there is business to them, they move leaves, branches, make the trees creak, it howls through the tree limbs, it causes the water to gently lap the shore, it sends endless waves crashing onto the rocks, sending spray many feet into the air, it tells a story too but not the same kind as the desert winds. How can the wind be so different?

Heading toward Blythe, California 

Albertson’s parking lot.

A few days ago we decided to dump the tanks, fill with water and dump the garbage. Since La Posa south is close by it is where we went.  The office to buy the permit sticker doesn’t open until nine and it was a few minutes before that time. A fella comes from behind the building telling me the office would be late opening, some emergency was holding up the opening, at least an hour he said, but cross the road to Tyson Wash and get a permit from them. Across the road I walked, it took 5 minutes to explain my rig was across the road, I can apply the stickers myself, no I’m not staying in the LTVA, but still want a sticker. Eventually after about 15 minutes, stickers in hand I cross the road to find them selling permits, their hour is much different than mine. We did our business and were home, set up and enjoying the day after only about an hour and a half, from start to finish.

We had few things to accomplish and decided to divide them over two days, Thursday and Friday. Sounds good, right? On Thursday we needed to get rid of garbage, get bread, water, and wanted to fill a propane tank, oh yes, and stamps. We decided we go to Blythe, CA to get bread, have a look around and just enjoy some different views. We dropped the garbage at La Posa south, stopped at Lifestyles for propane, and off to Blythe we went. Bread is really expensive in Blythe, we spent about $100. No it wasn’t just bread, but that is all we needed! We checked out a number of stores before heading back to Q. Remembering we needed drinking water, we popped off at the Riggles Road Exit, filled our jugs, looked at the long lines at the One 9, opted to get fuel on Friday. We completely forgot about stamps but not worry we can get them Friday. So Friday morning we load up the laundry, the gas can and into town we go. First stop is Laundromat on Main Street, not many vehicles in the lot, it has a lot of machines, this will be good right? Not! One whole row (both sides of the partition) is empty, that cuts the available washers down by at least a third, maybe more. It looked like the wait would be long just to get enough washers. So off we headed to the other laundromat, same thing, full, lots of waiting. Back in the Dogsled we headed off for fuel while we discussed if we wanted to wait or not. Back to the One 9, pumps didn’t look very busy, yeah. Looking around I realized all of the diesel pumps are covered, no diesel, but we did fill the gas can for the generator. The big trucks were  stacked up at the truck pumps and we don’t need diesel that badly. A stop back at the big laundromat showed a fuller lot than before and so we just came home. Damn, forgot the stamps again. So we will try again another day to do laundry, get diesel and oh yes, stamps.

I always enjoy these views.

For some reason I forgot to publish this post, so I will add to it. It is Sunday and we have completed the laundry, gotten diesel, some more water, a few items of groceries, but not stamps. Oh well, we will eventually get some and I keep thinking I have some but I haven’t looked for them yet, explains why I haven’t found them, doesn’t it?

They are replacing with new and bigger capacity front loads.

I thought this was interesting, it’s in the laundromat.

I have talked to dad every day, keeping caught up on all the happenings. I have chatted with my sister a few times, as well as my friend Linda. I think we are caught up on the news from back home.

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

Some errands……

 

Our Location:

Road Runner BLM, Quartzsite, Az

Since our arrival I have said we were going to just rest for a couple of days and we kinda did but not completely. Today however the Big Dog did not move.

We have been to Q twice since our arrival for a few reasons but now we are going to stay put for a couple of days. I truly just want to sit for a bit. This morning we went for a short stroll, I worked outside for about a half hour and then we just rested for the day. I’m certain we did not finish our resting today and so will be forced to continue tomorrow. Such is the hardships of life.

I have chatted with Dad every night, staying caught up on the news back there. He had no tricker treaters at all but I don’t think he expected to either. I have called my sister a couple of times and had coffee, it was a nice way to pass an hour. Today I called my friend Linda to get caught up with her and her family. Due to busy lives we just didn’t get a chance to visit this summer. 

While we are sitting I will blog occasionally but not every day, I don’t do anything interesting enough to do so, some times they will be photo blogs, and since a picture is worth a thousand words, if you view the pictures slowly enough it will be as if I have produced a novel for you to read!

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time,

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

A much nicer day……

 Our Location:

Road Runner BLM , Quartzsite, Arizona 

A cold start to the day but it warmed up nicely and it was shortly after the noon hour that I started feeling the heat, not hot but much warmer than the past number of days.

Borrego Springs Badlands,  California 2018.

More Badlands, same day as above.

Today was a day of reorganization for us. Not labour intensive or things that required a lot of effort but things easily accomplished. The only strenuous event was the vacuuming.

Sunset,  2018.

Sunset 2018

We passed on the outing today as I felt the cold wind and ground would not benefit my already aching and swollen joints. Riley didn’t feel it would help her sinus issues either. So we decided the reorganization mentioned above was a good fit for the day.

I love Barrel Cactus, they are so colourful.

Teddy Bear Cactus, known as the Jumping Cactus.

We did both attend happy hour for a while at least before coming home, closing the door and calling it a day. 

Superstition Mountains in the background, teddy bear cactus in the foreground.

I enjoy these photos with the sharp spines highlighted by the light.

I chatted with SIL Barb and my friend Linda, both back in Ontario.  I will also be chatting with my dad a bit later tonight. A birthday note, my cousin Ron celebrated a birthday recently turning 60. I hope you had a great time at the party!

The fog rolled into the Saddle Mountain area and we could only see the mountain top.

The photos today are some favourites from past posts.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all had a very wonderful day.

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb 

Another dreary, windy day….

 

Our Location:

North of MM 4, Ogilby Road, Winterhaven, California 

The title says it all. No sun today, the wind blew all day and the rain from last night still gives off a dampness. No sunrise pics and while there maybe a sunset, this post will be published before that happens. Or at least that is the plan. Today’s photos give you an idea of what the day was like.

It hinted all day of the sun lurking….

You can see all the doors are closed.

The neighbours went out.

The skies are gray.

And home is beckoning.

I chatted with my friend Linda today, and my dad last night. All seems well in the great almost white north. Little snow, but cold temps, ugly wind and a bit of sunshine. Some gray days too. 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had a good visit.

Until next time…

Take care, be safe,

Deb 

A windy but wonderful day...

 

Our Location: 

 

MM 91-90 South Bound, AZ 95, near Quartzsite, Az

 

A very chilly morning, not as chilly as yesterday but still not far above the freezing mark either. Wind, wind, wind, it's the story of the day. 

 

This saguaro hands on at the edge of a arroyo.

Makes you wonder what stories it could tell.

 

I phone my friend Linda this morning and we chatted for about an hour and a half, just catching up on all things that interest us. I didn't leave for my walk until around 9:30 am. I know what a sluggard I am, but I was on the phone!!! 

 

A small hole in the outside skin has healed over.

These four photos are of the same saguaro. The bottom always looks rugged.

 

Today was a good walking day, I put in not quite 9000 steps all before noon. After that I kind of was lazy and just hung out reading and doing not much of anything. I could get used to doing not of much of anything! 

 

Skinned ankles!!

Up close to the spines.

 

Chatted with Doug off and on all day, helped with a few little things and then just minded my own business here at home. Sorry nothing new and exciting to tell ya about but it is what it is. 

 

Interesting how the spines just start with a new crease in the skin.

 

Down in one of the arroyos, you can see the tree is being undercut by water.

 

Happy Birthday to my brother in law Dennis. He turns another year older this year, I think he be reaching the age of majority soon, no not legal age but the age that the majority of us are getting to be....older!!!

 

An island of greenery in the vast stretches of my walk this morning.

You can see what I mean by vast stretches.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

 

I just love this view.

Green in various shades along with almost yellow too.

 

Until next time...

 

Take care, be safe, 

 

Deb