A nice visit........

Our Location:  BLM Plomosa Road, Quartzsite, AZ


I think sleeping is becoming a habit with me and I’m very glad to say so. I’m enjoying the nights of uninterrupted sleep and feeling much more like myself in the mornings than I have of late. A good start to the day for sure.

 

The mountains off to the west bathed in the morning sunlight.

 

We were up and at ‘em this morning before 8 AM, enjoying a leisurely morning before our expected company arrived. We puttered around doing a bit of tidying up and the usual morning stuff. I started to read blogs and answer comments when my computer cord decided it was tired and wanted to permanently retire. So I couldn’t charge my laptop and had to stop doing my regular morning reading. I knew I had another cord but I couldn’t remember where it was and so I hunted and hunted in the spots I was certain I would find it. Can you guess? I didn’t find it. However Riley offered up a suggestion and wouldn’t you know it, there it was. So I’ve dodged the bullet with that good find and can finish what I started this morning and not have to worry about getting a cord quickly as this one will work until I can pick one up at my leisure. Otherwise I wouldn't have been blogging until I picked up a new cord.
 

The crags and creases in the mountains are deepened by the sun's shading. Always a changing view.

 

Knowing our visitors would be arriving mid morning we were outside enjoying the sun when we spotted a plume of dust coming our way, and sure enough before long a once nice black jeep, now a lovely desert dust colour, turned in to our spot and out popped Tom and Deb (Celebrating the Dance). We plopped ourselves down in the sun/shade and just started chatting. Before we knew it the time had flown by and it was middle afternoon before we said our goodbyes and watched them drive off. Our paths have crossed slightly a couple of times in the past and we've had a couple of ten minute 'hi, how are you?' type of interludes but today we actually managed to sit down and visit. Riley and I truly enjoyed our time with this wonderful couple, we laughed, we shared, and from our view we just had a really great visit. Riley and I are looking forward to crossing paths with them many times again in the years ahead. Thanks for the wonderful visit folks!!!! 

The handsome fella in the middle is Tom, with the pretty young Riley on the left and the beautiful Deb D on the right.

 

After that it was time to cook some lunch and pack up the outside yard in preparation for tomorrow’s move. The sun was warm today and we enjoyed moving into the shade once all of that was finished. Our thermometer was well into the middle 80’s  which would be about 28-29C for part of the afternoon. As a typical desert day as soon as the sun is down the air cools off and a bit of a breeze is kicking up, just enough to ruffle the leaves on the mesquite bush.  

The distant mountains once again in the sun while the mountains in the foreground are in the shade.

 

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

 

That was it for the sunset tonight. Too many dark clouds to hide the palette tonight.

 

Until next time… take care, be safe,

 

Deb

California and back today.....

Our Location:  BLM Plomosa Road, Quartzsite, AZ


Wonderful night’s sleep, temps are warmer and the vents are open all night. Nice weather for sleeping and I’m enjoying every night. 

 

 

Two wheels in the center of this trailer with no wheels on an side to side axle. Interesting. We also noted today but didn't get a photo, a tri axle trailer with only two tires on each side, the third hub was empty. He was rolling on down the interstate faster than I was going.

 

We had a bit of a lazy start but eventually got rolling along. A few texts with some friends had us with today open and we took advantage of that to head off to Blythe, CA for some groceries and a bit of a tour around Tom Wells Road near Ehrenburg, AZ. I’ve read about it a few times and so we thought we’d just check it out and see what’s out there. On the south side of the interstate it’s not too bad at all. We chatted with a few folks in the area, no camp host, it seems no one comes around to check on them either. It appears that some folks stay the entire winter. I have no idea where the nearest dump station/water would be but I think Blythe which is just down the road would be a likely spot. The roads on the south were pretty good, all dirt/gravel with some rolling hills but not bad for rough or washboard, holes or cracks. One particular spot has a pretty deep wash with what I call a V bottom. I was worried about that particular spot in the road but we witnessed some longer rigs than ours back there and eventually found a couple of these rigs with folks outside so we stopped to ask them. The trick it seems is to keep to the left of the wash or the east side both coming and going, the grade is different on that side and upon closer inspection on the way out I believe they were right. I think it would be doable but I’d have to give it some more thought first. It looked like there were a number of possibilities there. The north side was less inviting as it appears to be more permanent people with some junky places tossed in the mix. Also the road was terrible. Old Highway 80 but it’s broken pavement, big gouges and holes, long cracks and washboarded terribly. I would avoid this side of the interstate for certain.

Heading toward Blythe, California

Sorry reflection from the window.

 

On into Blythe we shopped first at Smart & Final. Having never shopped in this particular chain of stores, we enjoyed our visit and picked up a few things while there. The store was clean and friendly and for the first time ever I witnessed people DUSTING in a grocery store. In every aisle there was someone dusting the shelves and wiping clean the little ledge where the price sticker sits. It was impressive to say the least. The prices were okay but a few things seemed a bit more expensive than I would like to pay. 

 

 

Can you see the tinge of green?

 

Something on fire over there. That would be the Colorado River you can see in this photo.

 

Our next and final stop was Albertson’s grocery store. We’ve never been in this chain either and so we enjoyed our visit there as well. It too was clean and I thought well laid out. I found a few prices to be well over what I wanted to pay but I found most were okay although a little on the high end. We picked up a few items here too. Before long we were on our way home.
 

 

We crossed into California and then back into Arizona. We time travelled to the future and back to the past again.

 

The drive through the hills on I-10 is always very calming and serene. The hills are tinged with a green hue and it’s a much different view from last year when we travelled through. What a difference a little colour makes.
 

Both trucks in the top picture are from British Columbia. The bottom picture is the agricultural inspection station which didn't matter we were coming back with groceries  taking any in to the state of California.

 

Back home I sent ‘how to find us’ instructions to our friends after checking them carefully on our way home. After that we settled in to wile away the afternoon with lunch, reading and gazing out the window. The big door open most of the afternoon with a nice breeze coming and not too hot in the sunny side of the Igloo either. A quick call to my dad around 2:30 pm (4:30 pm his time) found him just out of the shower after trying to get warm. Dad and brother Rick cleared snow all afternoon and weren’t finished but Dad was cold and came inside calling it a day. My dad has a large semi trailer box that he uses for storage tucked down in the bush and the snow was about 3 feet deep on the top. They used a snow blower to clear it off. That gives you an idea of how much snow they have had in the last few days. Also news from dad, my nephew Jason made it safely back to Chelmsford, Ontario from Kelowna, BC where he spent a  month’s holidays just having fun. His wife Leah travelled out with him but flew back home a couple of weeks ago, while his brother in law Craig flew out the same day Leah flew back to Ontario. However Craig flew out on Saturday and Jason began the long solo drive homeward after dropping Craig at the airport. Jason arrived late in the day Monday. His first day back to work was today. Welcome home Jason!!! I’m glad you made it safely.

 

I would enjoy hiking through here sometime.

 

So that’s it, our day here in the Quartzsite area. Not too exciting to read about but exciting enough for us.  Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had an excellent day where ever you may be!

 

Sunset tonight was pretty with liquid gold in the sky before it turned coal red as it faded.

 

Until next time… take care, be safe,

 

Goodnight from Quartzsite, Arizona

 

 

 

 

Deb

 

 

 

 

 

A walk in the desert today....

Our Location:  BLM Plomosa Road, Quartzsite, AZ


Another good night’s sleep. Yeah me!!! The temps weren’t as cool this morning as they’ve been the past few days and so maybe that is a sign that warmer temperatures are going to be the norm in the mornings now.
 

Today's post is photos from my walk this morning, so if you've seen enough Saguaro's, cacti and desert scenes feel free to skip tonight's post.

 

I spent some time walking toward these mountains that are on the far side of AZ 95 North. I loved the light on them as the sun rose higher and mixed in with a few light clouds. The shadows and bright spots were interesting to me.

We didn’t do a lot today, I spent a little over 3 hours this morning wandering around the flats of the desert floor here on Plomosa Road. I simply let my feet take me where my eyes noted something of interest. I’m sure most of you are tired of cactus and green growth photos but I like them and someday I’ll look back and hopefully remember them. If I’m lucky I’ll remember their smell, their texture, their beauty or their quirks. If I’m not that lucky perhaps I’ll just be lucky enough to be able to remember my name and believe I once witnessed these things first hand. 

The big pic on the left top is a young Palo Verde tree. Beautiful, vibrant green. The top right pic is of a stone that caught my eye due to the colouring. Interesting I thought how the white was so evenly spaced in there.  The second pic on the right is just some beautiful yellow flowers that appeared on the rocky floor, seems they sprung up out of no where. The bottom row is just other colour that caught my eye. The pretty picky cactus which is called Buckhorn Cholla  has pink, purple and green with some yellow as well. The middle picture is a close up of what looked like a grey/white puff that was scattered around a small circle. The pic on the bottom right had a very soft look to it as I came closer. 

I believe these are all a form of Barrel Cactus. With perhaps one Fishhook Cactus (the third small picture in the top row) in the bunch. I'm always fascinated by the slim hold to the ground they appear to have in some cases. Some small root remains and so they thrive and grow. Some while actually laying on the ground before they take a twist upward and reach for the sky. The colours are surprising as they incorporate yellows, pinks, reds, greens, and even purples. Some have twists to them, some simply seem to grow straight up. 

These Saguaro Cactus are hundreds of years old and come in all shapes and sizes. The hardships they've suffered can be seen in their scars and battered limbs. Multiple arms, bumps and weird growths add to their unique beauty. I've never seen one that is solid to the bottom, always about a foot at the bottom is roughened and weathered, cracked and worn whether it's from winds, dust, sand, animals, water or just life it never seems to be complete to the bottom. Holes in the 'hide' or bark are always present in almost all of them. How they came to be or what caused them, I have no idea although I'm certain birds play a part in some of the damage. They are both beautiful and lonesome at the same time.

The tops of many Saguaro Cactus are missing or mutilated in some way. As you can see from some of the photos the mutilations are odd in their shape and numbers. They do make their owner interesting to see though.

Up close you can see the various kinds of holes in some of the Saguaro's I wandered around to see. In the middle bottom photo you can see the beginning of a hole through the bark or hide on the back side of this photo. The other photos show that some holes go all the way through while others are only a few inches deep, more dents than holes.

Can you see the three faces in these photos? The first is like a lopsided face with bags under the eyes and big open mouth. The middle photo reminds me of a Viking in a time long past. The third photo shows me a pirate with something elaborate over his eye and covering part of his head.

The group of photos is all things picky and pointy.  Top left and right, along with bottom right are Buckhorn Cholla. The second picture on the left, third on the right and bottom middle are of course Ocotillo. Bottom left I think is a Hedgehog Cactus and the second from the right on the top I think may be a Goathead Sticker but I'm not sure. 

Top left: ET call home. Bottom left is sage brush. Middle  photo is tightly bunched stalks of tough grass like stuff. It's always very dark in the middle and very hard to separate. The top right pic is the bottom of a wash, the stone has some interesting lines on it. The bottom right is a flower, all alone in the middle of the flat rocky top.

The grass is growing through the tree using the inner decay of the limb as a good place to set down roots. The bottom right is an up close picture of a mesquite branch. Just loves those little dark bands. The bottom left is our nearest neighbours dogs. The older black/grey lab is a male named Bart or Burt. The other is the oddest colour dog I've ever seen. It's called a Painted Dog but this one is crossed with something else and I don't recall what it was. Originally they came from Africa where they are called Wild Dogs, Hunting Dogs and Painted Dogs. Her name is Brandy. Both came out to greet me when I walked by, Bart or Burt though he should walk me home when I left after chatting with his owner. He's a real gentleman!!

What a view this fella must have had late this evening.

I enhanced the colour to match the sky, the camera just doesn't pick it up.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the photos.

The sky was literally deepening to a fiery red as we watched.

 
Until next time….take care, be safe,  

Again the colours are enhanced to match the actual colour in the sky. I believe this is the most amazing sunset I've ever witnessed.

 
Deb

Day of visiting, Happy Birthday Riley.....

Our Location:  BLM Plomosa Road, Quartzsite, AZ


I think the good night’s sleeps are becoming a habit and I’m enjoying them greatly. It makes me think perhaps I’ve solved the insomnia issue. Keeping my fingers crossed. Of course it’s also very quiet here where we’re located. I think I could hear the breeze through the coyote’s fur coat as he passes by if I listened hard enough.
 

I love the antlers.

 

We were undecided about what to do today but a quick text message remedied that. A quick text to Patsy (Chillin’ with Patsy) and we had a drop by time of around 11 am. We headed out the door around 10 am as we had things to do before dropping  by the Suites. A stop at the transfer station, then on to fill water jugs, a propane tank to fill too, and then we checked out a vendor for firewood but he had only scraps left and $17 for a bundle was too much for slivers even if it was hardwood. After that we were heading south along AZ 95 toward La Posa South. 

 

L to R: Tom's friend, Tom, wife of Tom's friend, Suzie. I have no idea where George went, he had been standing beside Tom's friend. So unfortunately I have no pictures of George today.

 

Just around the 11 AM mark we pulled into find our friend Patsy with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. I think she may have been happy to see us. Soon Bill (On our way) arrived as well, and after hugs we had a very nice visit. Such a very sweet couple, warm and friendly, lots of laughs and some interesting conversation. 

Bill, Patsy, Rob and Pat.

 

Soon we noticed a fella wandering over in a nice tye dye shirt and a big 10 gallon hat, sure enough George ( Our Awesome Adventure) came strolling over. Some more chin flapping and then Miss Suzie came along as well. From there Rob and Pat (Patsy and Bill’s traveling companions this year) came along and we realized we have a little in common with those folks too. Soon Deb and Tom ( Celebrating the Dance) stepped out of the Stinger B to join our little chattering circle of folks. Shortly there after friends of Deb & Tom’s showed up for a visit, and I can’t recall their names, sorry folks. Shortly after that the party broke up a bit and we grabbed our chairs and had us a quick sit down with George and Suzie back at their motor home. 

Patsy, Rob, Pat and Deb

 

Soon we said our goodbyes, hugs and see you again, safe travel etc all around. Nice folks, we enjoyed our visit. Next time perhaps we’ll get a chance to sit down with Deb & Tom as well. Although I’m not sure we’ll be in the area long enough for it to be this time.
 

Beginning of sunset.

 Back home Riley and I enjoyed a lazy lunch and spent the remainder of the day doing a few little puttering things. We did truly enjoy our visit with the folks at La Posa South even though it was a quick one. Another time we’ll manage a visit of a bit longer duration I hope but maybe not until next year. I think everyone is soon going to scatter like the sands in a windstorm.  

The middle of sunset.

 

A call to my dad to see how things are going. Sister Jan has bronchitis but seems to be feeling a bit better now. Hopefully they get rid of the flu bug and get over all of this sick stuff before long. A call from daughter Courtney as well tonight to chat with her sister Riley and of course me for a bit. An interesting note as I look out the window tonight. We can see Quartzsite now off in the distance and before we couldn't see it there were too many rigs blocking our view. They have been leaving fast and furious for the last number of days and there are now big open space that before held hundreds of rigs.

 

Sunset at it's finest moment tonight.

 

A happy birthday to Riley. She is has reached the ripe old age of 27 years old today. Riley is a wonderful traveling companion and I’m very fortunate to have her with me. She is a sweet young lady with a big heart. I love her dearly. Happy Birthday Magoo.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you  had an excellent day where ever you may be and whatever you may have been doing.

Until next time… take care, be safe,

Deb



 

A very quiet day....

Our Location: Plomosa Road, Quartzsite,

Arizona

 

Another good night's sleep. They are now  becoming a habit and I like it very much. I could get used to it. 

 

The view out our window this morning.

Can you see why we love the desert?

 

This morning I posted a blog for yesterday and then decided to forgo the visit with blogger friends this morning and instead head out for a walk while it was cool. I didn't follow any straight lines and just wandered around from here to there. I was gone a couple of hours. It was a nice way to spend some time this morning. I've been having trouble getting out for a walk and I have no idea why but it's been a struggle. 

 

There are so many interesting pieces to some cacti.

Do you see the face? A lazy cacti, and one that has seen better days.

 

Home just before noon and we spent the rest of the day doing pretty much nothing. We read for a bit and Riley even napped for a while. After that it was just some quiet time doing a little of this and that. A call from dad to see how things are going and I called my sister as well. My sister and her partner Rick seem to be recovering from the flu but it's a slow process. Hopefully it doesn't make the round through their house again as it seems to want to do everywhere else. 

 

Bright colours and some pointy ends.

Lots of colour in the desert.

 

Riley and I have been out among more crowds than we like the last while and so have decided to take a few days of just being quiet and relaxed. Not exciting to read about but we enjoyed it. We have a few tentative ideas for tomorrow but have made no plans. So will see how things go. 

 

Some interesting pieces of wood as well.

The washes are all different.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had a wonderful day where ever you may be. 

 

Even very pretty green grass like stuff under the trees.

 

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

 

 

Mesquite choked washes, steep climbs and some pretty greens.

 

Deb

 

 

 

Out with friends, difficulty in the dark...

Our Location:  BLM Plomosa Road, Quartzsite, AZ

(Yesterday's post)
 

A busy day yesterday, I was too tired to blog last night. Morning found us doing a few little things inside before heading back into Q for a quick couple of things. I didn’t take ANY pictures yesterday, although Riley snapped one or two with my phone.  

 

A stop at Love’s to drop some garbage and then on to RV Lifestyles to ask a question of their service department as I think I’ve narrowed down my battery/solar issue some more. They weren’t  very helpful but then again I understand they want you to bring in your rig and pay them to find the problem. However a shop rate of $125.00 USD per hour is a bit steep when you add on the exchange rate and I’ll wait until I’m elsewhere to have it checked out. We are managing quite well the way we are.
 

Love the colour of this motor home. Nice Sand Rail behind too.

 

From there we tried to find some firewood and found only one location but it was too busy to get into and so we didn’t bother. A stop down at the big tent once again but for only one purpose to catch our friends. We made plans to meet at 3X family restaurant at 5 pm (or as soon as they could get away from the tent). Riley and I then headed out to find this restaurant that our friend Lisa had called 3 Sisters. Lisa is directionally and name challenged  but we love her anyway. I slipped in to make a reservation for 5 pm, reservation made and confirmed, 5 pm for 6 people. Riley and I headed home.  

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon doing some reading and puttering around. We loaded ourselves into the Dogsled and headed back into town around 4:30 pm. We arrived about 10 minutes to 5 pm, parked and heard a beep, beep as we were walking toward the place. Sure enough there came the ladies, Carol and Lisa but  no fellas. Hugs all around once again and news that Lisa & Paul’s (Buzz) coach was supposed to be getting it’s final bolts tightened on an oil line leak before 5 and so the Jerry and Buzz would join us shortly. I checked in to say we’re here, was told we should all wait outside as it’s too crowded inside at the door. Twice I told the lady we had reservations for 5 pm, a table for 6. Twice she nodded and off she went. She called numerous people before us and after approximately 45 minutes waiting outside  I was heading back in to find out what the hold up was when she poked her head out and asked why we were still waiting. I explained once again that we had a reservation for 5 pm for 6 people under the name of Debbie. You could see the dawning moment as it settled in that she had been skimming over our name waiting for us to arrive. We were seated immediately at a  makeshift extended table. The idea for the reservation was no waiting and a FULL table, oh well.

It took a long time for us to get any service of any kind even to order something to drink. However it was all good, the fellas arrived and we all sat down and had ourselves a good old chin wag catching up with each other. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen these folks and so we had a few things to learn. We don’t know Jerry and Carol well but we do know Lisa and Buzz quite well.
 

Nice bright green lid on this Weber Q.

 The food came in bits and spurts with everyone eating for some time while I waited for my food. Our waitress came over, sat beside me on the bench and began to apologize saying that there was problem with my order. It seems someone had forgotten it. Long story short, my burger arrived within a short time and all was good. The nice lady even comped the burger for the mix up. Meal finished and with hugs and kisses all around before we headed out each going our own way. 

I don’t drive after dark, I find it very hard to determine if the headlights coming at me are in a row or a line across the roadway. However last night there was very little traffic and it wasn’t a long drive. We made it no problems but we had trouble finding the correct path home. It took us about 20 minutes to determine which path it was as there is a bit of a jog that is difficult to see in the dark. Had dinner gone as planned we would have been home around dusk making it much easier to see.  However we made it home around 8:30 pm having had a wonderful time with our friends.  

 

HRH Miss Kitty relaxing in Riley's chair. Her head propped up on the armrest.

 

I am not complaining about the restaurant nor the service in anyway. I'm simply documenting our day. It gave us more time with our friends and we truly enjoyed the visit. I should have attached something to a branch as we left for the evening to indicate where we turn but since we don't go at night I didn't think of it. It is a lesson for the future. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Sorry only a couple of pictures and I forgot to take pictures at dinner.

Until next time… take care, be safe,

Deb