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