Year 3 Week 24

November 26 to December 2, 2006

Yuma, Arizona, Los Algodones, B.C., México, and Bard, California

Year 3 week 24

 

Sunday ; Today was sunny and very warm again.

We got a very late start to the day, blowing off the morning, lounging around. I had an opportunity to try out some new < ahem > medication I bought in México the other day. Ohhhhh ... works great ! Just like Sunday mornings in our 20's ! HA HA HA !

I removed and replaced the brushed aluminum gas cap door I bought and installed on the truck recently. I had to make an adjustment to some weird screws with star shaped heads behind the gas cap door. Yesterday at the flea market I bought a set of weird star shaped drivers that enabled me to tighten the weird star shaped screws. Apparently the weird star shaped screws are known in the automotive industry as "tamper proof" screws. Guess they never counted on Mexicans ! HA HA HA !

This afternoon I washed the trailer roof, an annual chore. Tough job ! Joanne worked on wiping down the truck with a damp chamois, to get rid of the spots left by yesterday's washing. We recently bought a car wash liquid detergent that is supposed to dry without leaving spots. Well ... it left spots just as much as any other car wash detergent we've used. I wonder if spotting is worse on a black vehicle ?

At 6:30 P.M. we went to the park's regular Sunday evening ice cream social, a weekly event in all Escapee parks. The ice cream social had a disturbing interruption, by a medical emergency. One of the park's elderly residents had a stroke out at the pool / hot tub area while the ice cream social was going on in the clubhouse. We usually linger, chatting with new friends, but tonight we ate and ran, to get back to the trailer to watch Amazing Race.

 

Monday ; Today was sunny and warm. As I type this I'm listening to the weather man on the evening news whine and complain about how cold it was here in Yuma today, with a high temperature of only 69 degrees ! HA HA HA !

Saturday at the flea market I bought a power buffer attachment for my power drill. Today I used it to polish off the scuff mark I made on the rear corner of the truck at Arleigh's Restaurant in Keremeos. It worked very well.

We went to Peter Piper Pizza for lunch. It was okay, but not as good as Cici's. Unfortunately, there is no Cici's in the Yuma area. After lunch at Peter Piper's Joanne did a bit of Wal-Martin', while I wandered around browsing at nearby automotive shops. When we got back to the trailer, I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and napping. As the sun set, we took Bo for an obedience session, then a "free range" session in the huge fenced dog run. It's very encouraging that the more freedom we give Bo in this fenced dog run area, the better behaved he becomes about returning to us when we call him. Good dog, Bo. And he really enjoys romping around here at Kofa Ko-op, where the desert ground is soft sand, like on a beach. Everywhere else the desert ground is like gravel. I guess the ground is soft sand here because Yuma is adjacent to the Imperial Sand Dunes.

Joanne was a little ill tonight, with a touch of food poisoning from our Peter Piper Pizza outing, I suppose.

 

Tuesday ; Los Algodones, México

In memory of Toby, who died 2 years ago today. We miss you, little friend.

Today was a perfect "June 18" day. Sunny, temperatures in the low 70's, soft breeze.

Right after an early lunch, we left for Los Algodones, México. We parked, walked across the border, and went to the Tourist Information Centre to get directions to the one veterinary pharmacy in town. We walked about a mile, and got lost, a little uncertain of the poor directions we received. We went into half a dozen businesses asking for directions, but because we were beyond the main tourist area, we couldn't find anybody who spoke English. Finally, an English speaking Mexican offered to show us where it was. We had missed it by a couple of blocks. He walked us right to Farmacia Veterinaria, then came inside and translated for us. I gave him a small gratuity for his assistance. We bought a year's worth of Bo's heartworm medication.

We walked back to the tourist area, about a five square block area surrounding the border crossing. We stopped at Farmacia Tury's and stocked up on more < ahem > medication. The prices of pharmaceuticals / medications are usually not negotiable, but I bought a large enough quantity that I succeeded in negotiating a bit of a discount, despite the fact that this pharmacy already had the lowest price in town. HA ... I still got it ! Next stop was Tienda De Autoservicio Liquis, a variety store where we bought a box of Nugs, and a box of Coconugs, our favourite Mexican chocolate bars. Well, we're now well stocked up on Creminos, Nugs, Coconugs, and ... <ahem > other pleasurable indulgences.

We headed for Dr. Comacho's office for Joanne's 2:45 appointment. She waited for an hour and a half before getting in to see the dentist. We were both a little frustrated and annoyed. But ... the services were so good, and so well priced, that it made up for the wait. Dr. Comacho repaired Joanne's two chipped front teeth excellently ... for $60 ! While I waited for her, I walked over to Super Pan, our favourite bakery in Los Algodones, and I stocked up on Mexican pastries. Joanne was finished at the dentist's at 5:00 P.M.. We walked back across the border, with no delays today, and drove back to Yuma, about a 15 minute drive.

When we got back to Kofa Ko-op, we took Bo for an obedience session, and long "free range" play session, just as it turned dark. Good dog, Bo. Excellent off leash behaviour !

 

Wednesday ; Bard, California

Today was sunny, cool, and very windy. When it's windy here in the Yuma area, it results in sand storms, because the desert ground here is soft sand. The horizon looks hazy. The Kofa Mountains in the distance are barely visible. Walking facing into the wind is like standing in front of a sand blaster.

Right after lunch we set out for Bard, California to buy dates. We stopped at Watch Hospital and picked up my Rolex. Very nicely done. And good value, despite how expensive Rolex repairs are. They refinished the band, changed the crystal, and water proof tested and certified it, at no additional charge. We drove out of Yuma, onto Hwy. S-24 into California, headed for Bard, about 15 minutes from Yuma. The area we drove through was mostly lettuce farms. Endless fields of lettuce, some being harvested, some freshly planted, and others at various stages of growth. It looks like there are always fields ready to be picked, a brutally labour intensive manual operation. The lettuce is picked, cleaned, bagged, and boxed right in the fields. Transport trucks are parked on the side of the road being loaded right beside the fields.

We were going to go to Imperial Date Gardens, where we had been last year, but as we passed another date farm, we decided to give it a try, for comparison. We stopped at Sun Gardens, where they grow figs, coconuts and 4 different types of dates. We sampled each of the 4 different types of dates ; Medjool, Zahidi, Dayri, and Halawi. Medjools are the largest, softest, and most expensive. Medjools and Dayris are dark, while Zahidis and Halawis are light. Last year we bought Medjools at Imperial Date Gardens. I've been fantasizing about having peanut butter stuffed Medjools ever since we arrived in Yuma. But after sampling all 4 types that Sun Gardens grow, I decided to buy a couple of pounds of Dayris. They're a little smaller, the skin is a tiny bit tougher, but they're about half the price of Medjools. I also bought a pound of all 4 types, assorted, rolled in coconut. MMMMM ! ! ! Joanne bought a pound of fresh figs to try, since we've never had fresh figs. And she bought a pound of fresh, flaked coconut. I have no idea what she's going to do with that much flaked coconut. It looks like a lifetime supply. We bought 2 date shakes, and sat outside at a picnic table savouring them. We really love fresh date shakes. As does Bo ! As does the little Chihuahua that was running around the front yard of Sun Gardens. Bo and the little Chihuahua romped around, in between little samples of my date shake.

On the way back to Yuma, I decided I wanted to go explore the off road area of the Imperial Sand Dunes. I drove Lanoire off the highway, shifted into 4 wheel high mode, and off we went four wheelin' off roadin'. It was fun. Well, I thought so. Joanne and Bo found it a bit too bumpy. And Joanne was worried that we would get stuck in the soft sand. HMPH ... that girl has no sense of adventure. HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

 

Thursday ; Today was a sunny, cool day, temperature only in the high 50's during the day, dipping to near freezing at night. To Yumans, this is considered very cold weather.

After lunch we went to fill Lanoire up with diesel, then over to the second of Yuma's 2 flea markets, called Arizona Market. This flea market is larger than Yuma Park 'N Swap, with better quality merchandise. Joanne bought herself a Christmas gift, and I bought myself a Christmas gift. Since we began travelling, we have developed a tradition of buying ourselves what we want, then pretending that they are Christmas gifts from each other. Hey ... it works ! I also bought a Santa hat wearing happy face antenna ball for Lanoire. My version of decorating for Christmas. HA HA HA !

After supper we watched Survivor. It's getting down to the nitty-gritty !

 

Friday ; Today was sunny and mild. There never seems to be any clouds around here. Works for me. I'm a sun junkie. Yuma has had only 0.55 of an inch of rain so far this year. Geeeeez ... I'm certain that we have experienced more rain than that in less than a day in some places!

This morning I subscribed to a new Emergency Roadside Service, Coach-Net, for 3 years. Our Camping World Emergency Roadside Service expired yesterday. I renewed our Escapees RV Club membership, buying a lifetime membership, which the Escapees RV Club only offers occasionally, for a limited time. Then I wasted an hour, on the phone, and online, trying to pay my 2 MasterCard bills. Repeated dropped cell phone calls, and repeated online "bumps" ! Very frustrating ! I got one of the two bills paid.

After lunch we headed to Historic Downtown ( old ) Yuma, for the Humane Society Of Yuma's Festival Of The Trees. We wanted to have Bo's photo taken with Santa. As we drove along 32nd Street, perpendicular to the main runway of MCAS, the Marine Corps Air Station, 2 fighter jets took off, screaming over the fence, 100 feet in front of us, about 20 feet off the ground, afterburners roaring. WHOA < blink blink > ... good thing my bladder was empty !

Rather than have the Humane Society’s photographer take a picture, I asked and was allowed to use my camera to take photos of Bo with Santa. After I took photos, Santa gave Bo a little red stocking with a rawhide Christmas cane in it. Too bad Bo can't digest rawhide. There were a few vendor booths selling pet products. We bought a pet water bottle with attached dish for Bo as a Christmas gift. We went to the Humane Society's storefront and bought a few more Christmas gifts for Bo. A stretchy, squeaky, red and green, bone shaped "tuggy", and a Christmas collar with jingle bells.

We drove over to the Yuma Palms shopping area to look for a restaurant that I’m interested in trying. It’s a Texas barbecue and blues music place called Famous Dave’s. Wow ... the Yuma Palms shopping area is quite impressive ! From there we drove east on Interstate 8 a few miles to the suburban community of Foothills. I knew that the Foothills community has many RV parks and businesses, and I wanted to check it out. We drove around Foothills for awhile. It’s an interesting large suburb of RV and park model / mobile home lots.

When we got back to Kofa Ko-op I made another couple of attempts to pay the second MasterCard bill. Fifteen minutes on hold on our cell phone, then another 20 minutes on hold on the pay phone. I gave up ! I downloaded and processed the photos of Santa and Bo. One of the four pictures turned out very nice. I will use it to make a Christmas card.

Late in the evening I made another attempt to pay the U.S.$ MasterCard. Twenty-five minutes on hold, and I finally got the bill paid. Apparently these lengthy delays are a common occurrence on the first of each month. HMPH ... remind me never to attempt to pay bills on the first of the month ever again !

This afternoon I was doing something under the front of the trailer, when I stood up quickly in the wrong spot. I smashed the corner of the trailer's front overhang into the top of my shoulder and the side of my neck. My collarbone really hurts !

 

Saturday ; Today was sunny, warm, and windy.

This morning I tried to polish out a teensy little scratch on my relatively new brushed aluminum gas cap door on the truck, using the little drill attachment buffer. I ruined the gas cap door. I made a little heat blemish on the brushed aluminum, then the more I tried to rectify it, the worse it got. Awwwww, doggone it ! ! ! Another fifty bucks down the tube. Will I never learn ? Yeah ... I learn ! Always the expensive way. I guess tomorrow I'll remove it and reinstall the original factory gas cap door, and swallow hard ! I could spend another 50 bucks and buy another one, but ... ( 1 ) I’m too angry at myself, and ( 2 ) Joanne doesn’t like the brushed aluminum gas cap door anyway.

This afternoon Joanne went Wal-Martin’ by herself. I took Bo for an obedience session, then we did a power walk for exercise around the perimeter of the large fenced dog run area. I printed the investment updates and bank statements I had retrieved online yesterday. I printed a copy of one of the photos of Santa and Bo. Cute ! I reconciled the bank statements then spent the rest of the afternoon updating my investment spreadsheets. Well ... we're doing very well this year, aren't we ? ! ?

After Joanne returned from Wal-Mart, we left for Yuma Palms Shopping Centre. At Yuma Palms, I went to PetsMart to buy some cat food, while Joanne went shopping for shoes < rolling eyes >. We walked in the direction of some loud music, and found the Battle Of The Bands taking place at Yuma Palms today. The band members weren't old enough to shave yet, and none of the audience were either. Not our kind of music event, I guess. We walked over to Famous Dave's for supper. Blues music, and great barbecue ! We hadn't expected that such great barbecue would exist this far west of Texas.

DSK