February 7 to 13, 2008

February 7 to 13, 2008

Yuma to Quartzsite, Arizona

 

Thursday ; Imperial National Wildlife Refuge

 

Whew ... another long, tiring, day out. This morning we drove over to The Foothills and picked up Erbon and Lorraine for a day trip outing to the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. We drove about an hour north on Hwy. 95, then northeast on the Martinez Lake Road to the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. On the way out to the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge we saw some military parachutists practicing. I know that the U.S. military national parachute team practices near Yuma. That must have been them. They're called the Golden Nighthawks or something like that. We spent the day exploring the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge desert area mostly by road, and one long hike. We went to four scenic overlook areas. Erbon and Lorraine viewed birds at each one. We had lunch at a picnic area. Lorraine, Joanne and I hiked around the Painted Desert Trail, about a mile and a half, taking a little more than an hour. Tough hike. But worth it. The desert is beginning to bloom. Hopefully, it will be in full bloom when we travel down the Baja. Erbon's sore leg prevented him from coming along on the hike.

On the way back from the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge we drove into the rather eclectic little RV community of Martinez Lake. We drove Erbon and Lorraine back to their RV park and visited briefly with them there. We returned to Kofa Ko-op and picked up Bo at the Huggard's, who looked after him for the day. He was exhausted. Must have had a tough day playing with Emma.

 

Friday ; Today was sunny and hot. Of course, now that we've left the RV park with the swimming pool, swimming pool weather has arrived ! This morning we prepared for departure from Kofa Ko-op SKP Park. We said our goodbyes to Tom and Ruth-Anne, Sandy and Peachy, and Mischa and Lynn. Bo said goodbye to Emma and Gypsy. We drove to our new park, Adobe Village in The Foothills area on the east side of Yuma. Erbon and Lorraine are in the park "next door", Sunset Palm.

After lunch we took Lorraine shopping to Arizona Market Place. Lorraine bought some stuff, as did Joanne. I bought some neat "guy stuff", and an "Xtreme Vent" for the trailer. I was going to install it next summer, but now that I see how easy it's likely going to be to install, maybe I'll do it in Hemet, California in a couple of weeks. Mind you, I've had plenty of other projects that appeared to be easy before I started them, then turned out to be quite difficult once I actually started doing them After Arizona Market Place we went to Peanut Patch to buy some fresh peanuts and peanut butter.

We invited Erbon and Lorraine to come over for a barbecue supper. Today was definitely barbecue weather. They brought over some steaks, and we provided the rest.

 

Saturday ; Happy 4th Birthday, Bo

Whew ... another sunny, hot day. The kind of day that makes me want to stand outside staring up into the sunny, blue sky, and try to remember what it feels like to unload trucks in the freezing rain. Nope ... can't remember ! HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

This morning Erbon and Lorraine came over and we left for the Yuma Park & Swap flea market over at the Greyhound racing track. First I had to refill Lanoire with diesel. Then we stopped at the Post Office to pick up our batch of January mail. The line up inside the Post Office was way too long for me, so we'll return on Monday, hoping for a shorter line up of customers waiting to be served. We walked around the flea market, buying some "guy stuff" ( of course ) for me, pet products, cosmetics, and a knee brace for me in a damaged package for two dollars. I have a perfectly good one already, but I can't resist buying a $20 product for $2 if I have a use for it.

After the flea market we went to Wienerschnitzel for lunch. Erbon and Lorraine had never had chili cheese fries, the Mexican version of Quebec's poutine. HA HA HA ! Back at Adobe Village, Joanne did laundry, and I read, then napped. Hey ... traipsing around a flea market on a hot day is tiring. Late in the afternoon, Erbon and Lorraine came over for a "Happy Hour". They presented Bo with the edible birthday gift they bought for him at the flea market. We chatted, and ate tortilla chips and fresh guacamole, until we all decided that we had eaten too much to want supper.

Late in the evening I drove slowly around our RV park with the computer on the console beside me, searching for a private, unsecured access Wi-Fi signal. Just an RV'ers trick I learned about a year ago in Palm Springs. HA ... found one ! I parked the truck back in our site, grabbed a folding chair, and walked back to where the Wi-Fi signal was. It was a very slow signal, but I managed to send and retrieve e-mail.

 

Sunday; Happy 59th Birthday to my sister, Sharon

Today was sunny and hot. This morning I walked over to where I found a Wi-Fi signal last night, hoping that our Wi-Fi phone would work there. It did. I phoned my sister to wish her a Happy Birthday. We only spoke for a moment and lost the connection. Erbon and Lorraine drove their RoadTrek over to our site. I helped Erbon do a few minor repairs on it. Joanne helped me wash our truck. It was quite dirty, and salt stained from being driven through the surf on the beach at the Sea Of Cortez at El Golfo de Santa Clara.

After lunch we gave Bo a haircut. His hair was really long ! We usually cut his hair in December and June, but December and January were a little cooler than usual, so we delayed giving him a haircut. I trimmed my beard. We walked over to the park next door and visited with Erbon and Lorraine until it was time for ice cream social. Both their park and ours have a Sunday evening ice cream social. Joanne and I joined Erbon and Lorraine at the ice cream social in their park. Very generous servings of ice cream in their park !

We returned to our trailer for a late, small supper. While Joanne prepared supper I phoned my sister again. The Wi-Fi signal that I was "stealing" / using was very slow and weak, so the Wi-Fi phone worked poorly.

 

Monday ; Today was sunny and hot. Woo-Hoo !

****ing Post Office ! ! ! ! ! This morning we picked up Erbon and headed off to do errands. Lorraine stayed at the RV park to do laundry. I dropped Joanne off at Wal-Mart, and was supposed to pick her up there an hour later. Erbon and I drove to the Post Office where I was going to pick up my January batch of mail. The line up today was at least as long as it was on Saturday. I waited over 20 minutes to get to the front of the line, and then ... < sputter > ... my mail wasn't there ! It seems as if once per winter we have a batch of mail go astray. Our next door neighbour in Keremeos, Stu, probably mailed the batch of mail to us on February 1. It probably arrived here in Yuma on about February 4. And it probably got "returned to sender" this morning before I got to the Post Office. Most Post Offices will hold General Delivery mail for 30 days, but Yuma seems to hold it for only 1 week. I suppose that's understandable, given the huge numbers of Snowbirds here who use General Delivery.

This afternoon we took Bo for an obedience training reinforcement walk around our RV park. We noticed a fifth wheel trailer that was the same year, make, and model as Harvey. We walked closer to take a look when Joanne noticed that it was the identical rig to ours ... that belongs to neighbours of ours in Riverside RV Park Resort in Keremeos. We stopped and visited for awhile with our neighbours from home, Dave and Joy. They have been here all winter. And they have already reserved their site for next winter. And they have reserved a site for other neighbours of ours back at Riverside, Terry and Marlene. They should just rename this park to Riverside RV Park Resort South. HA HA HA !

We invited Erbon and Lorraine to join us for dinner at Famous Dave's, our favourite Yuma restaurant. Great dinner ! Famous Dave's portions are ... well ... generous, to say the least. And I didn't mention until everybody was already stuffed that I had 2 coupons for free desserts at Famous Dave's. So we all shared two huge desserts. It was a bit of an overindulgence for all of us. As we were waddling across the parking lot, back to the truck, Erbon made a comment that I think would be a great t-shirt slogan for Famous Dave's. "I damn near died at Famous Dave's". HA HA HA HA HA !

 

Tuesday ; Los Algodones, Mexico

Another sunny, very warm day, temperature about 80 degrees, with a light breeze. Our day trip down to Los Algodones had some successes and some failures. We picked up Erbon and Lorraine at their RV park next door to ours, then headed for Los Algodones. Even before we got to the dentist's office, Erbon bought himself a leather belt. We arrived at the dentist's office for Erbon's and Lorraine's 11:00 A.M. appointments for cleanings and examinations. The receptionist advised us that they were behind schedule and we should return at 12:15. Okay ... we went shopping and sightseeing. We guided Erbon to our favoured hairstylist / barber shop, left him there to get a haircut, and took Lorraine for some medication comparison shopping. We checked prices at about half a dozen pharmacies. We bought Teddy's thyroid medication, at a stupendous price ! Lorraine couldn't find exactly the medication she was looking for. We picked Erbon up at the barber's, and headed back to the dentist's. Joanne and I left Erbon and Lorraine there, and went comparison shopping to the four currency exchange businesses in Los Algodones.

Our original plan was to purchase the pesos we need, for our Baja trip, in San Diego. The caravan company recommends buying pesos at Costco in San Diego. But Costco won't take traveller's cheques. So we would have had to find someplace in San Diego that would cash traveller's cheques, hopefully without a fee, then go to Costco to buy the pesos. We decided to buy pesos in Los Algodones if we could find a decent exchange rate, and they would accept traveller's cheques. I had already done some exchange rate "shopping" by Internet and phone. All four of the currency exchange businesses in Los Algodones had the same exchange rate, and it was very good. The only better rate that I had found was in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, when we were driving down to El Golfo de Santa Clara recently. Only one of the four places in Los Algodones would accept traveller's cheques. We decided to buy pesos there today, to avoid having to do it in San Diego, which would be a lot more running around. And we didn't think the exchange rate in San Diego could possibly be much better. When we got to the place where we were going to buy pesos, I wondered if there was any possibility that the exchange rate was negotiable. What the hell ... everything else in Los Algodones seems negotiable. I doubted it would work, but I made an offer, and they accepted it. Woo-Hoo ! So we bought our pesos, at the same exchange rate that I had seen available down in San Luis Rio Colorado.

We returned to the dentist's office at 1:00 P.M., hoping that Erbon and Lorraine would be finished about that time. They had not yet been in to see the hygienists and dentist. They were not pleased ! Their appointments had been for 11:00 A.M. and at 1:00 P.M. they were still waiting. In disgust, they decided not to wait any longer. I'm disappointed in Dr. Camacho, and I doubt that Joanne and I will return to him in the future.

We went for a late lunch at El Paraiso. As always, it was very good. Large margaritas and good food, sitting outside in the sunshine, music playing. Erbon was annoyed by the constant barrage of walking vendors strolling amongst the tables, hawking their wares. But that's just part of the Mexican culture when gringos are sitting at an outdoor café . After awhile, you learn to just keep saying "no, gracias", and tune them out.

After lunch we continued shopping and sightseeing. We bumped into Ed and Lori, friends of ours from SKP B.C. Okanagan Chapter 33. We bought Mexican pastries,of course. Erbon and Lorraine finally found the medication they were looking for, at a good price. Joanne bought Cremino chocolates, and Coconugs chocolate bars. While Joanne and Lorraine browsed, Erbon and I were trying free samples of tequila and other liquors. I bought a bottle of < ahem > Mexican eggnog. I negotiated an excellent price on four cartons of duty free American cigarettes. Each person is allowed to bring one carton per month back into the United States. Lorraine bought a small hand woven mat for the entrance doorway of their RV. We wandered back towards the border around 3:30 P.M. The line up was horrendously long. We went back into town and found a place to sit, rest, and drink fruit smoothies. We returned to the border at 4:45 P.M.. The line up was still horrendously long. It took us an hour and a half to cross the border. I don't think Joanne and I will ever try going down to Los Algodones again in January and February.

The "Snowbird" pressure on Yuma and Los Algodones in January and February is too great. Long line ups at the border, dentists' offices that can't keep on schedule because they're trying to squeeze too many clients in per day, all the RV parks are full ... !

 

Wednesday ; Yuma to Quartzsite, Arizona

Today was sunny and very warm. By late afternoon a strong wind had started to blow. This morning a Yuma RV dealer provided coffee and doughnuts in our RV park, and brought in a few RV's to show. While preparing for departure I had a coffee and a doughnut and took a look inside a very nice Class B Plus little motorhome. We pulled out of our park, joined up with Erbon and Lorraine, stopped to adjust tire pressures before leaving Yuma, then headed north on Hwy. 95. Goodbye, Yuma ! We had a great couple of months. See you in a couple of years. Well, actually, maybe we'll stop back in Yuma for a day after coming out of the Baja.

We used our new CB radio to talk occasionally with the Dickinson’s as we drove. We liked it ! The desert from Yuma to Quartzsite was very green, for a desert. And it appears as if the desert plants will be blooming soon. We arrived in Quartzsite, found our way to the High Jolly short term, unserviced, free campground on BLM ( either “Bureau of Land Management” or “Boomers with Lots of Money” ... HA HA HA ) land just north of town, parked our rig, and jumped into the Dickinson's RoadTrek to head back into town for an afternoon of flea market shopping. First stop was Beaudry's RV. I had noticed an ad for a marketing promotion they were having today at their Quartzsite location. Free food ! How fortuitous ! We just happened to be right near Beaudry RV, right at lunch time, and we all felt like shopping for a new RV. HA HA HA ! And it was a pretty good lunch, too ! We browsed the flea markets for awhile. I bought a tool ! Erbon bought a tool ! Welcome to Quartzsite ! Joanne bought some gifts. Lorraine bought a gift. Erbon bought an RV accessory. I say again ... welcome to Quartzsite. As we were leaving town to return to our campground, I noticed a windshield repair business. The Dickinson's new RoadTrek got a stone chip in the windshield recently, and a crack line was just beginning to spread out from the stone chip. Erbon dropped Lorraine, Joanne and me back at our rig, then returned into town and got his windshield repaired.

We spent the last part of the afternoon sitting outside in the sun, munching on tortilla chips and guacamole ( yes, again ). I drank a couple of "Mexican eggnogs". OH ... < smacking lips > ... WOW ! Lorraine joined Joanne and me on a desert walk with Bo. Erbon's sore leg problem appears to be getting more serious. We invited Erbon and Lorraine over to our rig for supper. They're at a disadvantage. Their RoadTrek Class B motorhome / camper van is too small to invite guests over for dinner.

 

DSK