April 19 to 25, 2015 ; Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Oregon, U.S.A. to Keremeos, British Columbia, Canada

Sunday ; Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Oregon to weigh scale between Quincy and Wenatchee, Washington

Sunny and warm, temperature in the mid to high 70's, a perfect "June 18" day.

This morning we left the campground at Deschutes River State Recreation Area and headed east just a few miles on Interstate 84 before reaching Hwy. 97 again. We turned north on Hwy. 97 and crossed the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington. Goodbye, Oregon ... see ya in about a year.

At Toppenish we stopped at Safeway to buy some groceries. We had lunch in Safeway's parking lot, then I napped briefly. We refilled with diesel at a fuel bar next door to Safeway. We dumped our waste holding tanks at the town's RV sani-dump station. At Yakima we stopped at Wal-Mart and picked up a few items that we did not get in Oregon. DARN ... had to pay sales tax in Washington. At Quincy we stopped at ... wait for it ... a panaderia. WOO-HOO ! Mucho pan dulce por gringos ! HA HA HA !
I still want to get a bumper sticker that says "I brake for panaderias". HA HA HA !

As we were driving we discovered a wood tick embedded in Bo, the second in as many days. We stopped at the next rest area nad ( F*** ! ! ! ... Why can't my fingers lose that muscle memory ? ? ? ) I plucked the wood tick off him. Since we were already stopped, we decided we might as well go for a short hike to have a break from driving. As we hiked a trail through the scruffy sage desert behind the rest area, Bo squatted and defecated. Right over a gopher hole. HEY ... A HOLE IN ONE ! ! ! PLOP ... down the gopher hole the turd went ! HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA ! Well done, Bo !

Our destination for tonight was a rest area just west of Quincy. We've boondocked overnight there a few times, both southbound and northbound. When we arrived there tonight about 7 PM ... the rest area was closed for renovations. AW ... **** !
I was already tired and hungry, and now we had to go off in search of someplace else to stop for the night. We headed for Wenatchee. Before arriving at Wenatchee we found a highway weigh scale with a large truck parking lot that was empty. We pulled in there and spent the night.

Monday ; Quincy - Wenatchee weigh scale to Okanogan, Washington

Sunny and very warm, temperature reaching into the low 80's. What a lovely day for exploring.

Joanne's plan for today was to explore three different areas of interest as we drove today. And so that's what we did. After leaving the weigh scale parking area this morning we drove to Wenatchee and crossed over the Columbia River, heading in the "wrong" direction, west on Hwy. 97 to the picturesque town of Cashmere to visit the Aplets & Cotlets factory. When Joanne worked in a couple of fruit stands in Keremeos and Cawston a few summers ago she kept being asked if they had "Aplets and Cotlets". Until today, she didn't really know what that was. She had assumed it was some kind of "fruit leather" product.

Well ... aplets and cotlets are a fruit confectionary product made in Cashmere, Washington. Since 1920. The Aplets & Cotlets factory is now owned and operated by the third generation of the founders, two immigrants who came to the area in the early 1900's, one from England and one from Turkey. They bought an orchard. The man from Turkey decided to utilize the orchard's surplus product and lesser quality product in a modified "Turkish Delight" recipe. And so Aplets & Cotelts was born. Apple and / or apricot juice and pulp slow cooked with sugar and pectin ... yes, just like jam ... mixed with nuts, poured into shallow trays, cooled until it has hardened, rolled in and coated liberally with icing sugar, and cut into bite sized pieces. Something akin to "gummy bears", but much tastier ... and healthier.

We toured the "factory", including the "kitchen". Surprisingly small for a facility producing over two million pounds of product per year. Still all hand cooked. Still all hand packaged. Not very different from the way it was done in 1920. Except now the large cooking pots ( and there are only four of them ) are stainless steel instead of copper. Not surprisingly ... we bought some ( probably too much ) of their products.

From Cashmere we returned to Wenatchee then drove north on Hwy. 97 ALT, the highway on the west / "wrong" side of the Columbia River. to our second stop of the day, the Rocky Reach Dam. We spent longer than anticipated on the dam's self guided tour and museum and exhibits. They do an astounding job of salmon "enhancement" there, with very well done fish ladders to allow adult salmon to return upstream from the ocean, and a salmon "waterslide" for salmon fry heading downstream to the ocean. Additionally they do a pretty amazing job of salmon fry "research", including surgically implanting salmon fry with microchip tracking devices. In their "theater" we watched an episode of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe doing maintenance on a power turbine, and microchip implant surgery on a baby salmon. filmed at the Rocky Reach Dam.

Final "exploration" stop was Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center, a forest fire research and education center near Entiat. We hiked the interpretive trail through the Ponderosa Pine forest, with many interpretive / educational kiosks along the trail. Consequently, Bo thought the hike had too many "stops". "Hurry up, let's go !"

Our initial plan was to spend the night at Lake Chelan State Park. However, when we arrived there and saw the outrageous fees for overnight camping, we decided not to stay. We did, however, refill our freshwater tank and ... pay our respects to the spirit / memory of Teddy, our cat before Sully. Five and half years ago we put the box of Teddy's ashes in our campfire on site 17 at Lake Chelan State Park. Seeing the view from site 17, and its peace and serenity reminded me today of why we left his ashes there, in addition to it being the place where Teddy enjoyed the final campfire of his life.

We continued north on Hwy. 97 ALT until it merged with Hwy. 97 where Hwy. 97 crossed from the east side to the west side of the Columbia River. Shortly after was the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers at Brewster. Hwy. 97 follows the Okanogan River northward from there. Almost home !

We stopped to boondock overnight at the Okanogan Casino at Okanogan, Washington, about fifty miles south of the Canadian border. We've always appreciated the Okanogan Casino's free, pull through, electrically serviced RV parking spots. Thank you, Colville Tribes.

Tuesday ; Okanogan, Washington to Keremeos, British Columbia

WHEW ... we're home !

Today was sunny and warm.

We left the RV parking lot of the Okanogan Casino and drove about five miles north on Hwy. 97 to Omak. To Wal-Mart, of course < sigh >. After a teensy bit of Wal-Martin' we drove across the street and refilled Lanoire with diesel. Then ... north on Hwy. 97 to the Canadian border at Oroville, Washington.

No line up at the border. WOO-HOO ! The Canadian border agent asked a few more questions than usual. Once across the border we drove into Osoyoos to have a late lunch at Bo's favourite park, on the Lake Osoyoos waterfront. Bo LOOOOOVES that park ! I don't really know why.

After lunch we headed west on Hwy. 3 to Keremeos. We ran some errands in town before driving home to Riverside RV Park Resort. First stop was Similkameen Agencies to get a new license plate and insurance for the minivan. Then I went across the street to PharmaSave to order prescription refills. Then over to the Keremeos Review office to renew our newspaper subscription. Last stop was FasGas to refill both of the truck camper's propane tanks.

We arrived home late in the afternoon. Within a couple of hours I had our park model manufactured home "summerized" and ready to live in again. We took Bo for a walk and ended up visiting with our neighbour and friend Jeanine for awhile in her home. In the evening Joanne worked on unloading the truck camper and I worked online, getting caught up on e-mail and finances.

Wednesday ; Sunny and mild.

Well ... we're home. Today was filled with "return home" chores. As will the next few days as well. We also chatted with some neighbours. I prepared the minivan for use and Joanne used it to go to town to run some errands. She did a lot of moving stuff from the camper into the house. I did a lot of online work, including downloading, printing, and reconciling our April U.S.$ MasterCard statement. In the evening we watched Survivor. And Catfish. Now that was an interesting episode of Catfish !

Thursday ; Cloudy and chilly.

The "return home" chores continue. It saddened me to dispose of Sully's litter box that was still in our bathroom at home. A potential client phoned this afternoon, perhaps requiring a fifth wheel trailer to be hauled from Vernon to Osoyoos ... tomorrow afternoon. Maybe ! He'll let me know tomorrow by 1 PM.

Friday ; Mostly cloudy, some intermittent light rain, chilly.

We spent the morning on "return home" chores. I was hoping that yesterday's potential client was not going to call back, as I really didn't want to do a day long trailer delivery, especially starting in the afternoon. At 1 PM he phoned. < sigh > He had concluded the fifth wheel trailer purchase near Vernon and wanted it picked up and delivered immediately < sigh >. From 1 PM to 2 PM we removed the camper off the truck, installed the fifth wheel hitch in the truck, and had a very quick lunch.

We left home at 2 PM. We returned home at midnight. We covered a total of 458 km. / 286 miles, from home to Vernon to Osoyoos to home. We were tired ! And we didn't have supper until close to 11 PM after we had finished delivering the trailer in Osoyoos. The trailer was extremely difficult to hitch up, and remove from its location. And then
I had to back it down a steep, winding driveway. < sigh > Some trailer delivery jobs are easy money. Some aren't !

At the client's home in Osoyoos I had to back the trailer off the highway and down his driveway ... blind ... in the dark. As we fussed and fiddled with getting it positioned exactly where he wanted it, he finally asked if he could jump in the truck and do it himself. Sure ... go ahead ! He opened the truck door, jumped up into the driver's seat, and ...

Bo bit him !

Holy shit, Bo ... < blink blink > ... what the **** were you thinking ? ! ? ! ? In his eleven years of life, Bo has never bitten anyone before. Just goes to show ... any dog can bite !

Fortunately the client was a "dog person" and blamed himself more than Bo.
He realized he should have looked at Bo and spoken to him before jumping into the truck. Bo was tired, and anxious / worried, as he gets when we drive too long in the dark. When suddenly, some stranger jumped into the truck and shifted it into gear. "HEY ... some asshole is stealing our truck and kidnapping me. I should bite him !"
I suppose it made sense to a tired, old dog.

Saturday ; Cloudy, cold, intermittent light rain. BRRRRR ... that's why I hate returning home before the end of April !

We had a lazy start to the day, tired from yesterday's trailer delivery, and not eager to face a cold, rainy day. We did more indoor chores today than outdoor. Our friend Jeanine came over this afternoon to get the pet medications we bought in Mexico for her little dog Charlie. She visited for awhile. I walked her home and then delivered the pet medications we bought in Mexico for Jimmy, another neighbour's dog.

After supper we had a movie date ... ( The 40 Year Old Virgin ) ... then had hot chocolate ... and sex.  HMPH ... it's about time !   Haven't had hot chocolate in ages !  HA HA HA !

DSK

April 12 to 18, 2015 ; Winnemucca, Nevada to Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Oregon

Sunday ; Winnemucca to Virgin Valley Camp, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada

Sunny, mild, a bit windy.

This morning before leaving Winnemucca we refilled Lanoire with diesel at a Chevron station, refilled Elsie's freshwater holding tank at Flying J, bought groceries at Raley's, and then, just before leaving town, I remembered that I needed to buy a gallon of gas for the generator, so we went to yet a third service station and bought fuel for the generator.

We headed north out of Winnemucca on Hwy. 95, then turned northwest on Hwy. 140. Late in the morning we stopped on the side of the road and went for a hike in the desert, just to enjoy the sunshine and get some exercise. At Denio Junction we stopped to have lunch. And a nap ! We continued west on Hwy. 140 into Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge and eventually turned onto a two mile gravel road to Virgin Valley Camp, an unserviced campground with a warm mineral springs pool, and a shower house with warm mineral spring water.

The small campground was deserted, we had the place all to ourselves. We selected a site, parked and set up, then I went for a soak in the warm mineral spring pool. AHHHHH ! Afterwards we went for a hike in the desert. While Joanne prepared foil packages of steak, potatoes, carrots and onions I started a campfire. I cooked supper to perfection over the open fire. It always give me great satisfaction to do that ... and do it well ! Just before it got dark we went to take a shower in the warm mineral springs shower house, equipped with two showers. First time we've showered together in decades ! It was so long ago ... how long ago was it, Dan ? It was so long ago ... she still had two breasts. HA HA HA ! HEY ... if you can't laugh about a mastectomy after all these years ... !

Monday ; Virgin Valley Camp, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada to Summer Lake, Oregon

Mostly sunny, mild, windy, very windy at times.

This morning I had another shower in the warm mineral springs shower house, we dumped our grey tank and refilled our freshwater tank then left Virgin Valley Camp heading northwest on Hwy. 140. Not too far down the road, still in Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, we took a one lane gravel road a few miles to see Big Spring Reservoir Camp. HMPH ! Dry lake ! In the last couple of days we've been seeing quite a few lakes that have dried up. I guess it's not just California that's battling drought.

Continuing northwest on Hwy. 140 we crossed out of Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada into Oregon. And the elevation changed a lot. We quickly descended from the 6000 to 6500 foot elevations of Nevada down to something a lot more ... normal. And the topography changed from scruffy high desert to forested mountains. It began to look like home around Keremeos, BC.

We stopped for lunch at Warner Canyon Ski Area, deserted at this time of the year. After lunch I napped briefly then we went hiking briefly. And ... < sputter > ... SOMEBODY threw a snowball at me ! HMPH !

When we got to Hwy. 395 we turned south for five miles to the town of Lakeview to refill with diesel then headed north on Hwy. 395 to Hwy. 31, then northwest on Hwy. 31 to Summer Lake where we stopped at a rest area to have supper and boondock overnight.

Very windy and chilly this evening !

Jeezum Crow ! ( learned that yesterday listening to NPR on the radio ) When I took Bo out at 10 PM, a blizzard was just starting. A ****ING SNOW BLIZZARD ! ! ! As I type this a few minutes later the wind is blowing so hard it feels as if the camper is going to get blown over. Thank goodness for duallies !

Tuesday ; Summer Lake to LaPine State Park, Oregon

As I'm beginning to type this ( at 7:30 PM ) it's beginning to snow heavily !

We had a slow start to our day. BECAUSE IT WAS WINTER ! ! ! ! !

We had a bit of a scary night last night. The snow blizzard was accompanied by very heavy winds, with VERY strong gusts, making the camper rock and roll. It prevented us from falling asleep for a few hours until the winds subsided slightly, and the camper stopped rocking and rolling.

We awoke this morning to ... snow covering the ground ! ! ! Joanne walked the dog and we all went back to sleep for a few more hours. By the time we were ready to depart the rest area it was 11:30 AM. The sunshine was melting the snow, BUT ... I almost froze to death refilling the fresh water tank.

We continued northwest on Hwy. 31. Within fifteen miles "winter" was over. HMPH ! Once again we had spent the night at a rest area near a mountain pass summit. I think highway engineers must intentionally design rest areas to be near mountain pass summits so that drivers can get off the road to escape bad weather conditions, which are always at their worst near the summits of mountain passes.

At the junction of Hwy. 31 with Hwy. 97 we turned north. AHHHHH ... Hwy. 97 ... the road to "home". We spent much of the afternoon in the town of LaPine. First we stopped at a supermarket and bought some groceries. Then we went to a laundromat. Joanne got our laundry into washing machines then we had a late lunch parked in the parking lot of the laundromat. After lunch Joanne went back into the laundromat to dry and fold clothes. I walked a couple of blocks to the library to use Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail and post my weekly blog entry. When I was finished we left LaPine, continuing north on Hwy. 97.

But not very far ! Our destination for today was LaPine State Park, a short distance north of the town of LaPine. We've been here a few times before. It's one of my favourite Oregon state parks. On the way into the campground we dumped our black waste tank at the sani-dump station. We selected a site then went for a walk to the
self-registration station, and a walk around the campground. That was enough "hiking"... we were freezing ! Joanne asked me if I wanted her to locate my gloves and toque, stored somewhere in the camper. YES ! ! !

We decided it was much too cold for the campfire we had planned. Since we had an electrically serviced campsite Joanne dug out the little electric heater and Sully's "heater blankie". We fired up both and hunkered down ! Joanne and Bo cuddled on the bed underneath the heater blankie while I worked on the computer with the little electric heater blowing on me. BRRRRR ... my legs and feet are still cold !

Wednesday ; Sunny nad very cold < gnashing teeth in frustration over typing "nad" yet again >, temperature 22° F overnight, 39° F during the day. But no wind and bright sunshine mitigated the cold, making it a fairly decent day overall.

With a bit of mild persuasion from Joanne I decided to make this a "day off". No driving ! We had a late start to the day, and made it a lazy day, staying at LaPine State Park. This morning we went for a hike through an adjacent loop of the campground that is still closed for the winter season, and did a fun obedience session with Bo at the same time. After lunch I read ... and napped. Joanne did Sudoku puzzles. We went for another long hike, this time beside the Deschutes River. Late in the afternoon I lit a campfire. Joanne prepared a ground turkey meat loaf, wrapped it in foil, and I cooked it over the campfire. It was excellent !

Thursday ; LaPine State Park to Bend to Peter Skene Ogden Viewpoint & Rest Area, Oregon

Sunny nad mild. !)@(#*$&% Just what I needed when I'm already really angry !

< taking a deep breath >

This morning we left LaPine State Park and drove north on Hwy. 97 to spend most of the day shopping ... tax free ! We keep a list of things to buy tax free in Oregon. Twice a year ... once southbound and once northbound ... we shop for what's on the list. We shopped at Trader Joe's ( set a new personal record for amount spent at Trader Joe's ), Wal-Mart, an auto supply store, an RV parts dealer, and numerous auto supply stores and pharmacies that didn't have what I was looking for. AND ... we refilled with diesel. AND ... we had a vicious squabble that left both of us upset. And that lingered for the rest of the day. What we were not able to find in Bend would have to be bought further north. We headed out of town northwest on Hwy. 20 to find Tumalo State Park, our destination for tonight. When we got there ... the ****ing campground was closed. No explanation ... just "CLOSED" ! Well ... that really helped improve my mood, didn't it ? ! ?

So ... we continued north on Hwy. 97 to Redmond. Another Wal-Mart. Got more of what we were shopping for, but not all. And another auto supply store. Got what I was looking for there ! We continued north on Hwy. 97. We stopped for the night at Peter Skene Ogden Viewpoint & Rest Area between Redmond and Madras.

Friday ; Peter Skene Ogden Viewpoint & Rest Area to Grass Valley, Oregon

Sunny and warm, a lovely spring day in Oregon. We were both angry and upset from yesterday's squabble, and it continued to affect us until we arrived at Eilene's late in the afternoon when we had no choice but to "turn it off".

We left the rest area this morning and continued north on Hwy. 97 until arriving at the home of our 93 year old friend Eilene in the small village of Grass Valley, Oregon. But ... not her home for much longer. On May 1 she will be moving into a seniors' residence in The Dalles, a small city about an hour or so northwest of here. Two of her three daughters live somewhat nearby and were visiting Eilene today. Eilene and her two daughters cooked supper for us. Thank you very much, Eilene, Alice and Leta Ann. We boondocked overnight parked in Eilene's driveway.

Grass Valley is a small farming village. When I took Bo for a walk around the neighbourhood tonight after supper, he had his head down, sniffing, and did not notice that one of the neighbours had two horses in their yard. When the two horses saw a stranger ... me ... they decided to amble over and pay me a visit. Bo did not see the horses approach, as he had his nose down, and did not see them until they reached the fence and stuck their heads over the top rail. When Bo sensed something, and finally looked up, there were four horse legs about two feet in front of his face. He was so startled, and inhaled so rapidly, he choked ... and then tried to bark at the horses. But he was choking. So ... he did this strange "choke / snort / bark" routine. Too funny !

Saturday ; Grass Valley to Deschutes River State Recreation Area, Oregon

Sunny and warm.

This morning Eilene made brunch for us before we left her driveway. Thank you very much, Eilene. And while we ate brunch she suggested some scenic adventure routes in the area that she thought we might enjoy exploring. And knowing Eilene and her sense of adventure, we knew her recommendations were worthwhile. SO ... off we went.

We "backtracked" just a few miles south on Hwy. 97 to get to Hwy. 216 where we turned west. Along that road we found ... Eilene's childhood home, which had been a one room schoolhouse before Eilene's family lived in it. And given that Eilene is approaching her 94th birthday ... it's a pretty old house ! We continued on that road until we reached White River Falls where we stopped to wander around, viewing the falls and enjoying the lovely weather.

When we reached Hwy. 197 we turned north and drove through a picturesque area of grassy valleys and canyons. When we reached Interstate 84 at the city of The Dalles we turned east. I-84 runs east / west along the south side of the Columbia River, the border between Oregon and Washington. The final stop on our "adventure circle route" was Deschutes River State Recreation Area. We liked the campground so much we decided to spend the rest of today and overnight here.

We selected a site in the campground which was near full by mid-afternoon, and it's only mid-April ! At dusk there was only one site left, and that was a small site suitable only for a small rig like a tent trailer or truck with camper. We hiked along the Deschutes River. Bo was very happy to be allowed to wade into the Deschutes River, which Joanne prohibited a few days ago at LaPine State Park because it was so cold. After hiking I napped. Early in the evening I started a campfire and used the remaining firewood I had brought from Yuma. I had split and loaded into the truck camper enough firewood for two campfires ... I thought. By using it conservatively I made it last for four campfires.

I cooked supper over the campfire again. Joanne made a rather unusual "meatloaf". Back in Yuma I had purchased, on impulse, a can of chicken luncheon meat ... like a clone of "Spam" ( U.S. ) or "Klik" ( Canada ). I thought when I purchased it that I might be able to fry it up like a breakfast sausage, perhaps, or use it to make a hillbilly version of Eggs Benedict or something like that. Tonight Joanne mashed it, mixed it with diced onions, diced tomatoes, shredded brussel sprouts from Trader Joe's, added a dollop of ketchup, double wrapped it in foil and ... I cooked the "meatloaf" in the campfire. Turned out rather well ! HA HA HA !

After supper and the campfire were over, our friends Bill and Lynne returned our phone call made earlier today. I chatted with them briefly ... until the cell phone call "dropped" ... about their plans to visit us in a couple of weeks.

DSK

April 5 to 11, 2015 ; Palm Springs, California to Winnemucca, Nevada

Easter ; Palm Springs, California to Quartzsite, Arizona

Sunny and hot. Windy and cool late in the evening out in the desert.

This morning we left Caliente Springs RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs. Thank you very much for the two free nights, Caliente Springs. We refilled with diesel at Valero in Thousand Palms, then went to Spotlight 29 Casino for Easter Champagne Brunch. MMMMM ! ! ! Very good ! But not cheap !

We headed east on Interstate 10. We stopped at a rest area about halfway between Palm Springs and Quartzsite so that I could nap briefly. We arrived in Quartzsite about 5 PM. I drove around town to see if any of the flea market vendors were still in town doing business. They weren't ! DARN ... I bought an item here in January and wanted another one.

We drove a few miles out of town north on Hwy. 95 to the BLM's High Jolly boondock camping area. Not many rigs left out here in the desert, compared to the thousands and thousands that were here in January. We found a nice secluded area to boondock overnight, with a nice rock campfire ring. We hiked around the desert briefly then rested until sunset when I started a campfire. The plan was to have a wiener roast. BUT ... after that ETYS Easter Champagne Brunch neither of us was hungry enough to want supper. The wieners were already thawed, so we roasted them over the campfire and put them in the fridge to have for lunch tomorrow ... or ... ?

We sat around the campfire for awhile and watched the large full moon rise from behind the nearby mountains.

Monday ; Quartzsite, Arizona to Laughlin, Nevada

Sunny and very warm. Who knew ... that roast leg of lamb and champagne ... for breakfast ... was constipating ? ! ? HA HA HA !

After leaving the BLM High Jolly boondock camping area near Quartzsite this morning we headed north on Hwy. 95. We took about a 50 km. / 30 miles detour to go see Bouse, a scruffy little desert village very popular with desert boondockers. < shrug >
I don't even "get" Quartzsite, let alone Bouse !

We stopped at Wal-Mart in Parker to buy me some antihistamine. < sniffle > Everything in the desert is in bloom ! We stopped at a grocery store parking lot in Lake Havasu City to have lunch. We stopped at a service station parking lot at the intersection of Hwy. 95 and Interstate 40 so that I could nap briefly.

We arrived at the south end of Bullhead City, Arizona around 5 PM. We drove through Bullhead City from south to north then crossed the Colorado River into Laughlin, Nevada. We checked into the Riverside Casino RV Park and were settled in our site by 6 PM. We rested for about an hour or so then drove about 30 km. / 20 miles south to the Avi Casino to have dinner in the Native Harvest Buffet Restaurant. After supper we drove across the Colorado River again into Bullhead City and refilled with diesel before returning to the Riverside Casino RV Park.

Tuesday ; Sunny, very warm, a bit windy.

We had a slow start to the day. After lunch we drove a short distance down Casino Drive to Laughlin Outlets Mall where I was going to buy a pair of Birkenstock sandals at Famous Footwear. BUT ... since I have destroyed my latest pair of U.S.$100 Birkenstock sandals in only a year, I decided at the last minute to buy a pair of SAS sandals at the SAS Factory Outlet Store. Other than a couple of pairs of Birkenstock sandals I have not worn any brand of shoes other than SAS in twenty-five years. Hopefully the U.S.$152 SAS sandals will last longer than a year !

While Joanne browsed in the mall I attempted to connect to Wi-Fi in the food court. No such luck ! Wi-Fi in the mall had not been working for about the last week. Well, geeeeez, people ... GET IT FIXED ! We drove a bit further down "the strip" to the Tropicana. While Joanne and Bo waited in the camper I sat inside the casino at a table near a bar and used the Tropicana Casino's free Wi-Fi.

At 7 PM we returned to the Tropicana to have "bottomless pasta" dinner at Passaggio Italian Garden, an annual event for us. HA HA HA ! We were back "home" at Riverside Casino RV Park about 8:30 PM. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, episode after episode of Married At First Sight.

Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.

We had another late start to the day. Joanne did laundry. I worked on March month end financial statement updates and reconciliations. We took Bo for a long, leisurely walk and obedience session. We watched a lot of TV. Networks that we rarely have an opportunity to watch ; Discovery, The Learning Channel, Arts & Entertainment, Food Network, Travel Network.

We used a discount coupon when we checked into the Riverside Casino RV Resort. It was for a three night stay, plus a buffet brunch for two, and a buffet dinner for two. We were planning to have dinner in the Riverside's buffet restaurant tonight, but changed our minds this afternoon and decided to keep our buffet dinner for two voucher for a subsequent visit, probably in a year. My intestines need a rest. HA HA HA !

Thursday ; Laughlin to Beatty, Nevada

Sunny and warm in Laughlin in the morning. Cloudy and cool in Beatty in the evening.

This morning we prepared for departure, checked out of Riverside Casino RV Park, drove across the street and parked in the casino's parking lot, then went inside to have buffet brunch using a voucher we received as part of our three night stay in the RV park. After eating we departed Laughlin heading west on Hwy. 168, then north on Hwy. 95 to Las Vegas.

First stop in Las Vegas was Camping World. We bought some sheets for Harvey the fifth wheel trailer in Yuma and a mattress pad for Elsie the truck camper. The sheets for the fifth wheel trailer will have to be hauled all the way to Keremeos, BC, then back to Yuma, Arizona < rolling eyes >, likely via Manitoba and Texas < sigh > ! Next stop was Dollar Tree, then Ralph's for some groceries. As I was entering the supermarket ...
< blink blink > ... Elvis was leaving the building. HA HA HA ! Welcome to Las Vegas ! ! !

Driving through Las Vegas on the freeway was ... challenging and stressful. We got lost briefly. Not the first time it's happened. Won't be the last ! Once through the city we headed north on Hwy. 95 again. Stopped briefly just north of Las Vegas to admire the Mojave Desert plants and trees. Stopped at Amargosa Junction ( turnoff to Death Valley ) to refill with diesel. At Beatty we turned west to head about five miles to the mining ghost town of Rhyolite. We were hoping to be able to boondock overnight in the parking lot of the museum there, then visit the ghost town tomorrow.

We pulled into the parking lot of the museum, I turned off the truck engine, stepped out of the truck and ... I could hear something happening under the front of the truck.   YIKES ! ! !   Coolant spewing ! ! !   I opened the truck hood and all I could see was ... coolant spewing ! ! !   We jumped back into the truck and I raced five miles back to the little village of Beatty. I thought it would be better to be in the village than out at the ghost town if I needed to use the cell phone, get a tow truck, find a repair shop or ... !

Once in the village I parked in a gravel lot between a fuel bar and the Chamber of Commerce. Seemed like a reasonable place to boondock overnight. Seemed like an easy enough place for a tow truck to find me, if necessary. Joanne went inside the fuel bar to inquire about a local auto repair shop, while I stuck my head under the hood and watched coolant spew !  HMMMMM ... seemed to be spewing out of the water pump.

Joanne returned from the fuel bar in a few minutes to tell me ... the local mechanic was on his way. Too small a village for a service station / auto repair shop, but ... it has a resident mechanic. In a few minutes he arrived, stuck his head under the hood ... YUP ... water pump shot ! Nearest auto parts store is seventy-five miles away. And they don't deliver ! BUT ... he had just overhauled a Dodge truck with a Cummins 5.9 diesel engine ... AND ... had replaced that truck's water pump ... SO ... he had a used but perfectly functional water pump sitting in his shop that would fit my truck !

I poured a gallon of water into the radiator and followed him home to his backyard shop. WOW ... fully equipped shop ! We parked beside the shop. He'll replace my water pump tomorrow morning !

Friday ; Beatty to Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Site, Nevada

Sunny, mild, windy.

This morning John, the town of Beatty's resident mechanic / "gear head" took about two hours to remove the blown water pump from our truck and replace it with the used one he had kicking around his shop. Charged me a hundred bucks. Seemed reasonable to me ! We were on our way about 11 AM.

We drove five miles to the mining ghost town of Rhyolite and explored their museum, ruins of buildings, and cemetery for about an hour and a half. We drove back to Beatty so that John could examine the water pump replacement job and ensure that there were no leaks once the engine and coolant were hot. Everything was fine !

Beatty and surrounding area are as white trash / hillbilly / trailer park trash as anything anywhere in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. John has a young "assistant", a young man maybe still in his teens, works part time as John's "Joe Boy" for chump change. And the "Joe Boy" has two even younger "hangers on" who tag along just because they seem to have nothing better to do with their lives. I drove with all of them in John's truck to the town's convenience store to get some distilled water to pour into our truck's radiator. These teenaged boys / young men listen to ... country music ! Old country music ! Patsy Kline music, for gawdsake ! And refer to Chevrolet El Caminos as "beaner" ( Hispanic ) cars. < shaking head in despair > If these fellas don't escape Beatty soon ... they'll be trapped and won't stand a chance ! That was my second trip to get distilled water. We didn't get enough the first time. My first trip was with John, in a 1958 Ford Ranchero that he is rebuilding / restoring. It's a LOOOOONG way from completion. And nowhere near roadworthy at this point in time. And has a license plate that expired in 2002 !

Beatty is home to the "downwinders", those people who lived downwind of the atomic bomb test explosions conducted in the 1940's and 1950's at the nearby Nevada Test Site. And it seems obvious why the U.S. military chose this area to detonate atomic bombs. Except for the town of Beatty, the area is just hundreds of miles of endless scruffy high desert in every direction.

For the first couple of hours that we drove north this afternoon, every ten or twenty miles there was ... < blink > ... a brothel. Usually a fifty to seventy-five year old mobile home trailer a few hundred feet off the highway, with a sign advertising the business name, like ... "Shady Lady"... and the fact that it was a brothel. And usually a few junked vehicles in the yard. Who would stop there ? And ... why ? I mean ... look at the trailer ! ! ! And the old Camaro up on cinder blocks ! ! !

For the rest of the day all we saw were ... Mule deer ... Pronghorn antelope ... wild burros ... and wild horses. I drove too far / too long today. By the time we stopped for the night Joanne was tired, hungry, and crabby. We stopped at dusk at a small unserviced campground near a petroglyph site.

Saturday ; Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Site to Winnemucca, Nevada

Overcast, mild, windy.

This morning we left the Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Site campground and headed east on Hwy. 50 to Eureka where we refilled with diesel. Then it was north on Hwy. 278 for about another hundred miles of endless scruffy high desert. At some point along Hwy. 278 we pulled off the road to have lunch. For the last two days we have continuously been at altitudes between 6000 and 6500 feet above sea level. Chilly ! Especially after the sun has gone down !

When we reached Interstate 80 we turned west. We stopped at a roadside rest area and dumped our waste holding tanks at the sani-dump station but the freshwater was still turned off for the winter. We stopped at a Flying J at Battle Mountain to refill our freshwater tank and refill a propane tank at the outrageous price of $3.90 a gallon, almost triple the price of propane in Yuma, Arizona ! What a rip-off ! I couldn't help but notice that it was a dollar a gallon cheaper in Winnemucca.

From Battle Mountain we continued west on Interstate 80 to Winnemucca where we boondocked overnight in the free parking lot of the Winners Casino right in town. Not a typical casino, just a small downtown hotel and restaurant. We were here before, about a year and a half ago when we were shopping for a truck camper on our way from BC to Arizona. We had supper listening to Prairie Home Companion on the radio. Afterwards I worked on the computer while we listened to a zydeco music festival on the radio.

DSK

March 29 to April 4, 2015 ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California

Sunday ; Sunny and very hot ! Having difficulty getting much done because of heat !

This morning we replenished the Welcome Committee supplies and delivered them and the golf cart to this upcoming week's Welcome Committee volunteers. During our week we welcomed thirteen new arrivals to Kofa Ko-op.

Joanne went grocery shopping with a neighbour. We trimmed Bo's claws. We spent most of the day slowly preparing for departure, mostly preparing the trailer to be put into storage. Late in the afternoon we soaked in the swimming pool, then attended the ice cream social, then took Bo for a walk around the dog park.

Monday ; Sunny nad very hot again. < sigh > Should I backspace and correct that ? The heat made today's activities very difficult.

We spent most of the day "moving". Joanne unloaded all the food from the trailer's fridge and cupboards into our shed fridge and onto Arizona room counter and table space. I prepared the trailer for storage including back flushing the waste holding tanks. We installed the fifth wheel hitch into the truck and hitched the truck to the trailer. We towed the trailer to the storage yard, parked it, removed the hitch from the truck, then loaded the camper onto the truck. WHEW ! Much too hot for all that physical, outdoor work !

We returned to our lot with the camper on the truck. Joanne moved food from the Arizona room to the camper, went to cool off in the swimming pool, then did laundry.
I worked on setting things up in the camper, including setting up the TV connection to the park's cable, and setting up the computer and Wi-Fi, then I took Bo for a walk in the dog park. He refused to walk with me. He was too hot, as well as being confused and upset by moving from the trailer to the truck camper, but not going anywhere ! I went to the pool for awhile to cool off, then went bicycling at dusk.

Tuesday ; Still sunny and very hot.

We spent much of today packing and loading stuff into the camper. I'm guilty of having purchased way too much stuff this winter that is for our northern / summer home. This afternoon we worked our last volunteer shift of the season at the Humane Society of Yuma. When we returned home we went to the swimming pool briefly to cool off, then went out for dinner with neighbours. Cathy and Jim treated us to dinner at Olive Garden to express their appreciation for having repositioned their new trailer a few days ago.

Wednesday ; Sunny and very hot again.

Today we completed preparations for departure tomorrow. Everything that needs to be loaded into the camper is. Everything that needs to be put away in the shed or Arizona room is. The trailer is "summerized".

I made the mistake ( in hindsight ) of asking ( yesterday ) the park's "technical committee" to come over today and attempt to rectify the bad cable TV signal in our lot, a problem that has persisted for the three and a half years / four winter seasons that we have owned our lot. The "Mutt and Jeff" antics of the two technical committee members who came over this morning, coupled with my impatience and horrible people skills, just about resulted in the destruction of one of the more valuable and cherished friendships
I have in this park. I hope my subsequent peace offering was as well received as it appeared to be.

Marilu and Sammy the Australian Shepherd came by for a farewell visit this afternoon. After all our work was done we went to cool off in the swimming pool, then took Bo for his final lap around the dog park just before sunset. I timed the barbecuing of a steak for supper so that it would be ready just as Survivor was to begin. I brought in the barbecued steak, we sat down to eat, I turned on the TV, and ... we got to see the last five minutes of the episode. **** ! ! !   DUH ! ! !   I was hooked up to the park's cable TV instead of our satellite dish ! Survivor was on at 7 PM instead of 8 PM !

Thursday ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California

Sunny nad hot < gritting teeth and rolling eyes >.

This morning we completed our departure preparations, locked up the shed and Arizona room, said our goodbyes to many neighbours, paid our propane and electricity bills for March, and left Kofa Ko-op about 11 AM. We stopped at Wal-Mart for a few items and Fry's to refill with diesel before heading out of Yuma, on Interstate 8 heading west across the Colorado River into California.

We thought our grieving for Sully was over. It wasn't ! As we passed by the Quechan Casino, and the road leading to Los Algodones, Mexico, and the pet cemetery where Sully is buried, we said a final farewell to Sully. And choked back tears. We miss him. This is our first trip without him.

As always when we head west from Yuma, we stopped in Holtville to buy burritos at Holtville Taco Shop. My goodness, their California Burritos are great ! Carne asada / diced, spicy seasoned, grilled meat, pico de gallo, guacamole, and fries all wrapped into an harina ( wheat flour ) tortilla making a burrito as thick as my wrist ! I told Joanne she couldn't eat a whole one for lunch, but she insisted that I buy two. I ate mine, then late in the evening, after Village Fest in downtown Palm Springs, I ate her lunch leftovers. HA HA HA ! I told you so !

About an hour after eating lunch, I was tired so we stopped at Red Earth Casino near Salton Sea Beach and I took a nap. We continued on to Palm Springs, arriving at the Palm Springs dog park about 5 PM. Hey, Bo ... wake up ... big surprise ! WOO-HOO ! Bo LOOOOOVES the Palm Springs dog park ! We spent about an hour and a half there, alternating back and forth between the little dog side and the big dog side. Bo is comfortable on both sides. As a matter of fact, he's the one who decides when it's time to switch from one side to the other. HA HA HA ... you go, Bo !

On Thursday evenings about a mile long stretch of Palm Springs main street becomes Village Fest, closed to vehicles and lined with specialty vendors of all kinds. We drove downtown and with some difficulty found a parking spot. We walked the length of Village Fest and back, browsing one side of the street in one direction, and the other side of the street on the way back. We bought some fresh produce and ... baking, of course. HA HA HA !

When we returned to where Lanoire and Elsie were parked, I munched on Joanne's leftover burrito, then we drove across Palm Springs and east on Interstate 10 to Spotlight 29 Casino where we boondocked overnight after having a very late, light supper.

Good Friday ; Sunny and very warm.

When we attended the "Big Tent Show" in Quartzsite in January we entered a draw. And won two free nights at Caliente Springs RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs. So ... here we are !

This morning before leaving the parking lot of Spotlight 29 Casino we went inside the casino to see if their buffet restaurant would be serving Easter brunch. They are !
We decided to go there for Easter brunch. We have boondocked at Spotlight 29 Casino a few times. It's about time we spend some money there. Their Easter brunch price is a bit steep but ... HEY ... this is Palm Springs. Palm Springs does a lot of things really well. But ... they don't do "cheap".

The United States does not have the same "statutory holiday" labour concept as Canada, so ... all businesses were open today. We drove to Trader Joe's in the "suburb" of La Quinta. We had not been to that Trader Joe's location before. We didn't buy much because we'll be shopping at Trader Joe's again in Oregon. No tax ! We decided to treat Bo to another visit to the Palm Springs dog park. After that we decided to treat ourselves to a late lunch at Sherman's Deli. MMMMM ! ! !

For many years Kurt Russell and his wife Goldie Hawn have lived in Palm Springs.
I think the man sitting at the table next to us at Sherman's Deli was their son. He was a spitting image of Kurt Russell about thirty years ago. He looked like him. He sounded like him. He had his mannerisms.

I wondered why there were so many women walking around downtown Palm Springs today wearing ... bathing suits and high heels. HUH ? Well ... there is a lesbian "gathering" in Palm Springs this weekend and many of the events are pool parties. Only in Palm Springs !

We drove from Palm Springs on the south side of Interstate 10 to Desert Hot Springs on the north side of Interstate 10 and checked into Caliente Hot Springs RV Resort. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV and napping. Before having a late supper and watching Amazing Race we went and "took the waters" ... soaking in the resort's natural hot springs fed pools. AHHHHHH !

 
Saturday ; Sunny and hot.

This morning we headed out to the College of the Desert weekend outdoor market, sort of an upscale flea market with over 250 vendors. Only in Palm Springs could you find a flea market with a vendor selling used Bentleys and Mercedes convertibles ! HA HA HA ! I bought two belts. I had a difficult time making a decision ; belts ... Mercedes convertible ... belts ... Mercedes convertible. Joanne made the decision for me. She liked the two belts I chose. She didn't like any of the three Mercedes convertibles. HA HA HA !

We had lunch in the camper in the parking lot of College of the Desert. We drove back to Desert Hot Springs to shop at the women's swimwear shop Glossy, the ONLY place that Joanne can buy bathing suits < rolling eyes >. She bought two new bathing suits. We walked down the street to Angel View, a thrift shop. I bought two bathing suits and a pair of pyjama shorts. < shrug > What can I say ?

We drove back to downtown Palm Springs to shop at Joanne's favourite thrift store, Revivals. Yes, yes, I know it's an oxymoron, but Revivals is truly an upscale thrift store. Today they had a baby grand piano ... second time we've seen a baby grand piano there ... a restored player piano, and ... a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes ! ! !

On the way back to Desert Hot Springs we stopped at a supermarket, Ralph's, to buy some hot dog buns for tomorrow evening when we have a campfire and wiener roast at Quartzsite. Final stop was the Palm Springs dog park. WOO-HOO ... three days in a row for Bo at the Palm Springs dog park.

Once back at Caliente Springs we went for a soak in the multiple swimming pools and hot tubs, each at a different temperature. We had a late, simple supper and spent the evening watching some really stupid reality TV shows.

DSK