Sunday, February 3, 2019

January 27 to February 2, 2019 ; Palm Springs, California to Yuma, Arizona

Sunday ; Palm Springs to Salton Sea, California

Sunny and warm. WOO-HOO … pan dulce for breakfast !

We left the parking lot of Spotlight 29 Casino around noon. We drove a short distance to Love’s where we refilled the camper’s freshwater tank and dumped the shower / grey waste tank. From Love’s we used the GPS to find our way to Desert Theatreworks in Indio, where we had tickets to the afternoon matinee performance of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs”.

We arrived at the theatre at 12:30 PM, for the 2 PM performance, so we got a good parking spot in the parking lot. It’s very hard to park the truck with camper in most urban locations. Across the street from the theatre was a lovely little park, with a large gazebo and benches. We wandered around the park with Ozzie, and relaxed on the benches, enjoying the warm sunshine. Ozzie enjoyed laying on the grass. At 1:30 PM we returned to the camper to have a light lunch before the play.

This was the first time we had been to Desert Theatreworks. It’s a very nice theatre venue. The play was excellent, we both enjoyed it a lot. After the play ended at 4:30 PM we drove to downtown Palm Springs, to take Ozzie to the Palm Springs Dog Park, Bo’s favourite of the many dog parks he enjoyed. Ozzie, however, was indifferent. He seemed a bit uncertain and insecure to be off leash in such a large area. His happiness returned when we reconnected his leash, and he felt secure again.

We went for supper to Elmer’s, a restaurant near downtown Palm Springs that Joanne has been wanting to try. We tried, but failed, to have dinner there at the end of November, when we were last in Palm Springs, but I was unable to find a parking spot in the restaurant’s parking lot, or nearby. Tonight the parking lot was less crowded. Dinner was very good, and Joanne wants to return in the future to have brunch there. They’re noted for their breakfast specialties.

As we drove east on Interstate 10, returning to Spotlight 29 Casino to boondock overnight, Joanne suggested that we continue past Spotlight 29, and head south on Hwy. 86 to boondock overnight at Red Earth Casino near the Salton Sea, part way back to Yuma. Good idea !



Monday ; JOANNE’S 65th BIRTHDAY ; Salton Sea to Holtville, California to Yuma, Arizona

Mostly sunny and warm.

We refilled with diesel fuel at the Red Earth Casino Travel Center before leaving Red Earth Casino late this morning and continuing south on Hwy. 86 to Interstate 8. We traveled the wrong direction ( west ) on the Interstate for a few miles to get to a roadside rest area that has a 
sani-dump station where we emptied the camper’s grey and black waste holding tanks. Before leaving there we phoned our friends Barb and Serge, neighbours back home at Riverside RV Park Resort in BC, and confirmed our plans to meet them at Holtville Taco Shop to have burritos for lunch.

We drove east on Interstate 8 to Holtville, met Barb and Serge at the restaurant, ordered burritos for lunch, and had a long, leisurely afternoon of chatting. Barb and Serge, and their Border Collie Loki are spending the winter near Holtville, at the boondock camping area near the hot springs.

From Holtville we continued east on I-8, stopping at the rest area near the Imperial Sand Dunes 
( where Star Wars was filmed ) so that I could have a brief nap. From there it was a relatively short distance to the Colorado River, the border between California and Yuma, Arizona. We stopped to refill with diesel again just before arriving home at 6 PM.

Tuesday ; Partially sunny, warm.

We slept late ! This afternoon we gave Ozzie a haircut. WOW ! Is he ever cute ! When his hair is long, he’s a big Shih Tzu. When his hair is short, he’s a Poodle / Spaniel ! Like his dad Dudley was !

Wednesday ; Partially sunny, warm.

This morning we finished Ozzie’s haircut, trimming the hair on his head and his tail, but not “shaving” it as short as on the rest of his body. This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular weekly volunteer shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. Joanne wanted to try switching our “shift” from Tuesdays to Wednesdays. Today she discovered that she prefers Wednesday to Tuesday. I didn’t. Next week I think we’ll try Thursday. We’re both influenced by how many other volunteers there are on any given day, resulting in how many dogs have been walked / still need to be walked, and how many cats have been “cuddled” and how many more still need care.

After our Humane Society shift we drove to The Foothills, where I had made an “appointment” to discuss the sale of our camper’s “old” Happijac turnbuckles with a “high maintenance widow” who needed advice. My free advice resulted in her deciding not to buy my Happijac turnbuckles. Oh, well … I did a good deed, providing a widow with needed advice.

Upon our return home we took Ozzie for a walk, where we encountered another “high maintenance widow” who needed / wanted free advice regarding her small dog’s ear infection. 
< sigh > We invited her back to our Arizona room where I provided her with a lot of free advice, and a fresh bottle of broad spectrum pet ear drops from Mexico. I seem to be a sucker for “high maintenance widows”.

MMMMM … Joanne made ( Mexican recipe ) chicken molé for supper.

Thursday ; mostly sunny, warm. It began to rain late in the evening.

This afternoon we went to see a movie at Harkins Theatres in Yuma Palms. Bhohemian Rhapsody, the story of Freddy Mercury and the rock band Queen. We liked it, thought it was a good movie. Another out of control rock star genius who lets his ego get the best of him ! After the movie we went to Famous Dave’s BBQ for supper, an annual event ! Going to Famous Dave’s, not having supper. HA HA HA !

Friday ; Sunny and warm.

Late this morning we headed east to The Foothills to browse at the Helping Hands Yard Sale, a massively huge semi-annual church sponsored … yard sale ! We were looking for a microwave oven to replace the trailer’s microwave that died a few days ago. We did not find a microwave that would fit, but … I did buy a new calculator … for fifty cents ! HA HA HA ! On the way back we stopped at Amerigas to have the barbecue’s propane tank recertified. BUT … Amerigas was unable to recertify a tank that size ( very small / five pound tank ).

Before we left home Joanne discovered that her wallet was missing. After a brief flurry of panic, she phoned Famous Dave’s and found that she had lost it there last night. From Amerigas we drove to Yuma Palms and Joanne retrieved her wallet at Famous Dave’s. The entire lost wallet experience was extremely upsetting for Joanne.

After a late lunch at home we went to the clubhouse to have our photos taken for the leaseholders’ photo wall. Our old photo had faded and needed to be replaced. Afterwards I went to nap with the animals and Joanne went Wal-Martin’ by herself.

Saturday ; Windy, sunny early in the day, cloudy in mid-day, light rain in the evening.

This afternoon while Joanne was out running some shopping errands I did a bit of work on the truck and camper. I reconciled and paid our electricity consumption and propane refill billings for January. In the evening I did computer backup and reconciled monthly banking statements.

DSK

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