Paths

Family at Fountain of Youth

2011-01-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

We had a great visit with Dan, Tawni and boys. Never long enough. We went into Palm Springs on Wednesday to hook up with them. Did the Costco run before we met and I must say I longed for our Albany Costco. Tons of fairly rude people, parking terrible and all in all a bad experience . We met at the Fishermen's Market and had a good lunch and visit. Few showers that day.

The next day they came out to FOY. Dan headed for the pool to catch some rays and the boys were ready for the desert on the ATV's. Jim was kind enough to take one of the boys with him. The boys took turns driving the RZ and the Terx. Seems Mack is more the speed demon - look out 16 in 4 months.

Mack and Jim getting ready to go

I think Dan got the rays he wanted

getting ready to leave at sunset

Friday was a low key day as was Saturday. Friends from Junction City came and ended up right beside us. We met them last year at FOY and they have returned for 2 months. Glad we got to see them before we left. They plan to come to Quartzsite this month to see the RV show and will park at our lot.

Gary and I took a little ride Saturday on a sandy road like a dune trail. It is my favorite and I drove. Pretty cold though we were bundled up good.

Left this morning for Q and the traffic was steady. Everyone coming home from vacation. Nice to get back in our little spot. Gary flying out tomorrow for home to bring our jeep down here. I am not thrilled about driving back thru Phoenix, but a good time of day so hope all goes well. Send some prayers up.

Fountain of Youth

2010-12-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

We arrived Sunday at noon. Easy trip from Quartzsite 2 hours. We were going to dry camp here, but I decided to get hook ups. Our water heated is not working which involves the furnace also, so at least can run the electric heater. Have a very nice spot just down the road from Jim and Linda. Great view with beautiful palm trees in front.

This is Monday morning and as you can see it is a beautiful day. The weather forecast is looking dismal for the end of the week, so we decided to take a ride today. Jim and Linda were on board so off we went. Headed South from the park and ended up at the beginning of the Glamis dunes, which is a huge area going to the border. It is very popular, but as we were at the very start, there was little activity. A little different than our Oregon dunes - not quite as tall and more dips and bowls. Plenty challenging though.

Was a great day for riding did 70 miles. Thanks Jim and Linda for showing us the way.

Dan, Tawni and boys are in San Diego and will be heading to Palm Springs tomorow or the next day. The weather doesn't look good, but at least they have had 3 good days. They can veg in our hot tubs here nice and warm. Looking forward to seeing them.

We are taking the motor home into Indio today to have work done on the water heater system. We are lucky as there is a mechanic very familier with this system here in Palm Springs. He is down from La Pine for the winter so will be meeting us there.

Gary is down at the flying field and I need to get out for a walk.

Settled in Quartzsite

2010-12-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss in blogging, so will try to get back on track.

We arrived in Quartzsite the 1st of November and stayed in the desert. It happened to be the week of 90 degree weather, so was pretty warm. We were driving around town and found a lot for rent and called to get info about it. Rent was $125 plus power and water. Seemed a no brainer for us so in we came. It is a small corner lot with 2 nice trees. We did some trimming and raking (instead of mowing) and here we are.

Very nice neighbors - most of them from Utah. People behind and next to us are from Southern Cal and only come over occasionally so very quiet. Lots of quail and the gold finch came flocking in the minute I put out the thistle seed. Also bunnies that enjoy petunias hence keeping the plants off the ground.

Have settled into a routine. Gary goes to the field to fly most every morning depending on the wind. We have gotten involved at the Alliance church and joined the choir so Wed am is practice. I have a Bible study on Tues and then there are jams every day and night. So you can get involved as much or little as you want.

Dave and Verna Dee Christopher are in a park at Hope which is about 30 miles east of us. We have enjoyed visiting with them and plan to do some riding. We found a utility trailer in Phoenix so we can trailer the RZ without having to pull the big cargo trailer. Have been looking for a Jeep wrangler and found several here, but when we looked into actually purchasing one licensing and getting insurance seemed like too much trouble. So we called home and low and behold, they just happened to have one on the lot. So we went ahead and got it. Gary is going to fly home on the 3rd and drive it back down. There is a lot of exploring we can do with it. The main goal is the ability to put it in the cargo trailer so I don't have to drive separate. Although will have to tow it home behind the pickup..

We licensed the RZ so we can drive it on the streets. It makes it nice when we both have to go somewhere at the same time. No matter where you live in town, it is only a matter of minutes and you are on your way for a ride.

The town is very busy in January and February - huge RV show and gem and mineral. Traffic is awful and lined up for miles with people trying to get in. Luckily we are in walking distance to all that. We have friends coming in for it so have a good place for them to park.

We spent Christmas day with the church family for dinner. Way too much to eat. We certainly miss our family and friends at home. We are leaving tomorrow for the Salton Sea to spend a week. The kids are coming to Palm Springs so will be closer to visit. Looking so forward to seeing them wish that Scott could have come too. So nice to have this lot as we can leave the cargo trailer and other stuff and have it be safe. Hoping the weather will be nice for them. Sunny again but a little cool.

We are very thankful in this beautiful season for all the blessing God have provided.

Moab Utah

2010-10-24T08:36:00.001-07:00

This area is very popular and very busy. There are so many activities – jeeps,atv’s mountain biking, climbing, hiking, rafting, plus the National Parks. It seems a little like Sisters but larger.

We parked in a RV park as we didn’t know the availability of BLM camps. Normal park although we were able to do a pull through so didn’t have to unhook the trailer. The best part of this was the couple next us. He is a professional photographer living in Flagstaff and was in Moab on a photo trip. Well need I say more that he and Gary hit is off. Gary actually has a lens that he would like and he helped Gary with photo programs. They were very easy to be with and both of us had a good time visiting.

Checked out 2 BLM camps that would have worked for us, but we decided to stay put as you have to travel for atv riding and had thunder showers causing the trails to be pretty muddy.

Did both National parks, Arches and Canyon lands with many side roads. The area excels in dramatic red cliffs and deep ravines. Every turn in the road brings another vista that is breath taking. Weather was a little wet, but goes thru so quickly you don’t really mind.

After 3 nights we decided to head South. We went straight South on 191 and played tagged all day with thunder showers. Had one strike of lightening right off my door. I am sure it was far off, but didn’t feel like it. We were fortunate that we stayed on the edge of them. Rain drops are HUGE like saucers hitting the windshield.

The terrain was never without character during the 500 mile trip. Yes I said 500 miles. We had planned on staying in Show Low, but the Wal Mart wasn’t conducive to parking so we decided to make for Globe. It was quite a trip down steep canyons and then of course back up. Back in forests of junipers and pines. Made it just before dark and turned into a Wal Mart. We were pretty tired needless to say and after getting all settled a knock on the door from the manager stating no overnight parking. aghhhhhhhhhhh. by that time there were 2 other rigs parked next to us. No signs posted so after much discussion, she made an exception and allowed us to stay. We need to be more proactive in our search of places to stay. After looking on the net, there are many Wal Marts in AZ that have no overnight parking. Up to the individual managers.

Next day was an easy trip 150 miles to Benson which is 40 miles East of Tucson just off I 10. We are in an Escapee’s park. Have a nice roomy lot as the owners rent their lots out when they aren’t here. On the front row so a great view of the desert and mountains. Desert birds are back, quail, doves, hummingbirds and finches. Put my plants out they have been riding in the back of the pickup so a little beat up but not bad.

Plan on staying here for a week then on to Quartzsite or the mining camp of Stanton.

End of a Week in Marysvale

2010-10-16T18:40:00.001-07:00

It is Saturday night, we are packed up and ready to pull out in the morning.

Has been a great week with weather to match although a little on the cool side in the higher elevations. We rode everyday except Tuesday, when we enjoyed a trip to Bryce Canyon.

Took a side road there that went thru cattle ranches and alfalfa fields. Did get to see a herd of antelope also. The houses are mostly brick or stone and are quite nice. Bryce was awe inspiring not enough adjectives to describe it. A hikers dream – trails all thru the bottom of the canyon. We did not partake need to be in a lot better shape than we are for sure.

Gary really got some great pics, these are my feeble attempts.

The ATV riding is so free here. On one ride we were on the highway for several miles. Go into the gas stations and fill up. It is more friendly than Arizona for sure.

Yesterday Gary wanted to ride separate so I drove the RZ. We were are 11,100 feet and above the tree line. Here is what it looked like with me following.

I kept my eyes off the canyon and straight ahead as it is a longggggggggg way down.

Here he is coming down a side trail that led up to a small miners cabin. Glad I didn’t follow him on that one. Lots of history with many mining camps dotted thru the mountain. It is hard to imagine the hardships they went thru in the late 1800 and early 1900. Gives you an appreciation of all you have.

We have met so many nice and helpful people. Most of them from Utah, so they are a wealth of information. We will be on the road to Moab tomorrow. The weather is taking a turn with rain and thunder storms in this area and to the South. Looks like just one rainy day there so hopefully they are right. We plan to stay in the BLM camping, but will have to see how it looks.

Marysvale, Utah

2010-10-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

Arrived yesterday afternoon. Two RV parks in this small town (store, gas station, Baptist and LDS church), we chose the newer of the two as has tons of room for the trailer. Owners are very friendly and accommodating. Surrounded with mountains and riding out of the park in any direction.

We were invited to ride with 3 other couples today. That is the great thing about RVers no one is a stranger. They live in Utah in the Provo area so are very familiar with the area. Was to be a short ride as one of the ladies is not as experienced. So 60 miles and 4 hours later we made the loop.

We are in a valley with alfalfa fields, sage brush and small juniper trees. Started into the mountain with rock walls on each side and a winding stream. The fall foliage is at different stages according to elevation. Lower has oak, maple, cottonwood which were beautiful. By the time we were at 10,000 feet, yes, I didn’t add too many 0’s, we were in aspen and fir. It was a great road actually for jeeps and pickups. Nothing too steep or rutted. We had snow at the summit and pretty muddy going.

I was so impressed with the aspen. They are great white sentinels along the road and meadows.

Gives you a feel of the terrain. We would have taken many more pictures, but didn’t want to hold the group up. Plenty of time to do that this week, when we are riding by ourselves. Have a feeling it will take a long time to make a ride as every corner there is a picture.

The group left to go to Bryce and ride for a few days, they kindly invited us to go, but as we had just gotten here, didn’t want to break camp so soon.

They may hook up with us at Moab as they are wanting to ride there and of course know the area well.

The weather is sunny and cool. Had to dig out the winter gear for riding - the higher the elevation the cooler the temp. Forgot sun screen today and both our faces are pretty red. Looks good for sun this week and then showers for the weekend. They tell us Moab is 10 degrees warmer.

The LDS steeples are prominent in all the little towns in the valley. Friday night we were hunting a place to stay and thought about pulling into their parking lot, then again NOT. Had planned on a Wal Mart in Tooele, but that was not to be. Very busy and no easy in and out so continued on down the path. The Garmin failed us told us to turn right and should have been left. Doesn’t sound like much, but when you are 66 feet long, you don’t turn around on a dime.

All in all and great trip with no mishaps. Thanks to all who have been praying for a safe trip. Prayers answered!

On Our Way- Burns First Stop

2010-10-06T20:35:00.001-07:00

We spent 3 nights in Eugene. First at Valley River which was very nice. If we had arrived earlier, we could have walked the path along the river. Scooted out of there early and headed for the alignment place. Out of there by 11 and then over to the RV lot for the work on the motor home. They got started on the solar panels and we goofed around Eugene. Stayed in their lot that night. A little different than the range. Lots of light and noise (trains near by).

We were all ready this morning and went to put the hitch on the motor home and alas it was too long. Luckily Gary’s brother works at a welding shop just down the road so we zip over there and had it cut. Left Eugene at noon.

Beautiful drive up the McKenzie pass. It certainly is the easiest of the passes. I followed so can see if there are any problems. Leaves are getting to the end of their brilliance. As we were coming into Sisters I told Gary say good by to Douglas Fir, blackberries, maples and brush in general. He stated we were trading blackberries thorns for another type of sticker.

We are in a nice rest area 20 miles West of Burns. Got here just at sunset, so Gary was out shooting pics. Nice path up the hill so got in a little walk too.

As I traveled along behind, it seems so bizarre to think that this is it our home going down the road.

Certainly a new chapter in our lives.

Leaving the Range

2010-10-03T21:07:00.001-07:00

Today is the day we left our Home on the Range. We are excited for the new adventure, but sad to leave family and friends.

We have had a great time watching Kyler play football and Gary has been involved with picture taking. The boys are a joy as they are so appreciative of us showing up to their events. Wish we could see the end of the season, but the road calls

Everyone looks happy – first game and we Won!!!

We are so thankful for our time on the range. What a great place to stay. Our mantle of oak trees have started loosing their leaves and the acorns thunk regularly on the roof. Walking thru the leaves trying to pop the little puff balls on the ground brought back many memories of childhood in our oak grove on the farm.

The silver greys are scampering up and down collecting their winter food. We started feeding the blue jays our hen scratch from the house to get rid of it and found the turkeys love it.

We have 10 of them every morning having breakfast with us.

Walking the archery trail yesterday were bunnies and a doe with her twin fawns. The grass is green with many leaves along the way. Will have a whole different look next Spring when we arrive back.

This being Sunday we went to our last church service here and had lunch with friends, came back packed it all up and headed out to Valley River in Eugene. I pulled the trailer with the pickup as we are taking the motor home in for some work tomorrow and Tuesday. Will be staying in the RV lot tomorrow night.

Hopefully we will be done and able to head out on Wednesday – hope to get to Burns the first night on our way to Utah. Gary will pull the trailer behind the motor home then and I will follow in the pickup. We will be quite the caravan. I am glad he is used to the length of the tractor trailer as he is stretching out to 65 feet or so.

Thank you in advance to those of you who will be praying for our safety. We do so appreciate this. Next post from Burns Lord willing.

Trip up the North Coast

2010-08-26T17:02:00.001-07:00

We decided to head North Saturday as we haven’t been to Astoria in ages . Got a late start but onward we went.

Nehalem Bay was our first stop as there were many boats out crabbing. Got the scoop on boat launching etc. They had big tubs full of live crab for $8.00 so really probably cheaper to buy them than haul the boat up and go out, but of course it is the experience of catching them. Also stopped at a winery just up the river a mile. Very nice and free tasting. A lot of fruity wines that reflected the fruit they came from.

Drove thru Cannon Beach, which is a lovely community. Full of art and also people – was like driving thru Sisters in the summer. All the condo and cabins were full.

Seeing the Columbia at its mouth is awesome. There were quite a few small boats out, I assume salmon fishing. We stop at a drive thru coffee shop to ask about a good chowder or fish and chips place. She recommended a place farther up on 101 stating it was a “boat” Hmmmm I thought will maybe a restaurant inside a ship. No she really meant a BOAT.

There was quite a line so we jump in. All they serve is fish and chips whole order or half. This boat was used on the Columbia in the 30’s for fishing and the owner decided to put it in the service of selling the fish. Very tight kitchen, but they were the best we have ever had . Halibut and it was so dense it was almost like a chicken strip. Certainly our recommendations if anyone is in Astoria.

This was right off the wharf so a great view of the river. Walked up the hill from there to take some pics of the historic home in that area. You need several days to see all the sights. Will definitely need to come back with the motor home and stay .

We thought we would be here another week, but Tuesday they cut back on trucks and Gary was one of those cut. So brought the truck back on Wednesday and motor home on Thursday. Before we left the rv park a couple was camping from Vancouver BC on their way to Argentina on motorcycles!! We had a good visit with them – probably in their late 40’s both riding and planning a 5 month trip. They have a spot with them so said they would invite us into the site so we could follow their journey.

The RV park we stayed at was Camper Cove in Beaver, which is 11 mile south of Tillamook. It is a lovely park and the owners went over and above board to accommodate everyone. They are heading south this winter, so we hope to connect with them in Arizona

We are back at the archery range. I wish we could have stayed a little longer in Tillamook, but nice to have all the room and quiet of the range.

Right now our plans are to leave for Utah the end of September.

On The Move

2010-08-17T12:06:00.001-07:00

We left our little spot (key word little) at Leone’s the end of July. It lacked shade which made the motor home a pretty hot box during those high temp days.

We moved out to the archery range in Lacomb, which is 8 miles North of Lebanon. It is a glorious area all shaded with oak trees and completely private with tons of room for the trailer and quads. We were range hosts which consisted of checking people to make sure they were members when they came out to shoot.

Gary had sold most of his archery equipment in all of our garage sales, so got a used bow from one of the guys. There is no way we could stay here without being able to shoot. The trails are groomed so it made it great for walking.

He is working for Knife River but hard to get 5 days in a row. It is hard to believe the summer is going by so quickly. We are hoping to head South the middle of September. We want to go thru Utah to ride on our way.

Last week Oregon Mainline called with work in Tillamook for at least 2 weeks. We decided it would be a good push to end the season as the job is 12 hours a day. Brutal for Gary, but for a short period of time he was game to go.

One advantage of living full time in the motor home is there is no packing and unpacking when you need to move, however we had a lot of outside STUFF. I indulged in several large flower pots and a hanger. Sharon was kind enough to keep the large ones and we packed up the rest. Had to load everything else in the trailer which we left at the range.

We took the truck over first to check out RV parks. Gary really wanted to make one trip with me driving the motor home, but never having driven this one I balked. Parked the truck at the site for the plant which is in the middle of a dairy field. See cows in the field.

We took the motor home and pickup over the next day and I did drive for several miles to get the feel of this one. Much harder to steer than the Dutch Star so I heard a lot of “Get off the fog line” which is usually what I hear when I drive. The traffic was horrible so Gary took over for which I was grateful.

We found a great Rv spot 5 miles from the job. Tucked in the trees just off 101. A creek, lots of flowers – I am happy. There is lots of opportunity to do yard work as quite a few weeds in the flower beds. The owners are happy to let you dive in so worked on it yesterday.

We drove in so the front window is facing trees and the creek rather than the road. It is very private. We drove over to the coast on Sunday, a beautiful day and did some picture taking. Has been very hot in the valley so we are enjoying the cool of the coast.

So the plan is to be here for 2 weeks, or until the job is done. We never know what will happen with construction but that is what makes it the adventure.

The Journey of House on Wheels Begins

2010-07-09T12:01:00.001-07:00

WE DID IT!!! The house sold, have a newer motor home which is now Home. This has been an exciting, grueling, anxious filled 2 months. We really had no expectation that the house would sell. We did drop the price by $20,000 and 2 days later had an offer. Pretty much all the Stuff is gone. Several weekends of garage sales and word of mouth. We have a 24 foot cargo trailer that is full of things we can’t live without soon to be gone through and more things eliminated.

We made the big move across the street to Leone’s as she has RV hook ups and a place for the trailer and the big truck. We left the house at 3:30 and the new people were moving in at 4:00. Odd to see all the changes going on but all for the best. I have kept 4 flower pots, my bird feeders and one bird house stuffed in the back of the jeep. Spent 4 nights here and then off to Fossil for the bluegrass festival.

Got to the fairgrounds early so found a good spot. We are rather large now 40 feet in length so not every place works for us.

This is our third year now at the festival. Weather was cool, but much better than the 100 degrees last year. Had time to do a little exploring and picture taking. We love the country East, just a slower pace.

We are now back in our little spot at Leone’s enduring this hot weather. Motor home is definitely not as cool as our house. Gary has worked the last 2 days and I am watering for friends that have gone to the coast for 10 days. Enjoy the watering and getting in on a nice garden. It is interesting to stand and look across at our house and yard. They are doing a lot of work (all good) so fun to watch the progress.

Plans now are to leave in mid September and go with friends to Utah and ride the trails there and then continue South all subject to change of course.

Las Vegas and Home

2010-03-26T17:18:00.001-07:00

We left Quartzsite around 9 on Sunday and had a nice leisurely drive to Vegas. Our friends had given us the name of an RV park that was close to the freeway for easy off and on. The GPS took us right to the spot without a hitch. Was the typical park with the rigs slap dab together. The positive was hook ups. First time since we were in Quartzsite in December when Gary was sick.

Whit and Rom (boyfriend) came over late that afternoon and took us out to dinner at the neighboring casino. Had a great visit and we are impressed with Rom. His parents were physicians in the Philippines, but now that they are living in the United States are working as nurses in the hospital.

Monday Gary and I took off to get familiar with the city and hit a few hobby shops of course. Also Rudy was out of dog food. As we went a block down the road from the rv park, behold, another one more spacious and half the price. Oh well next year we will be more savvy. We were not too impressed with the city – just dry desert without much character. Gorgeous buildings on the strip and then vacant lots next to them.

This was taken from Whit’s Moms condo.

Tuesday Whit came and we girls took off for the day to sight see and celebrate her birthday. First off court house to take care of a ticket. As we went thru the security area, I set the alarm off. A rather severe looking gentlemen asked me over to do the hand wan. Whit promptly said “What did you do Grandma, forget to take your belly button ring out” He cracked up and sent us on our way. She certainly takes after her Aunt Tawni in the sass department.

We took in several casinos on the strip, The Venetian and the Plazzio. Very elegant and expensive shops.

Had a nice lunch here and then off to see where she works. Rom is also employed there and is going to school to become and Physical Therapy Tech.

Whit is doing Mary Kay with her Mom so back to her condo for a meeting that evening. Whit was recognized for her sales for the quarter.

It was so nice to be with her and be able to have a picture in my mind when we talk about things she is doing.

Left the next morning for home. We stayed just outside of Reno and woke up to snow on all the hills around. Had not planned to drive more than 6 hours, but with the threat of snow we did the 12 hour drive home from Reno. Had snow flurries, but the roads were not bad.

Very good to be home. Things were fine and the yard looked great thanks to our neighbor.

We are so grateful for this 5 months of rest and relaxation. God has truly blessed us big.

The Last Ride

2010-03-20T20:52:00.001-07:00

Today is our last day so we took off on a 30 mile loop leaving and returning to the motor home. Had a few geo cashes in the GPS to look for on the way. Also more pictures of flowers and blooms on cactus.

I am not sure what type of cactus the top one is, the bottom is a prickly pear. In 2 more weeks I’m sure they will all be in bloom.

We were going thru a canyon that takes us to the Colorado River and thus the California line. We got to the beginning and there were two ladies on quads stopped on the road. They weren’t sure where this road would take them so we informed them of the loop and they decided to follow us. Gary checked with them to make sure they had enough fuel. The road was good but a little steep in some places so he advised them on how to put the quads in low range as they had no idea. We decided that they probably were not too experienced.

Arrived at our geo cache, was fairly easy to find. They were excited about the cache as had heard of them but didn’t realize what was involved in finding them The ground was full of rocks and uneven of course. One of the ladies was having difficulty walking and stated she wished she had her CANE. !! She is in need of double knee replacements. Oh my goodness I thought, get her back on the quad.

They were really good sports about all this and commented once that “this was exhilarating”

On the return loop we followed the freeway but did have to wander thru the hills. These little roads were worse than the canyon road. Pretty steep and loose rocks. We held our breath as they followed us along. They did get a little scared they said on a couple of the hills, but just went for it. When we returned to the motor home, we stopped and chatted with them. One of the ladies is 77 and the other 72 aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. We told them they did GREAT . Complained a little of sore thumbs – both have arthritis in their hands. We exchanged emails, the older one lives here year round. So we promised to look them up next year.

Had our last campfire tonight and are ready and packed to leave in the morning. We had some noise in the pickup that sounded like we had snow tires on. I was concerned of course as I have to drive the thing home. Gary took it in and sure enough is was a wheel bearing on the right front. So glad to have that fixed before we start.

Heading for Las Vegas tomorrow and will stay until Wednesday. Looking forward to our visit with Whit. Staying at a nice RV park with HOOK UPS no less. Has been 3 months since we have had power and water. Plan on taking some nice long showers.

Pray for God’s blessing on our traveling.

Dome Rock

2010-03-17T10:46:00.001-07:00

We left the long term area and are up in the desert with a view. We needed propane and dump so decided not to spend another $40 and headed for the 14 day free area. We look down on the town and the freeway so is lovely at night. Rudy is not as happy as we are back to the larger rocks so is harder for him to get around. We weren’t going to put our little room up but after a day, Gary decided to just put up half of it. So we have an 8 x 8 instead of the 8 x 16. Works out great, nice wind break, although we are thankful for the wind now as it has warmed up. Makes a great little hobby room for him.

We took a ride yesterday to check out the flowers. Still a little early but did get some shots.

The fragrance is fabulous – can’t describe it other than a sweet sage. Taking many deep breaths as we are riding. Poor Rudy is not inclined to be in the sun. Left him in the seat while we were taking pictures and looked over - didn’t see him as he was on the ground under a bush. Took a dive off the seat to get out of the sun. Poor guy – back seems to be ok.

It took the humming birds 2 days to find us. Have seen several gold finch, but not going to buy thistle seed for these guys will save it for the birds at home.

The weather has warmed up into the 80’s this week. Main reason we decided to stay down a little longer especially after looking at the weather at home. There is always a nice breeze so the motor home stays cool.

Evening sunsets.

Will be enjoying the few days left we have in the desert. Looking forward to being with family and friends again

Quartzsite Desert Camping

2010-02-23T10:12:00.001-08:00

We have returned to Quartzsite. Have been here a month now. We are in the long term fee area (cost $40 for 2 weeks or $180 for 6 months). This gives access to water, garbage and dump station and the luxury of staying in one spot longer than 14 days. This is the first time we have been in a low spot rather than our higher ground view areas. The benefits are several trees for shade and even grass now that we had some rainy days. Gary has added a shade room off the motor home that protects from the sun and wind. This is another reason we are not in a hurry to change spots as it is rather time consuming to put up and take down but am certainly enjoying it.

We are 4 miles from town, the closest we have ever been. Gary is involved with the RC airplanes – they have a very nice flying field and a nice bunch of guys that are very active. We haven’t been doing any prospecting as it seems we have rain just when the ground is drying out so difficult to run wet dirt thru the dry washer. He can do a little flying right from our site.

The riding is great – again just take off from the site and go for miles. Miles of easy riding (yeah) and then also more difficult terrain. We have heard quite a few horror stories of quad accident, but I think inexperienced riders go into areas they shouldn’t.

Last week we had a great surprise. Laurel and Chuck were in Indio at their time share. We drove over to see them – had lunch at a great fish restaurant and then they came back over . Had a fun quad ride – Laurel and Chuck riding double on the quad and I might add Laurel did most of the driving . She was awesome!! We did one geocash (first one we have done ) and then a nice long ride exploring and picture taking. They went to Mexico to get new glasses for Chuck and we weren’t able to go with them as we had friends arriving from Lebanon that day. Have been here for months, and everyone came the same week.

Sharon and Al arrived late Monday pulled in just back of our site. First time they have experienced dry camping. Did the tour of vendors in town. Sharon and I got involved in beading watch bands so took a lesson in that. I had seen these watches at craft shows before and thought they would be fun so will see how many I do. The boys took a ride on Wednesday. Over a mountain that we have been looking at but I have been reluctant to try. So glad it was a boys ride as there were some difficult terrain. They ,of course ,thought it was a great ride. Go figure. They pulled out Thursday to head for Yuma and we headed to Phoenix to see Dr. B who was at a conference.

Thank heavens for the GPS as it took us to the right spot we needed. Had a wonderful visit as she was taking care of new grandbaby Delaney while Mom was in a class near her hotel. Beautiful day and we just sat out in the sun and walked a little. Gary hit the hobby shop and then joined us for ice cream at the end of the visit.

How about that hair??? She was soooooo good. What a treat!!

Had showers over the weekend, but clear and beautiful again. Gary is getting a little antsy about coming home mainly because of taxes and the possibility of early work. I am not ready yet especially seeing the weather at home. We will play it by ear. Will sign up for another 2 weeks and just see how it goes. We want to stop in Vegas to see Whitney on the way.

We again are so grateful for this time we have had this winter. God have been so gracious to us.

Rain in the Desert

2010-01-22T17:45:00.001-08:00

We had quite a rainy and windy day yesterday. The rain was no problem, but the wind was another matter. We are 24 miles North of Yuma camping again in the desert. The motor home is on a high point overlooking the valley so no problem with flooding. The picture below is right behind us. There is a road that goes up into a large wash . We did look at it for a site. So glad we decided to be up high.

This was around 5:00 pm when the rain had just stopped. Our humming bird feeder was out all day and was swinging madly in the wind and rain. The little guys hung in there dashing in and out trying to get a sip in between swings. It reminded me of an airplane refueling in the sky. The last one that came into the motor home could not find his way out. I had to take a hat and move him out gently. The first one that was motor home challenged. We haven’t had one come in since we got here.

We have been 10 days now. The landscape toward the back of us is nothing but rocks and hills. Almost moonscape in nature.

Looking out the front is the Colorado river, very small I might add, which you can’t see. Then a little to the North still in the camping area are several small lakes.

It gives a nice choice of camping. We are in this area as it it closer to the prospecting, although Gary hasn’t done much. With the rain now, the dry washing will be over. Metal detecting will be the only way to look for gold now. We have 12 couples in the area now with the same mind set. Some more driven than others.

There are several burros in the area and are quite friendly especially if you have food. We were riding the other day and there were 5 of them at the top of a hill. When I am out walking, you run across their little trails winding thru the rocks.

Yuma is our nearest shopping and has everything you could want. It is all truck farming and date orchards from here to town. It is still amazing to me to see all the lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower etc in the fields. You just want to go out there and start picking. One of the girls brought lemons from home, so I just made my second batch of lemon bars, which have turned out quite well considering the little oven I have. It is difficult getting use to the gas. I should get a thermometer to get the exact temp as I know it is hotter.

It is nice to be back in the desert as there are no rules. You can run your generator anytime you like. The solar panels are working great. During the day we can run everything with no problems. Sometimes need to run the generator at night as we have both computers and TV going. If we had more batteries, we wouldn’t need to run it. We miss the showers at the spa – hot and lengthy and the church family.

Before we left the spa I took a picture of Jim and Linda’s bird feeder for the gold finch. This is where they go, when they leave Oregon.

I did catch an evening hummingbird on the feeder. Still working on getting one in flight. Need to get the tripod set up with Gary’s camera to get a good one. The chimes are made of obsidian dug out of the ground in the Northern Calif area. Quite the artisans that put them together.

We are still having a wonderful time. The other day I did mention that I missed the house a little mainly for more room. Gary is working on radio controlled airplanes now so there is a lot of STUFF laying around. Miss the junk room upstairs and the washer and dryer. Ugh- doing laundry at the Laundromat . The days go by very quickly even though we are not sure what we do. We are grateful everything has gone so smoothly and our health is good, except for the 2 week flu period. God is Good.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T19:33:00.001-08:00

I have been quite remiss the last 3 weeks in regard to blogging. After reading my niece’s blogs, I feel tongue tied. Some people just have a great way with words.

Ok will start with most recent and work back. Quiet day to start the new year. Had to dump the motor home and fill with water. We have gone 3 weeks – hoped we could make it the whole month, but not quite. Taking showers in the park showers really cuts back on water usage and the grey water filling.

Thursday, New Years Eve, we took a short (45 miles) ride. A very busy day for riding – all sorts of riders out there and pretty windy, so we didn’t stay too long. Had a little get together with Jim, Linda and their friends in the evening. Campfire and munchies – getting to know more folks here in the park. I would say half the park is Canadians and we give them a bad time with their accents. Quite a few people from Oregon also.

Christmas was very nice with the church family. Had a wonderful potluck. The food was really something probably 100 folks there. Christmas eve was special as the church had a communion service. As nice as it was, we still miss our family and friends.

We rode that week 2 days in a row. Both days were 65 miles. The problem being you have to ride 13 miles in each direction to get to the area of the desert to ride. There is a military bombing range right behind the park, so obviously you do not want to be riding there.

We are looking for crystals in amongst the rocks. As you can see Gary is bundled up. Its the wind that gets to you.

Jim talking with border patrol. The officer had not been in this area before so was getting an update from the expert. Is very common for the illegal's to go thru this area. We see the border patrol many times during the day.

I did feel the earthquake the other day. Visiting with Linda sitting outside facing their motor home. Felt the ground moving and then watched the motor home tipping side to side. Was slight but definitely knew the old ground was a moving. The boys were out riding and they didn’t notice it.

Gary is feeling better but still fatigued if he does too much. Did get in on a game of ping pong the other day. Played hard for an hour, gasping for air but hung in there. They play on Tues. and Thurs and is quite serious. There is every activity you can think of here.

We have enjoyed the hot tubs- Very relaxing.

This is just one of the pools – hot tub over to the left. We like this one as it is more private.

Every Tuesday evening they have a talent night. Probably 200 people show up and the talent is pretty amazing. Especially as they have it every week and have new talent each time. The men and their voices really shine. The church choir has a great men’s section – pretty impressive for a bunch of old guys. They have a jam session two days a week, but we were a little disappointed as not really acoustic.

We leave here the 12th of Jan and head to Yuma to camp at another claim and hook back up with the folks we were with in November.

The weather as always is great. Just having the sun shining every day is so up lifting. Oh another thing – hummingbird in the motor home again. Gary was napping in the recliner and the little dickens came back to the chair and woke Gary up very quickly. All the gold finches from home are here. Jim counted 35 at his feeder. I got some pics today will post with next blog.

We thank God for all His many blessings.

Fountain of Youth

2009-12-17T20:07:00.001-08:00

We left Quartzsite Saturday morning. Going a little slow as first time Gary had been outside and he definitely was in slow mo mode. It took 3 1/2 hours to make the trip.
Jim and Linda met us at the front and we hopped in their pickup to come up and look for a site. The dry camping area is at the top of the hill. We are on a corner lot overlooking the valley and the sea with the mountains as our backdrop. The actual site is gravel and we have a pile of same just off our patio. We just need some green grass carpet to cover it up. Have the hummingbird feeder up and have one little guy who has also been in the motor home. I don’t get these birds here.

We didn’t unload anything as Gary was done in. Sunday I went to church which is very close. Just walk down the hill. We got the quads off and I got the carpets and chairs out while Jim and Gary worked on the Hughes Satellite and the Direct TV.Both of those job went very smoothly which was nice.
Monday Linda and I headed for Palm Springs to do a little SHOPPING. That area is just beautiful. Palm trees, grass, and the mountains framing it all. Did a Costco run and other stores that I haven’t seen for 6 weeks. Had lunch in a regular restaurant also.

Tuesday they bring in local produce which was fun. Also a little store and cafe here. Bible study after that and finishing up our spot.
Wednesday we took Jim and Linda to Palm Springs as they flew home on business. Did a little shopping and finding our way around. It is a good hour from the camp. Gary went to Brawley Monday which is South about a half hour . They have a super Wal-Mart with other grocery so will probably go that way as is closer.
Pretty quiet day today – met several people from Oregon. One couple from Junction City with quads. We may ride with them tomorrow depending on how Gary feels. Still not up to par and running low grade temps in the evenings. He can’t do much without fatigue so we really have been laying low. They have every activity you can think of here. No reason to be bored that’s for sure.
The showers are very nice and a real treat for us to stand in nice hot water for a lengthy time. Haven’t tried the hot tubs yet – I guess they vary in temp. The water of course comes out of the ground steaming.
Having a wonderful time – can’t believe it is almost Christmas. The church has a nice potluck and Christmas eve service so will enjoy that.

Still in RV Park – Flu

2009-12-06T17:41:00.001-08:00

Just a short update. As the Prednisone course ran down, so did Gary. I might add at the first of the week he was wired. Got all sorts of things done.

Flu symptoms returned with a vengeance. Completely wiped out with splitting headache soooooo we signed up for another week here at the park. This is the third day and maybe a 8% improvement. I am sure it will take the whole week to recover and then will probably be my turn.

On Wednesday we joined the Rock and Gem club in Quartzsite. I think Gary would like me to get going on a hobby. I didn’t realize at the orientation meeting, we would get to dive in and cut and shape a rock. It was pretty crowed so the folks that were helping were spread pretty thin. Well of course, Gary caught right on. He is familiar with all the machines so a no brainer for him. His agate took great shape, while I was bumbling along on the sanders. I should have just stuck with him, as he taught me how to maneuver them and gave me a lot of tips as is usual.

There was a class going on making glass beads which looked very interesting and dangerous I might add. Just like miniature glass blowing with propane torches (huge bunson burners) melting your glass. They had some beautiful designs. They also have classes in silver smithing. All the classes are very inexpensive. Then they do field trips so you can go and look for rocks.

Our gold buddies have arrived and are parked in my favorite spot in the desert. We are expecting rain tomorrow so that means they won’t be able to dry wash. You get it- they need dry dirt to do this. If the weather stays cool, they may pack up and head to Yuma to another claim. We will hope to join them in January there.

We will leave here Saturday (Lord willing) and will go to the Salton Sea resort and stay a month. We will dry camp there, as it is quite expensive, but they have wonderful showers and the dump and water station is very close to the parking. We have decided it is better to stay in one place a little longer as we have so much stuff to unload and load. I knew this would be a problem when we left. Will go lighter next year I am sure.

It is nice walking here as no sand or gravel in your shoes and a flat surface for a change. My little produce farm just across the border has changed from last year – not nearly as good. Was disappointed as it was great.

I see this is not as short as I intended. On my fourth book on my kindle and going thru the Bible. Will update when we get to the Fountain of Youth.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T17:24:00.001-08:00

This will certainly be a Thanksgiving to remember.

Dinner was to be at 3:00 so we took off on a ride in the side by side. There was a road/path we wanted to explore. These roads can be deceiving as they start out as a nice gravel road,within a mile they are rutted with large rocks. We headed up to the top of the mountains. Gary is always game for the off beaten path, so we ended up really on top of the world. It was a beautiful day, no wind and you could see forever. There was no way but to thank God for His mighty handiwork and all the blessings we receive. It was a wonderful time just to praise and be thankful.

I was very glad I had spent that time as instead of going down the way we came up – No -you guessed it another path to explore. So straight down we went thru huge rocks and ruts. My hands were white from

gripping the handle in front of me and I nearly squeezed Rudy to death. Gary kept saying “relax enjoy the view” I was praying like mad just to get down the hill and thankfully He was listening as we made it.

the picture doesn’t do justice to the panorama

My driver

mine shaft done by hand probably years ago

We got back to camp around noon and I quickly got my potatoes, salad and dessert ready. We had 40 people for dinner. The president of the club has a huge bbq as in the kind you pull on wheels behind your truck. We had turkey and ham that was wonderful.

We were so fortunate in our weather, no wind and warm. Campfire was started around 4:30 and we sat around till 7:00. A nice bunch of people – we all have in common the love of outdoors and of course the thrill of the hunt for elusive gold.

Friday was a travel day. We decided to head south to Quartzsite for our next adventure. I have to say I was glad to leave the dirt and dust. Everything is covered in dirt. It took us 3 hours to load up all the gear and Gary kept complaining that he was just done in. We were heading for an RV park to clean up, get water, dump, do laundry, etc. Was dark when we arrived so we stayed at a truck stop near the park as it was closed. It was 10 degrees warmer so that was welcome. Took one blanket off the bed.

Sat am got up and Gary was feeling crummy. Flu-ish so that was the reason he felt so tired yesterday. We got our spot in the park and have decided to stay here a week in case he doesn’t recuperate quickly. Nice to have power and all the water we need and yes I will admit I did waste it today. Long shower and plenty of hot water to do dishes. 4 loads of laundry and haven’t done the rugs yet

We did drive out to our spot in the desert that we stayed last year and it is just as great. I am anxious to get out there for the view and private spot. Our gold buddies are following us and will be here next week, so we will be sharing a camp again.

We are going to add one additional solar panel to the motor home. That should eliminate the use of the generator. Using my c-pap machine during the night puts a drain on the batteries. Also I would like to use my crock pot and hopefully that will aid with that.

Gary was taking a nap late yesterday afternoon and when he got up said his back was hot like a sunburn. Well he has this huge rash all over his back and creeping into the front. Very red and hot so gave him a Benadryl and off to bed. This morning was worse with blisters that were weepy and all over his trunk.

So off to Parker to the ER to see what the cause was. Well of course as I pretty well figured, we aren’t going to look into the cause, just treat. So injection, more Benadryl and tapering course of Prednisone, which I might add had here with us, but not wanting to self treat, I was a good girl. The good news is he is so much better this evening. Rash look 90% better so glad we went.

The Taft Claim –Hill Country

2009-11-20T19:47:00.001-08:00

A week has passed since we arrived. A mile in from the highway. Pretty step in some areas thus the heading Hill. A nice flat area ie parking area for our motor homes. We have 4 tucked into the spot right now, but come Thanksgiving it will be full to overflowing I understand.

More wildlife here, coyote right in the parking lot, chuckers (huge quail) and hummingbirds. Three feeders out now and so far 3 hummingbirds. These little guys have no fear. Gary had a red hat on the dash of the motor home and in came one. Probably in for 15 seconds, took a look around and then out. Was certainly a first for us.

Have not as good luck as far as gold here as we in did on the first claim. This is a very active claim so has really been work over. Did some shoveling this week. Too many rocks – I just want DIRT. The dust is pretty awesome.

As you can see the landscape is quite barren, but when you are out in it and riding, it has a certain beauty. The view is fabulous when you get on top. There are very few cactus -won’t see those until we get to Arizona.

We went for water yesterday. Pretty good 3 weeks on 80 gallons. We have a water bladder that holds 45 gallons. Looks like a big air mattress. Use a water pump to transfer into the tank of the motor home. Was our first venture with it and it went very well.

Into town today to do laundry and pick up few things. We don’t have the capacity in our little fridge as we do at home, so more trips to the store. The Laundromat has free wi fi and you use a card instead of quarters, which I like. Really isn’t so bad as I read while the clothes are doing their thing. Very windy and cool today.

Establishing a Routine

2009-11-11T20:09:00.001-08:00

We have been in our spot for a week now. Time goes quickly when there is no agenda. We don’t wear our watches and really go by the sun. Up early and to bed early. We have not set up the TV for satellite and we both agree that we do not miss it. We have the sirius radio, which gives us all the news.

Gary spent the weekend getting us hooked up to the Hughes Internet Satellite . It was very time consuming but the tenacious geekster had it accomplished by Sunday afternoon. There was great celebration.

Later that afternoon, we had a potluck with our group to celebrate Betty’s birthday with a campfire after .

I brought one of my flower pots of geraniums with me and then have added to it. Sitting on the patio, a little hummingbird came buzzing by for an instant. So of course I rushed to get the feeder up and have not seen one since then. But will keep it out just in case.

Gary heads out first thing in the morning and does some dry washing ie shovels full of dirt and rocks into a machine that separates the rocks from the dirt. Then brings the dirt back and pans it out. He has been getting fine gold with every pan so at least not getting skunked.

I have been taking a walk, which is no small feat as the roads or should I say paths are very rocky. Then a few chores notice the key word is FEW and read or ride the quad. What a life!!

We took a nice long ride on the side by side. Found an area with a few Joshua trees.

The riding is forever.

We are making a move tomorrow to the Taft Claim, which is 10 miles to the West and another dirt/rock road 1 mile off the highway. Will update after tomorrow.

Camping in the Desert

2009-11-08T13:53:00.001-08:00

Tuesday morning we called our friends from Alaska who we knew were camping on a claim in the desert. They were kind enough to meet us at the entrance to the road and off we went for a mile down a very bumpy road to our spot. There are 3 motor homes on the site. It took some ingenuity getting into just the right area with leveling etc. We are in a canyon with hills all around. Dirt and rocks and miles of roads to ride the quads. we are on the left .

Wednesday we went into Ridgecrest to get a few things. Gary is trying to set up the Hughes Net Satellite as the Verizon air card is unavailable in this area. Is pretty complicated so still working on this. This town is very complete with Wal-Mart, Albertsons and all the other complements. Took a short ride just before sunset and Gary got some nice shots with his new Cannon.

We have shared wonderful campfires each night with full moon and great stories of gold nuggets.

The Journey Begins

2009-11-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to blog each day, but with the traveling, just unable to do so. Left our house at 11:00 am on Saturday, Oct. 31st. Over the Santiam Pass and on to Burns. Jim and Linda Hedlund were an hour behind us on their way South, so we planned to hook up down the road. Stopped for the night at a little wayside rest area just outside of French Glen. Beautiful country - that morning a herd of deer and 2 huge bucks just across the road.

I am driving the pickup with one quad and Gary has the Side by Side on a trailer behind the motorhome. We are driving down the middle of Nevada good roads and very little traffic. I was thinking of driving 5 hours a day but the men had other ideas so we made it to Tonapah that evening staying in a casino parking lot.

Off to Death Valley the next day. We split up with our friends as they are heading into Arizona. Into Death Valley - first stop Scotty's Castle which is an oasis in the middle of the desert. We were planning on camping at Stovepipe Wells, but on arival, didn't look to esthetic so on down the road or I should say up the road. We went from 5 feet to 5000 feet in 20 miles with no break and then of course down the other side. We were glad the pickup was not being towed There were many exclamations from me on the CB of "I can't believe this" "Are you doing ok" etc. We decided to go into Ridgecrest and camped at the Elks Lodge which has full hook ups.

Elks Lodge Campground

Scotty’s Castle