Valentine's Day/Ash Wednesday and Another Ride around the Ogilby Hills

February 14, 2018

Today was Valentine's Day and this year it is also Ash Wednesday which for us is a Holy Day and the first day of Lent.  Today's plan was to attend Mass, buy a compressor, shopping, grocery shopping, and out to lunch for Valentine's Day. So we were up early and on our way to Yuma to take care of the list.

In 49 years, counting the year we were engaged, Tom has not missed a
Valentine's Day! There are always flowers.
This year it is a rose bush. Not sure where we are going to put it
but it has a lot of buds so I am going to be seeing more roses very soon.  

On our way to the Home Depot, which was our first stop of the day, I could
see this train slowly moving next to the road. The graffiti I see on the side
of boxcars always fascinates me.

The first stop at Home Depot was not successful. Tom had done some research online about a purchase he wanted to make. After having the one tire go a little soft when we where in Quartzsite and since, we do a lot of boondocking he thought it would be a good idea to purchase a compressor.
He had it narrowed down to two and decided to check out the one at Home Depot first. After asking two people for help, being assured both times someone would be right with him, and after waiting ten minutes both times with no one in sight he decided it was not worth anymore of his time. He told the woman at the desk, he was looking at compressors to purchase for his fleet but since they could not be bothered to help him he would go elsewhere. When he got back in the Jeep and told me this I almost wished I had not waited outside...LOL

Our second stop was Harbor Freight Tools where he was helped
immediately and in no time at all was loading his new compressor in the
back of the Jeep. Success!

Our next stop was at the Lotus Day Spa. I was in search of Aveda sunscreen and they had it so off we went. Second successful stop!
On our way back to the west side of Yuma we stopped at the Walmart to pick up a few things and then we headed over to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church for Mass.

On the left , this is outside of the building where there church offices are.
The courtyard and covered entrance into the church.

The altar area had beautiful stain glass above.

One of the Stations of the Cross.
Done in a fiber art. They were quite beautiful and unusual.
I had never seen the stations done this way before. 

After Mass our next stop was lunch and we were looking for a place to have seafood. (Being Catholic today is a day of Abstinence for us which means no meat.) For Tom and I this is not really a sacrifice since we both like seafood. After checking out the restaurants near the Yuma Palms Mall, our next stop after lunch, we decided on Red Lobster. Neither one of us could remember the last time we had been to one but knew there would be something on the menu we liked. We each had a cup of their Lobster Bisque then Tom had the Fish and Chips and I had a Caesar Salad with Shrimp.

I then checked out a couple of the stores in the mall with little success as far as what I was looking for. After that we went to the Fry's and then Sprouts to pick up groceries. Finished shopping we were both more then ready to head back to the Stinger "B" and enjoy a late Happy Hour and then dinner.


February 15, 2018

After our long day in Yuma the day before we had decided that today would be a lazy sort of day as we slowly got things ready for moving the next day. Tom unpacked his compressor and checked out the tires and I put away the few things I had taken out when we parked. After checking our supplies I realized there were a couple of things on our list I had missed. We talked and decided to take a ride back to Yuma to pick them up and on the way we would take a second ride down Sidewinder Rd. This time staying on track, no side roads, checking out a few more parking possibilities for the future.

If the picture looks familiar it is because I posted when I was working on
another catch up post. This was taken on the 15th so I decided to
post it here, also. 

Walking around I found another piece of weathered wood for my collection.
(This collection is pictures only.)
What do you see?

The mountains with the clouds over them always changing always beautiful.
I cannot imagine ever tiring of this view.

The shadows that appear as the sun moves across the sky
add to the never ending show.

Then you see something like this. It isn't even an actual hole just a small
indention on the floor of the desert.  

As I was walking toward the little Ocotillo in the next picture I spotted
this rock on the ground in the shape of a heart.
Seemed totally appropriate since I love the Ocotillo.

We were off the road checking out a possible parking spot when I saw the
larger of these two Ocotillos and then I saw the little green plant in front.
I have never seen one this small before and from a distance I was not
positive it was an Ocotillo but when I got closer...yes, it was.

I have finally seen a Baby Ocotillo growing wild!
All tiny and green but beware there are long thorns even this small.
Patsy, isn't he cute?

We finished our ride on Sidewinder, connected with I-8, and headed East to Yuma. Two stops later, well three with the Dairy Queen, and we were headed back West and home.

When we got back to the American Girl Mine Rd we decided to take a
ride out to the end of the road. Above is as far as you can go on the main road.

Sign next to the gate.

Open mine pit.

Circling around and down a side road, left of the main road,
in the distance you can see the mining equipment.

The end of the road for today.
The sun is starting to set, it is time to go home, and unload our groceries.

The sun making its descent behind a cloud.

Interesting clouds over to the East.

The sun continuing to descend and taking the light of our day with it. 

It is a close race as far as beauty.
The last of the sun's light hitting the mountains is beautiful.

The sun slipping behind the horizon is beautiful.

So I keep looking back and forth.

With a final burst of color the sun is gone.

Leaving behind some fluffy pink clouds hanging out over the Stinger "B"
Our last sunset parked out here on American Girl Mine Rd for this year.
It did not disappoint.

Even though our day started out slowly and lazily it ended up with a ride and shopping. 

Not a bad day but not the lazy day we had planned before moving tomorrow.

A good day just the same. Hope you can say the same.

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.