Hello

Thursday, January 30, 2020

We left La Posa South Tuesday morning, January 28th,  a little after 9 o'clock. Our goal for the day was a spot out in the desert about 12 miles or so south on 95. Always sad to see our time at LaPosa South come to an end as it is always fun to be parked out there during these two weeks during the "Big Tent" with the gang from Ontario.  Yet at the same time new adventures await down the road and we are anxious to be on our way.

Leaving . Now there are three units left.
Kim and Ken, Patsy and Bill, Keith and Oreo

Arriving at our new neighborhood.
Deb and Riley found this site and moved here the day before
and very generously shared it with us.

The sun coming up over the Kofa Mountains this morning.

If you read this blog you know two things about me concerning this blog. I try to reply to all the comments and I do eventually catch up most of the time. (Mainly because, like most of those we know who blog, it as a journal of where we have been and when. Lets face it we are retired seniors it is hard to remember what day it is let alone were we where a month ago...lol) I will be doing just that when we get to Yuma and full hook ups with steady internet.  The internet/service out here is strange, Deb, On a long and lonesome highway...., is able to get her blog out. I had to try more then three time to just make 5 replies yesterday. My pictures are uploading at a snails pace but I have been able to receive and place calls on and off but she is having issues with that. I can open up the internet on my phone but Tom cannot. So in a few minutes I will be trying to publish this with fingers crossed it goes out.

We are glad you stopped by!

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

Enjoying the Days (Catching Up)

Monday, January 20, 2020

I stepped out the door this morning to check if I would need a jacket when taking a walk and up pulled our friends Jill and Rick. We knew they were coming today and would be staying nearby with friends but it was a nice surprise to see them pull up. We are easier to find out here then most so after a short chat we pointed them in the right direction and they were on their way to get set up for their stay. Since they are towing their side by side and the friends they are visiting, Jeanne and Tony, have a side I am guessing there will be a ride or two in their future. (Update: the weather turned cold and with rain on Tuesday they headed back to the warmth of their home in Kingman. That being said, we will look forward to seeing you both back in the UP in the spring.)

Their vehicle and side by side look so shiny and dust free
I just had to take a picture.
Most vehicles out here are covered in dust. 

After they pulled away I put on my jacket and headed out for
a walk. First stop to visit the Ocotillo we were parked by
last year. It looked  a little lonely over there by itself .
Like all the other Ocotillo I have seen in this area it does
not have one green leaf or any small buds on it.
Still  my favorite desert plant even when it is grey.  

Continuing on towards the road I passed this camp site.
The arrow is pointing at the generator of the small RV on
the right. (I know it is their's because there was a cord connecting
the two.) This was  the first time I have seen this particular
set-up. There was cardboard surrounding the generator that
was running as I  passed by.
Maybe they could not stand how loud it was either.

I walked down the road for a ways then turned around and started back. I had noticed the Saguaro pictured below down a side road and wanted to see it close up. I always find it fascinating to stand and look at the various Saguaros when I am walking. Realizing that it takes around 10 years for a Saguaro to grow 1 inch then another 85 to 90 years to produce their first arm and that is if they do. I have read that some never produce an arm and why is considered to be one of the desert mysteries. By around 100 years old they have grown to 15-16 feet and at 200 years old they can be as tall as 45 feet. They are such a fascinating beautiful part of the Sonoran Desert.

This guy has been through a lot in his time. Yet he is still
standing tall and strong. Bottom left I could see his roots
are now exposed. 

As I walked away I turned to take one last look 
and I like to think he was waving goodbye.
He has seen way more history in his lifetime
then I ever will.

Our group under cloudy skies as I walked towards home.

As I reached our patio I spotted Keith walking towards
an open area with one of his planes.
So I sat and watched relaxing in my chair. 

A little later I saw Bill out flying his plane and grabbing my
camera I was able to catch it going by.

Tonight's plan was dinner at Silly Al's.
The top picture left to right: JoAnne, Bob, Keith, and Tom
Bottom left: JoAnne, Bob Keith, Tom, and Deb
Bottom right left to right: Gayle, Matt, Karen, Ken, Shirley,
Ken, Kim, Patsy, Bill, and John.

Unfortunately with a group of 15 it is pretty much impossible to be seated together during the week of the big tent.  It would have been nicer if the two tables would have been slightly closer but we enjoyed our time with our table mates, with this group there was no lack of conversation, and the pizza as always was worth the wait. The top picture above was my attempt of a group selfie. Not bad if I would have gotten myself in the picture. JoAnne asked the waitress and she was nice enough to take the one of all of us.

When we got back home JoAnne and Bob invited everyone in for a drink. Tom and I, Patsy and Bill, and Keith accepted and we spent a short time chatting before everyone decided to call it a night.  It was a nice way to bring our day to a conclusion. Thank you JoAnne and Bob and that vodka, Bob, was a nice night cap.


Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The day started as yesterday ended under cloudy skies and then it added a little rain. Luckily it was only few short sprinkles and by the time Shirley and Ken walked over it was done for the day. We had talked the day before and had decided to take a ride over to take a walk through the tent. Plus, Tom wanted to drop our hitch off to be serviced; it keeps the Jeep attached to the motorhome when we are going down the road so it is nice to know it is in good shape.

As we walked in the center aisle was almost
empty. There two side aisles were somewhat
crowded so we started here.

After walking all three aisles, picking up some free stuff and each making one purchase inside. We checked out some of the venders outside and made a stop at the booth to purchase the new outside chairs we wanted.  After dropping our purchases and free stuff off at the Jeep we decided to check out Beer Belly's. None of us had ever been in there before and we decided it was about time to check it out.  Tom and I had not eaten yet and Ken generously bought us lunch, I had heard the hamburgers there were good and they were. We enjoyed time chatting while doing some people watching. On the way out Ken purchased a hat because like he said, it is "legal" we have been there.

Tom took this picture of us, unfortunately none of us
thought to take a group selfie.

Back for Happy Hour the sun was trying.
When it was out it was wonderful when it disappeared
behind a cloud it took the warmth with it.

We still managed to have  a good time.
Middle picture left to right: Patsy, Kim, Ken, Ken, Shirley
Tom, Keith, Bill, JoAnne, Bob
Bottom left is Keith's dog, Oreo, she just sat quietly over
by his rig the whole time, what a good dog.

As the sun started to make its decent towards the mountains
it was again behind the clouds.

Between the sun and clouds I could see shadows

dancing on the mountains in the distance.

Just before it slipped out of sight for the day the sun did
make one last quick appearance.

Then we did see some pink in the sky as

night started to descend on the desert.

It was a day spent with friends. We enjoyed our second walk through the tent and it was a fun visit to Beer Belly's, now we can say we have been there. Later we were part of a circle during Happy Hour discussing this, that, and everything . There is never a lack of conversation and laughter always seems to fill the air. Then the circle got smaller but the fun and laughter did not. Our day ended sitting around Shirley and Ken's "little red fire" as we watched the inky black of the desert surround us. They are here for a short time and that time goes by fast as time seems to when you are "having fun" but soon it was time to say good night and make our way home to the warmth of the Stinger "B".
It was a wonderful day spent in the beauty of the desert.

We are glad you stopped by!

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

Sunrise, An Unexpected Surprise, and A Campfire

Sunday, January 19, 2020

We were out the door by a little after 7 o'clock this morning on our way to Parker. Mass is at 8, then a visit to Walmart and  the Safeway across the way to pick up some needed groceries was on the agenda.

There was a soft glow of color on the mountains to the
east as we made our way out of LaPosa South.

The "Big Tent" could be seen off to our left in the early
morning light as we made our way north on US-95.

There is a softness in the sky with a glow of pink

.

as we head north  towards our destination.

There is something quietly peaceful about this ride whenever

we make it in the early morning light.

We have made the left turn at the traffic light and off to
our right we can just see the glow of the sun below the
mountains as it makes its way up to join the day.

I love watching the light touch the top of the mountains

as we continue our trek towards Parker.

Looking back I managed to get a picture just as the sum
was starting to peek up over the mountains.

We were almost to Parker when the sun had made its appearance.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Parker.

I had heard from Shirley the evening before and knew they would be here when we got back this morning. What a wonderful surprise that her and Ken made a last minute decision to join us all here for a few days.

Pulling back in we could see Shirley and Ken talking with
Kim and Ken. So glad you were able to make it down guys!

The day ended with a wonderful fire.
Middle right: Bill, Keith, JoAnne, Bob, and Tom
Bottom left: Shirley, Ken, Ken, Kim, and Patsy

Thank you, Bob for supplying the wood. It was a great way to end the day watching the flames dance in the night, in the warmth of the fire's glow, enjoying conversation with friends. 

Today in the United States we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday on January 15.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Christian minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, King is best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. 

(information from the internet)

We are so glad you stopped by!

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

Two Sunsets and The "Big Tent"

Friday, January 17, 2020

It was a quiet sort of day and when I look back on it I am not sure I will remember exactly what I did with the morning and early afternoon. Around 2:00 I heard from friends Jeanne and Tony that they had arrived and could see us, the Stinger "B", so we knew they were close by. So Tom took a look and thought he could see them just down the way so we took a walk to say hello. Coming back we could see the group of friends we are parked with sitting in a circle so we knew Happy Hour was in progress so Tom grabbed our chairs and we joined them. We met Keith, a friend of Patsy and Bill's, and Oreo, his dog. He arrived today and has joined our neighborhood. Happy Hour as always was an enjoyable time filled with conversation that just seems to flow easily as we sit in the Arizona sun. Around 5:00 that sun starts to make its way down in the west and takes its warmth along. Heading home we could still feel a little of its warmth sitting out in our patio area. So we sat for a short time as the sun continued its journey down behind the mountains and I snapped the pictures of that journey below.

Just to mix it up a little Super Vivid

and  Photo Illustration.

The sun has dropped below the mountains and all we see
is the soft glow left above the mountain top.
Soon the darkness of night will encircle us as another
day ends in this place in the desert that for these  pleasant
days in the company of friends we call home.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

We started the day before the sun was up in the sky and there was still a chill in the air. We headed over to the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show, aka "The Big Tent" around 8 O'clock in order to be able to get a parking space in the nearby parking lot. The gates open at 9 and as you can see in the pictures below we were not the only ones there. It is fun to be there opening day even with the crowds. Plus, there is free "stuff" and if you have ever been to a fair or large event like this you know what I am talking about. We were back home before noon but I am sure we will make at least one more visit later in the week when there will be less people to try and walk around. There are a couple of things we would like to get a better look at but today it was almost impossible to get close to a lot of the booths.

Standing in line waiting for the gate to open.
It is fun to get there opening day, crowds and all.
Bottom left: when they saw me trying to get a picture this
part of our group turned and looked.
Bob, Tom, Bill, & Keith
Middle right: they never saw me lift the phone they were to
intent on watching the line in front of us.
Kim, Patsy, Ken, & JoAnne

Doesn't she have some beautiful eye lashes?

Leaving the show and heading back towards LaPosa South
the traffic going north was bumper to bumper for a few miles.

Tonight's sunset 

Looking at the pictures I am thinking I need to look for a 

different location/angle to take them from. Though beautiful
it does look like I used the same pictures.

Just a touch of the pink was left when I looked out.

Today was a good day we had a fun time walking up and down the aisle in the tent and around the outside. The sun was out and we could feel the warmth as we enjoyed our Happy Hour. Around 5 we could again feel the chill in the air as the sun was lower in the sky and it was time to pick up our chairs and head home. Our patio was still in the sunlight so Tom and I sat out a little longer watching the sun slip out of sight. I am writing this Saturday evening and will post it in the morning. I had a message while I was writing this blog and I do believe tomorrow, Sunday, is going to be a great day.

We are glad you stopped by!

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