HANGING OUT WITH THE CROWDS IN QUARTZSITE, AZ

The good news is that my computer in recovering, the bad news is that it wasn’t finished so I couldn’t take it on this trip. I was able to go to my computer and download my camera cards before leaving so that part of the computer is working fine again. There was still some work required on the internet end of things.
We left Florence at 9:16 Sunday morning and were here before 2 PM. It was 315 kms and over 100 kms were through greater Phoenix. It is a huge place to drive past. I could have bypassed it by going via Gila Bend but we plan to go that way on the return so didn’t want to use the same route both ways. There is a large number of RVs close in where we are but very few further out. There are a large number of BC people here and as I was driving through town before the camp ground met Wayne Wolfe from near Salmon Arm who I used to work with. Today I met Keith from Florence who Jim and I rode with a couple weeks ago. He is distinctive as he has an old Springer Spaniel type dog who rides behind him on the ATV.
We’ve been several times to the RV show in the big tent and wandered around some of the other displays and booths. We bought a Honda 2000 generator this afternoon to help us when the solar panels don’t get enough sun. There is so much “stuff” that one doesn’t need at these shows. The crowds do seem larger this year and sales seem to be doing better also.
We are parked with my aunt and uncle Jacquie and Jim, their son’s inlaws Maurice and Dian and Maurice’s brother and wife, Ron and Arlene who are all from Sorrento. The other three didn’t bring their ATVs so I am on my own ATVing. We’ve had a couple games of Mexican Train, once with four and once with eight playing. Last night I was at J&J’s working on a jigsaw puzzle while the wind buffeted us well. It had poured for awhile earlier. We do miss going to the pool and hot tub every night but are enjoying the change of pace.

MY COMPUTER CRASHED AND I’M SO SAD!

Hello everyone. I picked up a couple viruses a few days ago and have been down ever since. My computer was away for a few days and came back yesterday supposedly fixed, but it wasn’t. It is so slow and right away another virus showed up. I’m undecided what to do presently. Do I take it back to the same person, should I try to find someone else or should I just put it in the cupboard until we get home where I can have the super geek work on it? I’m using Aileen’s computer to post this so there will be no pictures. I will have to decide whether to load my Photoshop Elements on her computer before I would be able to do pictures.
We had a busy holiday season. Aileen cooked a turkey for Christmas and we had eight people at the table. For New Years another turkey and ten at our table. We’d been to friends a few days before Christmas for turkey also so got to eat lots of turkey this year. We went for Mexican food twice and Chinese another night plus a couple times to a big lunch smorg in Casa Grande.
We were delighted to have Bev and Kevin visit us for ten days after Christmas. Kevin and I finished my shed with insulation, paneling and wire shelving so it looks very spiffy and will be much easier to heat. Kevin was able to come with the ATV group one day when we borrowed one of the guy’s Polaris. That was my longest ride yet covering 89 miles. It was way longer than I like as there was no time to stop for pictures. Jim and I are getting to know the roads now and will soon start going by ourselves on photo outings. He has a nice new camera and is getting back into more serious photography. I have been going twice a week with the ATV group. There were at least 38 ATVs from our parks out last Thursday in three groups going three different places. That is only a fraction of the actual number of ATVs in our parks. Many riders only go out infrequently and some only ride with one of two others, not in organized groups.
I haven’t been to a Photoshop Elements group yet because of my computer issues although I still hope to get there. We are going to the Canada Supper here next Saturday night then plan to go to Quartzsite on the Sunday for a few days. This week will require some time to be spent on ensuring the trailer is ready to go and the truck needs servicing too. I hope to do another post before we depart for Quartzsite.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A 25 to 30 foot sudden drop in a wash (creek bed)

The Devil's Rockpile

I called this No Faces Please

A couple of cowpokes

Both the above are of South Butte

Cottonwoods along Price Road on Christmas Eve

15 second exposure with a golf cart's tail lights visible for the last 10 seconds

Some people go all out with their decorating

Our park model

Our travel trailer

We’ve had frost the past three mornings but it gets fairly nice during the day. Gorgeous blue sky today and in the low 60sF so we’re on a warming trend. We were barely 50F for a high a couple days ago.

Aileen is improving again and we hope it continues. She is cooking a turkey at present using a borrowed electric roaster which I have set up outside and it certainly smells good all over the neighbourhood. My aunts and husbands, Jordan’s and Pengelly’s, are coming as are Wayne and Joyce who are in my sister Wendy’s trailer across from us. The supper is a modified potluck with every couple bringing different veggies. We’re supplying the turkey, stuffing and salad.

We got to visit with Richard and Georgia (and Robin for a minute) on Skype this morning so that was nice. I took the dogs for a walk out in the desert this morning. Yes dogs plural – we’re dog sitting Angel who looks similar to Mitzy but is way smaller. Her Mom and Dad went to Laughlin for a few days.

We had a small group ATVing yesterday but the 8 of us enjoyed our day. The air was so clear after the storm and very little dust either. There was a major dust storm on Tuesday. Ron and I had gone to Coolidge and when we looked toward Casa Grande the air was pretty murky. We heard later that there had been two major pileups on the I-10 freeway north and south of Casa Grande with at least three fatalities. There was some major rain later so the streets had good sized creeks running down them. Our streets slope to the middle to channel the water and since most lots are paved, all the water ends up in the streets which are all sloped to drain out of the park.

For new readers and old, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them then click on the back arrow to return to the blog post. Enjoy, John

MORE ATV FUN

A picture of those attending our Dec ATV potluck-just some of the members

Entering Martinez Canyon

Working our way further up the canyon

Our lunch stop at the old townsite

Sue, Aubrey, Ed (our leader) Jim (my uncle) Dave (Sue's husband)

The rough and rocky road

Jim J leading the pack down the hill

Fall colour along the Gila River - December 19th

Life continues to roar past us and it seems we never get done what we thought we would by the time evening rolls around. Maybe the days are just too short? I went ATVing both Thursday and Saturday this week again and that pretty much took care of those days. We had a great ride on Thursday to Martinez Canyon which was very pretty with the cottonwoods showing nice Fall colours. Some of the road wasn’t quite so nice as it consisted of nothing but large boulders. Then of course, after a ride, I have photos to download, organize, edit and email off to the other members. The group isn’t used to having someone take pictures like I do and seem pleased that I do. In fact, they are now trying to time the rest stops around the better photo ops.

My photo class met again on Monday and we are changing our date as I am going to join a special interest group working with PhotoShop Elements. I was initially interested in joining to learn more then I was invited to join and share some of my knowledge by mentoring others. We’ll see about that part. Last Monday night we went to the monthly ATV potluck. I was asked to bring my camera and take a group shot which turned out fairly well. There was turkey with all the trimmings plus piles more food. Jacquie and Jim came and we were able to bring Eleanor and Ron as guests. Following that we six played Mexican Train here. On Wednesday, we went to friends Ken and Marie’s for lunch followed by a couple games of Back Up Eights, which the ladies won both. Ken and Marie have now gone back to Grand Junction, Colorado for Christmas.

On Friday we went to Coolidge for groceries then in the evening Jacquie and Jim joined us for supper at L&B’s Mexican restaurant in Florence. They serve good food quite reasonably priced. We will go there again before leaving, I’m sure.

We’ve been having a spell of nice weather but are now into a cooling trend again. We’ve had highs in the mid 70sF but Christmas Eve is supposed to be only 58 for a high, then warming slowly again. I was riding in my tee shirt Thursday afternoon. It was gorgeous, too bad we only get a few days like that.

Aileen’s MS is acting up again with back spasms so she is having a rough time. You know it’s pretty bad when she turns down going to the pool. We hope it eases up soon! Mitzy enjoys her walks out in the desert but is getting so she demands it in the mornings before I’m ready.

ATVING, READING AND COMPUTER STUFF

Old Blue, 80 years old and still having fun

Lunch in the desert

Lulu's mine cabin - note the fridge door on the wall. It opens to a shelf in the dirt bank.

Door of Lulu's mine cabin

Square coke ovens

Lots of rock work at the the coke ovens

Cochrane area east of Florence

They have a weiner roast every trip

The group yesterday with South and North Buttes in the background. Florence is beyond them

Along the Gila River

South Butte and the Gila River

That seems to be my life these days. I’m glad to report that Aileen is perking up again. She is back swimming although we are having to go further afield to find pools that are warm enough. Our pool was only 76F for several days. The warmest pool was of course the furthest away which meant we had to drive the truck there. She did get her cookies baked and made it to the cookie exchange on Monday. I think her cookies were among the best there as I got to try quite a few of the others that she brought home. She’s been off to Coolidge a couple times on her own in the truck, too. I’ve been visiting the library and bringing large print books for Aileen to read as well as reading quite a bit myself.

My aunt Eleanor and husband Ron arrived a few days ago from Salmon Arm to spend three months in our park. She is my Mom’s next younger sister. They seem to be pleased with the park model they have rented and are finding their way around. Wendy and Randy have friends from Parksville staying in their trailer at present.

I went out with the ATV group last Saturday, Thursday and again this Saturday. I’m getting to see a lot of the back country. I am amazed at how many old mine workings there are scattered around the desert. Some of them still have some equipment etc lying about while others are just mounds of dirt and rock or holes in the rock. Often there are holes or shafts in the ground that one could walk or drive into as there are no barriers or warnings. I have been very impressed with the ATV group. They stick to existing trails and do not go roaring through vegetation. The existing trails can be enough of a challenge for most people and since most of the riders are older than me, they are more into cleaning up and protecting the wilderness rather than being naughty. At least one of our regulars is 80 years old and there are others not far behind.

I have been instructing a basic photography class and have now been asked to help mentor a Photoshop Elements group. Wouldn’t you know, they are both in the exact same time slot so I will have to try to reschedule my group. It never rains but it pours, as the old saying goes. Speaking of which, we had a dandy storm come through a few nights ago. It dropped close to an inch of rain in a few bursts and the wind was quite something. I saw on the net that Quartzsite suffered some damage to the flea market vendor’s stalls.

We put up a few Holiday lights so now we are helping to brighten the streets. Some of the residents really get serious about their decorating so we have some fine displays to look at. I will try to remember to bring more of our lights down from Salmon Arm next winter as we hope to not use them there for quite a number of years. Many of the neighbours are making plans to go home for Christmas. Most of them aren’t looking forward to putting themselves back into snow country but they do want to celebrate with their families.

Aileen is off to church at the club house and I will take Mitzy for a walk in the desert shortly.

STICKING CLOSER HOME F0R AWHILE

Mitzy having a good sleep in my bed

Aileen took this picture as we were driving into Phoenix to pick up Bev a month ago

Some pic from last week's ATV outing

Ittybit and Rats the clowns with Rudolph

One of the clowns being expressive

Time is getting away on me and it’s been overly long since my last post. I don’t know how many of you read the comments section, but we had a rather humourous incident there last week. There was a comment from a couple from Canada wondering just where we were from in Canada. I replied in the comments then noticed their picture on the side. When I clicked on the picture, their blog came up. I read that they were from Edmonton and had just poured cement for a shed in Florence, Arizona. Okay, this is ringing bells like crazy as the other day Mitzy and I were walking past Jacquie and Jim’s place when I saw a Jeep parked in their driveway so the cement truck could pour next door. Yep, same people! It’s a small world. When I asked them how they found my blog, it had to do with the fact that she had done a search on the ATVer who died (actually on my initial ride with the group) and my blog popped up.

We took friend Bev into Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix last Thursday. We went to the ticket booth with her then said our farewells and headed home to go to the American Thanksgiving supper at the clubhouse. As usual it was a good meal. We have a young country singer named Tim Hadler who is coming to buddy beer on Monday’s and also to several other events entertaining us with his good music and vocals. He is quite versatile, writing a lot of his own and doing excellent covers of old standards. He is working hard towards a recording contract in Nashville and has played the Grand Old Opry. Last night at the halibut supper, he and the Caliente Clowns gave the start off to Christmas. I took some pictures of the clowns and made some prints for their scrapbook when I came home.

My uncle Jim bought a used ATV the other day and this afternoon we took it for a spin out in the desert to the east of here. He plans to ride with the group tomorrow as do I. I went out last Saturday with them, 16 of us, and we put 68 miles on over some rough country. We’ve mostly had nice weather but it is very cool as soon as the sun goes down. Aileen has been feeling poorly the past few days and has been laying low. She is hoping to summon the energy tomorrow to bake some cookies for the upcoming cookie exchange on our block which is a yearly tradition.

We have been doing some low key decorating of the park model with a single string of lights put on the travel trailer. Some of the residents really go in for decorating here but there’s isn’t a lot of hype otherwise. Gift exchanging is minimal if that.