January 2021

 We have always tried to abide by the rule that you are supposed to do something we enjoy the first day of the New Year and it will be what you enjoy the whole year. 

Doesn't that make any sense?  
We used to ride the motorcycles on New Years day and our plans were to ride the bike a lot more in the coming year.  

Now we are in the desert and the motorcycles are in Oklahoma so we are doing the next best thing.....we are going on a ride in the RZR's.  

We will be surrounded by our very good friends Diana & Chris and also our newer friends Sandy and Bryan!  

We rode out on the Barry Goldwater area today.  
Some of the areas we girls had never seen. I think the guys had been on the road  a few times but they didn't complain at all.  They were "livin the dream" today.

The plan was to do some riding and then make our way to Wheezies for a good burger and some beer.  

It was all fun and games until 3:45pm....and Chris & Diana's RZR went dead in the water! 

Their RZR sounds terrible, like something is really broken in the engine.

Bryan was able to tow Chris and Diana down the El Camino Del Diablo road, until their RZR totally locked up.

The gears were totally locked up and his RZR wasn't going to go another inch.  Plan "B" comes into view.

We aren't but about 10 miles from the house so Chuck and I make a break and head back to the house to get the Jeep and our trailer.

We have one thing working against us and that is daylight. You have never seen two people hustle so quickly to get a trailer attached to the vehicle, look for the proper tow straps and head back to rescue the Biggs.

I am happy to report that we got back to them by about 5:15 and within about 10 minutes we had the RZR on the trailer.

Since the gears were locked up we used Chris's winch to literally slide the RZR up the ramp. 

You just never know how a day is going to end, but I am so happy we were able to get Diana & Chris back safely.

Now they have to decide who and where can repair their RZR.

Chris is on the phone the next day and he has decided since he was going to head back to Oklahoma in a few days anyway to just take it back to his repair guy in Oklahoma and get it fixed.  The places around Yuma are so busy they tell him it will be weeks before they can even look at it.  I think he made a very wise decision!  

One nice thing is that its already on the trailer, so its ready to make the trip!

Diana is going to stay with us here in Yuma for awhile (months if I have my way) so Chris makes the trip back to Oklahoma by himself.  He didn't let any grass grow under his feet and before we know it he has already dropped off the RZR for repairs and plans on coming back the middle of January to play in the dirt again!

In the mean time we girls (Diana, Heidi, Sandi and I) make a trip to Mexico on January 4th. I know for a fact we bought stuff we probably didn't need but we really had a good time.

Hot coffee for us today as it was a bit cool but it really didn't stop the avid shopping.  

We had lunch and even pasted another dollar bill on the wall to prove we were here. Los Algodones is a lot busier than it has been.  So nice to see the little town bustling around selling their wares.  

We even have to wait in line to get back across-the-boarder.  It wasn't a long wait but with the new border closing times we wanted to make sure we were over in plenty of time.  

I'm happy to report we made it back without any problems.  

Angel and his crew have made it back to finish our newly constructed courtyard walls.  It was so nice to see Angel even if he was sporting a crutch.  Such a nice crew of guys and would highly recommend Brick by Brick to anyone.

  

We see some beautiful Yuma sunsets, and I love to run upstairs and get a picture to share.

 

I have to say that we are really enjoying sharing our lot with Diana and her two dogs Abby and Zoey.  Zoey gets so excited to walk in the mornings and I think she really is liking this desert life!  Bronco and her dogs get along well, as they all just ignore each other.  

To say we have hot footed it to Algodones Mexico a few times since Diana got here is an understatement.  Heidi has been there with us all the way.  I have purchased more things for our slice of heaven and have some cool pieces to share.

I even had time to finally put our tile picture (purchased a little over 4 years ago in Algodones) and even made a primitive frame for it.  The picture is now hanging on one of the wall that is enclosed by the new wall.  

The decorating of the inside wall has been pretty much just taking things from other areas of the patio and moving it there.  Not sure how it will all end up and I am sure it will change several times before I call it done.  

January 16th Chris comes back to Yuma and brings their RZR back.  It is all fixed and ready to ride some trails.  Chris is getting to be an expert at driving the over 1000 mile drive.  He starts out very early in the morning and makes it here around 8pm.  I am sure he is totally worn out, but with a little sleep he is ready to go out and play.  

January 18th we are trailering the RZR's to California (only about a 20 miles).  Our plans are to go to Signature Hill and then on to the Narrows.  The same ride we did last season with Don & Cathy.  This time Chris & Diana will be going with us along with Cathy & Don.  It was a cool day starting out, but it warmed up nicely and we had a great ride.

 The day ended with a spectacular sunset.    

January 19th we get all kinds of warnings on our phones for flood warnings for our area.  After all was said and done by January 21st we had 1-3/4" of rain.  

All the talk of rain got us thinking about our planned boondocking trip to Quartzsite, AZ.  Not wanting to be stuck in the rigs for the next couple of days out in the middle of nowhere, we made an executive decision and called off the boondocking trip.   We were supposed to meet Bev, Ken, Laurie and John there and hated to chicken out but our hearts just weren't in it.  I hated to call and tell them, but we just thought it was the best call for us. 

We got up on January 21st to a somewhat cloudy sky.  The weather is supposed to break today and be a great day.  We drove the vehicle to Quartzsite and did our browsing and shopping. We were out walking around the outside vendors and who did we run into!  Ken, Ben, Laurie and John.  It was so nice to see them and couldn't have planned a better place to meet up.  We talked a bit and once again apologized for changing our plans.  They totally understood.  We said our goodbyes and went on shopping.  

The guys bought a couple of knives that this guy had for sale.  He told them this long winded story about the knives.  The boys were really proud of their purchase until we got a few rows over and another guy had the same knives.  Diana and I got a big kick out of it as this is usually what happens to us.  The big tent wasn't that busy in the morning and due to COVID they have the isles designated to be one way.  It was nice to walk though the tent and not be neck and neck with people.  We made some purchases but we truly didn't go wild like we normally do!  Guess we had all the junk we needed for awhile.  

Our lunch consisted of a delicious pulled pork sandwich from the vendor that we always eat at.  Diana ordered a brick of their curly fries and they were great.  We finished our looking and we got back in the Jeep and headed back to Yuma.  We got home in the afternoon just in time to see a small scorpion walking into the casita.  Gosh I am so glad I saw the darn thing before it got hidden in the house.  Failed to take a picture of the little guy before we squashed him but we did take one of him squished.  LOL

Zoey is wearing the cutest sweater that Heidi gave her.  This dog is liking the weather here for sure.  She is totally into her morning walks and makes such a ruckus to get us out and walking.  Bronco has always gotten excited to walk and I guess Zoey and Abby decided if it works for her they might as well join in.  I am so glad they like it here because it is really fun sharing our space with them all.  

Grocery shopping has been a lot of fun since Diana and Chris are here. She and I have an idea of what we are wanting to cook, but when we get to the store we wing it and come out with several meals figured out for the next few days.  

January 24th we are invited by Tony and Heidi to go on a Jeep ride to the old border wall.  It gives us a chance to meet some of the neighbors that live at the other end of our block.  We had met Steve and Diana before but today Steve will lead us to Wellton side of the mountains. 

 Steve is a retired border patrol and he was quite interesting to listen to when we would stop and observe an area.  I bet he has some good stories.  

We drove the "El Camino Del Diablo Highway" today.  The rode is dirt and actually pretty smooth.  We got to see the area they call the "high tanks", which are actually a collecting area of water.  I'm' sure the wildlife likes these drinking pools.  Since we were officially on the Barry Goldwater Airforce Range we all had to check in so we are not violating any laws.  The permit is easy to get as you have to watch a video and answer a question at the end of the video.  It keeps our visits to the range legal.  The range is used for a practice bombing range so it is important for them to know who and when you are visiting the area.  This link Barry Goldwater Air Force Range will explain the range if you are interested.  

There was a mountain that was jet black in color.  Steve told us it was known as Raven Butte. There  is a story about some lost Winchester Rifles that are supposed to be up this area somewhere.  Here is a link for another blog that writes about it.     Winchester Rifles          

  

Steve also showed us this tree that is over by the high tanks and he says that the big horn sheep rub their antlers on it and it makes them red in color.   The Elephant Tree is found here in the Sonoran desert.  So many interesting things in this vast desert we call our second home.  

 

The drive was great and we actually got to touch the old wall....LOL.  

We didn't want to have anyone thing we were trying to sneak into the USA so we got our pictures and headed back towards home.

  

We made one last stop before leaving the range our little group decides to stop at the Naked Date Store and get a Naked Date Shake!  Yep, you read that right.  But alas it is not really naked....its organic dates.  We have actually had several date shakes since we have been here in Yuma, but this one seems to be our favorite.  They are usually very very sweet.  This one was sweet but not overly sweet.  We give it a 10!!! 

 Diana even bought a hat for herself and she got Chris a t-shirt, so they will be advertising for the naked dates.  What a fun way to finish off a ride.  After all the stops we made today and all the information we were told you would think it was late when we get home, but we are actually back to the casita by a little after 4PM....It really was a fun day.  

I can't remember when Chris started back to Oklahoma but I do know that he left shortly after that last Jeep ride.  I know Diana is going to miss him, but once again I will say that we are really enjoying her staying with us. Chuck is glad that I have someone to go to Mexico with (along with Heidi)....and he has tried to bribe Diana to keep me from buying things, but little does he know she isn't doing her job, cause every time we go there we all come back with more stuff!  

The guy at the little coffee shop in Mexico has gotten to know us and even knows what we want to drink.  If it is cold we drink hot foo-foo coffee and if it is warmer we drink our foo-foo coffee cold.  To say we are addicted to Los Algodones would be an understatement.  

I will end the month of January with a little tidbit that has come to light.  Diana has said since I am always running around doing and doing something all the time like a hummingbird.  So I am now a hummingbird.  We both bought the coolest necklace over in Mexico of a hummingbird and I will wear mine with pride.  Have to keep up the image!  ROFL

April in Yuma 2019

Things are slowing down a bit as far as the "work" part.
Time to enjoy some of the wonderful warm weather we are experiencing here.
We have gotten to know our neighbors fairly well, and have been invited to all the get togethers.
We feel like we are part of the "gang" that live around us.
At end of last month we also had a visit from Bev & Ken from Florence.
Seems they have friends from Canada that live just two blocks over from us.
Small, small world....and it was so nice to see them and also meet their friends as well.

Looks like most everyone is in the same boat as far as they are here to get away from the cold, hence the brand "Snowbird" comes to play.

I never in my wildest dreams ever thought we would be able to come to such a great state and get away from all the cold.
I know you are thinking well it is April, and all the cold has left, but this April has been a bit different.
Seems like Mother Nature has no idea what to do.
Snowing still in the upper mountains of Arizona.
I say this as I look at the temp here in Yuma, and we are hitting almost 100 for a few days.


We have been working on the outside a bit and I was on Marketplace searching for outdoor furniture and came across a bar made from the same Equapales that we bought a few months earlier.
I contacted the guy and Chuck and I went over and inspected it and purchased it.
We still have the fifth wheel hitch in the truck, so it was a bit tricky getting the L-shaped bar and bar stools in the truck, but just like Sanford and Son, we did it.







We also made a trip to the brick company and bought enough "chicken" bricks to make up our make shift outdoor fireplace.
We used a washing machine tub and stacked bricks around it.
Our friend Susie had one they had made several years back, and I just loved it.
Simple and not expensive but I think it looks striking on the patio area.










On the 14th of April we had a little get together at our place to season the bar in and say so long to our Canadian next door neighbors, Don & Cathy.
They have to make their way back to Canada due to their time allowed in the USA.
We are sure going to miss them....they are "GREAT" neighbors.
We even had a great sunset and went up on the roof and watched it, and of course I had to take a few candid shots of some of our new friends.






April 17th
Susie, Doris and I made our way to Mexico.
We dubbed our trip "The Three Frida's"
This is due to my love for some of Frida Kahlo and her husband Diago Rivera's art, and their story isn't too shabby either.
Here is the link for some of her info if you are interested.  Frida

This trip was a total blast....even if we did get wet....wet I say...In Yuma and Mexico....this is a rarity.
Of course I didn't even think about bringing an umbrella, but Susie did!!!

We had two umbrellas to share and we did just that.
It was even a bit chilly...to the point that we considered purchasing another article of clothing to keep us warm.
At least I had on tennis shoes, Doris and Susie had on sandals.
We shopped like pros and even found a few good deals, but our best deal of the day was the donkeys we purchased.
Donkeys you say....not real ones...but a ceramic type that you actually put toothpicks on.
I will show you....here is a pic....don't laugh...cause we have already laughed at these little guys so very much.
I know some people are going to think we are crazy, and that's OK.
The whole part of purchasing the said donkeys was a bit funny.
The lady that runs the store we purchased them from is a story in herself....but basically she takes care of the money while the kids sell.
I gave her money and needed change from it....it was like an act of congress to get my change.
The kids had to go down the street to get the change and give it to the money lady, and then she had to count it and make sure it was correct and finally give me my $2 in change.
Guess you had to be there to understand the process, but I have to say it was quite an ordeal.

When Doris paid, we had to go through the same thing over again.
Just very comical to watch the process.
As we were leaving, I found a Frida bag like Susie had so of course I had to stop and buy it as well.
At least I had the correct change and the process was fairly flawless...LOL

We spied a few other things that we might want to but figured we better wait and save some purchases for a later date as we didn't have our guys with us to tote them if they were big purchases....LOL

We make our way back to the line around 5pm, and there was basically "NO" line to wait through.
This border crossing is getting easier every time.
Susie has given us a tip on the time that is best for us to cross without having to wait the 2 hours.
It also helps that the "Snowbirds" start their way back to their summer homes at the first of April so there are a lot less people here.
Back on USA soil with our new donkeys...we are "Three Happy Frida's."

4-19-19
Good Friday and we get to play golf.
Chuck and I didn't bring our clubs with us, and to be truthful they haven't seen a golf course in quite a few years, but our friend John has put together a couple of sets of clubs for us to play with.
Our new neighbors play golf a few times a week, and we are now officially invited to play with them.
We went out and played golf.
Chuck played with John & Len, and I played with Doris and Mary Ellen.
It is so nice to have a group of people to play this frustrating game with.


We went to the 9 hole course and since it is late in the season, we are on the honor system to pay for our games.
This is really interesting to me, as they have a box there and you slip your money for the game into it with your name on a piece of paper.
I know this won't be the way during the winter, but its pretty cool.

As far as the game goes, I was fairly pleased with myself to even be able to hit the ball.
I had tried out a few hybrid clubs on the driving range a few days before this, and I am thinking those are pretty sweet clubs.
May have to look into them when we come back in the Fall.

I really don't ever remember playing golf with ladies...seems like it was always Chuck and I.
It was really fun.
Don't get me wrong Chuck is a great golfer and there lies the problem.
I don't take it quite as serious as he does...LOL
I am just there to enjoy the course and hopefully keep my ball out of the water.

By the time we finished the 9 holes it was beginning to warm up.
We really did enjoy the golf game, and are so appreciative of John for getting us some clubs to play with.
Promise to have our own next season!!!



Susie needed to exchange a couple of chairs that we purchased at Walmart so after golf we loaded them in the truck and headed there.
Susie has a fish planter that is in need of being replaced, and I had seen one that I thought would work so after we finish at Walmart we go over to Lowes.
I just knew I had seen this really cool fish planter at Lowes.....hmmm, nope....guess it was Home Depot.
Poor Chuck, he is driving around two crazy ladies in search of a fish planter.
Bingo....Home Depot was the place, and we scored us two of the cutest fish planters around.
I even found a plant to put in ours.
I will have to add drip irrigation to the pot in hopes that it survives the summer!
Time will tell if it works or not.






4-21-19
Easter.....Susie is having the gang over and we are bringing food to compliment her ham she is providing.
Let me tell you, Susie had the dining table all set with her Talavera dishes and beautiful Mexican stemware.
It looked beautiful...and right in the middle of it is our little "Donkey"....  :)
We had a wonderful dinner with so much great food, and the fellowship of this group(even though we are missing a few) is wonderful.
Doris & Johns daughter has come to visit them and we have discussed another trip to Mexico, and over dinner it was decided we will go Tuesday.....twist my arm...of course I will go!







4-23-19
Another day in Mexico and a trip to the Dentist!
The guys have a golf game so looks like it is a Woman's only shopping spree again today.
I leave the Casita in Bronco's hands today.
Susie has been able to get me a dentist appointment with her dentist at 3:30 today.
I am a nervous wreck, so I am thinking the shopping will be a good distraction.
Lane is there cleaning the trailer so she can keep an eye on him.  :)
When I walk down to Susie's, she reminds me about my "Frida" shopping bag, so I run back to the house and get it.
As we pull out of Susie's garage she realizes she has forgotten her garage door opener.
She runs back to get it.
We make a stop to pick up Mary Ellen and as she is coming out to meet us, she is smiling big, and I notice she isn't wearing her "flipper" tooth.
(Flipper is a temp. tooth they put in when you are having an implant done so you don't have a hole in the front of your mouth if the tooth happens to be in the front:
There is a joke running around this group about the "flipper", so of course we all got a good belly laugh at Mary Ellen's expense.
She was a great sport and laughed with us.

So we are on our way....Susie, Doris, Patti, Mary Ellen and I are shopping til we drop...or at least for me until 3:30.
According to Susie she has a magic margarita that will take any anxiety away from this dental visit....so we will see.
Mary Ellen got her a donkey like we got last week so we can all kick a little ass together....:)

We shopped like we had never been to Algodones and had a fun time buying more stuff that we probably didn't need.
We ate shrimp tacos at our usual place and shopped until early afternoon.
Then it was time to sit down and have one of the famous margaritas that Susie has told us about.
She reminds all of us to remember to sip them....don't drink them fast.
There is a guy that is supposed to be singing this afternoon and he is busy on his phone, so Susie finally tells our waiter that we would like to hear him sing.
Here we are 5 American gals sitting at a table sipping our very strong margaritas and we are singing along with him.
The vendors are coming by with more things we don't need, but seems they feel we ladies are in the mood to purchase some stuff.
Doris and her daughter Patti seemed to have a really good time as well as the rest of us.
I figured I better eat something before I go to the dreaded dentist appointment so I order something to eat.
Before you know it its time to go to the dentist for me.
The rest of the crew is going to shop and we will meet up after my appointment.
Since today is only an evaluation it shouldn't take too long.
Within a short time I am told I need a root canal on one of the front teeth, and it is scheduled for tomorrow.
Looks like I will be coming back to Mexico again tomorrow.
I have to say that Susie's margaritas made the dental experience a lot more tolerable....not sure about tomorrow, but it has to be done.
I think we all had a great day shopping.
It's one for the memory book for sure.

4-24-19
Dentist.....
Not saying much about this other than, it didn't hurt that much, but my anxiety was terrible.
I wish they could just knock me out and then I wouldn't have to hear all that drilling.
I know they can, but I really don't like being a chicken.
Root Canal is done, and I come back tomorrow for the crown.

4-25-19
Dentist....
The crown is in my mouth, and I have one tooth down.
There is much more to do in the dental department, but we need to make our way back to Oklahoma and to be truthful, I am not up for any more for a while....
I am a chicken...and I know it.






I am not sure how it could already almost be May, but I have to say its sure been a fun "winter".
As we get ready to leave our new second home I can truly say it has been a great move for us.
Our neighbors welcomed us and made us feel at home immediately.
We don't have the anxiety that we had at Florence.
We aren't being bugged about where our rig is parked and if we are 27" over in a common area.
We have a beautiful little "casita" that is perfect for us.
All is good as we begin the closing down of this season in our life.




The trip home was flawless other than one thing.
I got sick.
The dreaded "flu" got me and I really don't remember a whole lot about the drive home.
Chuck would just unlock the trailer when we got to our destination for the night and I would go straight to bed.
I really don't care to be that sick ever again.
It was terrible!
April closes with us on the road and our final night in Amarillo.
In true Amarillo style we had a storm come through.
I think we have made it back to our part of the world just in time to get rain and storms.
More to come in May....but we will be in Oklahoma with family and friends.

Quartzsite, Yuma and Los Algodones Here We Come

The subject of Quartzsite AZ has come up within a group of friends.
Jerry and Konni said they were going and they had family members that were going to save us some spots so we can boondock.



Our friends Diana & Chris are even coming to Arizona to meet up and make this trip.
We go to The Riverbottom the night before departure for dinner.
Little did we know that everyone in the world was going there tonight as well.
It was very busy and it took forever to get our food.









Diana & Chris spend the night at Desert Gardens and get ready for a fun adventure.












January 20th
We head out on Saturday morning 6 trailers, 11 people, 3 dogs and 2 cats strong.
Jerry and Konni are leading the group, and Chuck and I are taking the sweep position.
The day was a bit more cloudy, cool, and windier than we had wished for, but we are on the move and all is good in the world.







Our first stop is Gila Bend AZ for a lunch break.
One of the 6 trailers pulled by Konni's brother Steve, continues on to Quartzsite so we are now 5 strong.


Lunch is quick, and we are back on the road in record time.
Before you know it we are seeing the town of Quartzsite.
Jerry had given us all maps of the location that we would be boondocking just in case we got separated, but this group did very well.
I don't even think we ran any very yellow lights today!!!



We are going to camp on State Land for the next couple of days.
Guy and Suzanne show us the way to their rig, and we all circle around and begin to settle into our home away from home.
As far as you can see there are people out on the flat land staking their little bit of sand.
Solar panels are all over the place.
Chuck gets ours all set up and we are officially boondocking at Quartzsite.
The evening was spent sitting around and just enjoying the social time with everyone.

January 21st.
We have heard about the Big Tent that we need to go shop at, so Ida & Steve lead us in and we find parking spaces.
It is busy and those parking spaces were far and few between.
The Big Tent was very busy with people.
Reminds me of the fair in Oklahoma.
Interesting part of this tent is that we basically came out empty handed.
Chuck and I thought there would be more large vendors with stuff for the trailers, like steps and accessories.
Guess the big guys have decided to not participate in the event this year.
We proceed to shop the outside vendors and go up and down the many isles of stuff.
The rock and gem show is going on as well, so it was fun to see all the beautiful rocks from all over the world.

Later in the afternoon I get a text from Carol and Ryaan.
They are joining us today as well, to boondock but they didn't bring their trailer, they are going to tent camp.
Man, and I thought we were roughing it...LOL
These two are really cool people and we are so glad they are our neighbors at Desert Gardens.
They have been on very many wonderful adventures and love the outdoors.
Upon getting back to the rigs, sure enough, Ryaan and Carol have their tent all set up.
The winds are pretty high today, and they have secured it to a mesquite tree.



The weather has been very breezy today and it has only been in the 60's so the gas firepits are coming in quite handy as we sit around them and enjoy the Fireball Jello Shots that I had made earlier.








Everyone had their own ideas for dinner tonight, and we went with Jerry, Konni, Guy, Suzanne, Steve, Carol and Ryaan to eat at Silly Al's.
We order their Goliath Pizza and shared it amongst 6 people.
The pizza was delicious and we ended up having several pieces left over.
Suzanne had driven Carol, Ryaan and I to and from the restaurant, and we followed Jerry, Konni and Chuck back to the rigs.
This day has been fun, so no telling what tomorrow will bring.

January 22nd.
Today we wake to Ida and Steve having heat issues with their rig.
It was fairly cold last night and their propane isn't heating the rig during the night.
The day before Ida and Steve had the same issue and had hoped they had fixed it.
Bev and Ken had heating issues with their propane as well.
Jerry has a low tire, so he is taking it to the tire store and have them look at it tomorrow.
We hang around and watch the guys work on Ida and Steves new awning.
They were supposed to be getting two today, but it seems the company ordered the wrong size for one of them, so they will only get the one replaced today.
They are finished fairly quickly and the new awning looks really nice....too bad they didn't get them both!
The Discount Solar Store was a place the guys wanted to check out.
Doing some price comparison on batteries for the solar on the rigs.
Looks like the prices are a bit higher than what we can get at other places, so again no money was spent.
We went to a few of the other vendors that are scattered all over the area.
Found some beautiful Saguaro skeletons but just wasn't in the mood to buy one.
I am sure we may regret not getting one, but for now we are good!

Its time for lunch and Jerry suggested The Yacht Club.
We got there before the rush, and from the time we sat down Chuck told the waitress he wanted a piece of Mud Pie that was on their menu.
Actually 3 pieces of Mud Pie were requested.
She said she would see if they had gotten some in, and let them know.
Our food comes and we eat.
The place is getting busy, and as the waitress comes by and refreshes our drinks, we again ask about the Mud Pie.
She says she is really busy but will check.
We sit there another 30 minutes....it seems like anyway, and she never comes back to bring our pie.
Long story short, we finally just get up and hunt her down and request our tab so we can pay up.
She acts a bit put out and says our pie was coming out.
I think we have given her every chance to get the stupid pie, and we are finished!
Unhappily she takes our money and we leave.

The evening was spent grilling some food and sitting around the camp fire.
It is still fairly cool and the fires were great.
We hope that Ida & Steve's heat works tonight as Ida has said she can't spend another night like last night.

January 23rd.
Well, the lack of heat issue is still with Ida and Steve.
I look out the window and see our faithful campers Carol & Ryaan sitting outside making coffee.
I suggested they come in the trailer and warm up but they assure us they are good!
Ida came over and warmed up though.
Steve is out working on propane tanks and running to get more propane.




Jerry and the guys have removed his low tire and he will take it to the tire store this morning.









We girls got around and went to a store that Konni had bought a few cute yard items from.
I am happy to say that we all came back with some goodies!
Back at the trailer Carol and Ryaan pack up and head back to Florence.
We are giving them "The Tough Peoples Award"......impressed with their tenting skills....me on the other hand....well, let's just say "no way"!!!!








Dinner tonight is at the Mountain Quail Restaurant.
We have a 40 minute wait so Chuck takes advantage of the wait and orders a piece of pie to go.
Today is "National Pie Day"....so why not eat your desert first.  :)
They had Chicken Fried Steak on the menu and 5 out of the 8 ordered it.
The waitress got a kick out of how easy we were to please.
Konni ordered a steak sandwich, medium rare.
The funny thing about this is the waitress asked her to initial the order for the medium rare steak.
Never have heard of anyone doing this, but Konni obliged her.
The food was really good, and I am happy to say Konni's steak was cooked to her liking.
Strange sandwich though, as they didn't even toast the bread....
In observance of "National Pie Day" several of us had a piece of pie.
Chuck even ate a little bit of my coconut cream.
Enjoyed spending the evening with all these fine people.

Oh by the way, something I learned today from Guy...he uses crutches from the Goodwill to hold his solar panels up....Jerry was the one that suggested it and by golly it works....LOL

Packing up tomorrow to head to Yuma.
Goodnight world.



January 24th.
I am happy to report that Ida and Steve had heat last night in their rig and they will be going on to Yuma with us.
Bev and Ken got up early and pulled out for California.
They left about 7:30am.
We are packed up and pull out at 9:30am.
We are now down to 4 trailers 8 people, 3 dogs and 1 cat.
Jerry is leading the pack to the Quechan Casino Resort in California where we will attempt to find spots to boondock another night or two.














Coming through Yuma I was amazed at all the produce that is grown here.
There are laborers out in the fields gathering the veggies.
Beautiful dark soil and lots of irrigation make for a bounty of produce.

We cross into California and not a couple of miles down the road we take the exit that says Mexico....sure hope Jerry knows where he is going...LOL
We pull into The Q and survey the area for a spot for the 4 rigs to park together.
The parking is a bit of a free for all and there really is no right or wrong way to park.
Jerry finds a place that we can all park and stay together.
We begin making our little area set up.
Strangest thing is we are on California time part of the time and then other times we are on Arizona time.
When we walked into the casino to grab some lunch with Ida & Steve my watch and phone changed back to Arizona time but Chucks stayed the same.
Chris decided to take his truck to Yuma and have the Dodge dealer look at his brake issue.
Diana had their shuttle take her to the Sams store in Yuma, and we all piled into Big Bertha and made our way back to the trailer.
Jerry & Konni ran over to Mexico to make a dentist appointment for tomorrow.
Chuck and I are planning on looking for some glasses while we are there.

Dinner tonight is spent in our rigs.
We have to get our rest so we can make our way over to Mexico in the morning.

January 25th

Jerry and Konni are driving over the border and we will be parking in the large parking lot.

Konni has a 10am dental appointment so we leave the trailers at 9am.
Big Bertha has all 6 of us again today.

I truly had no idea we were so close.
You could see the lights of Mexico last night, but I really didn't realize we were so close.
The border is only about 1-1/2 to 2 miles from where we have parked the rigs.

It was amazing to me that we didn't have any check in area or anything like that for passport violations on the US side.
The streets are narrow and full of people.
Los Algodones is known for their dental and optical services.
No more do we get into the business area and we are overwhelmed with people shoving business circulars and flyers at us for dental and optical services.
We walk the direction that Jerry told us to and we no more get a block and there he is.
He has left Konni at the dentist and found us.
Love it when a plan comes together!
We make our way back a couple of blocks to where Konni is at.
Chuck has already found him a pair of sunglasses that he wants to have his RX put in.
Seventy five dollars and two hours later he has his new glasses.
Me on the other hand, I am looking for just that special pair of glasses.



Konni has finished at the dentist and she suggest we find some food.
There is a little restaurant she suggest so we head there.
As we made our way to the restaurant I saw an optical store that looked like they might have the glasses that I am looking for.
I will check them out after we eat.




Lunch was great.
Only thing I didn't like was it was cold in there....LOL
The weather is a bit cool this morning, but with the sunshine it will warm up quickly.
Most of the wait staff had on sweat shirts.  :)










After we finish, I go down to the optical store and sure enough, I found the pair of glasses I was looking for.
Since I have requested the less heavy lenses and the broader spectrum of vision field on my glasses they are going to cost more, and take a little longer to make.
They tell me to come back at 2:40 to pick them up.
Looks like we are going to have to waste some time and shop....Oh no!!!

And shop we did.
Jerry and Konni had already found the location of the vendor that had the stain glass windows for the trailers.
We make our way there and Chuck and I find two for our trailer.
The little shop has a lot of cool stuff and we are all busy trying to make the best deal for what we are wanting.
The shopping was a blast.
Bargaining with the proprietor was a lot of fun.
Konni told us to be sure and bargain with them, so we did.
It proved to be a good thing and we got our stuff cheaper.












We even stopped and relaxed at a little outdoor restaurant and had a margarita.
It was a lot of fun.
So many places to shop and bargain with.
I think all of us were loaded with our purchases.
Thank goodness Jerry offered his vehicle for us to put our newly purchased items in.
You see, it gives us more room to shop for even more....







Jerry has offered to take everything back over the border that we have placed in his VW.
This was great.
There was a bit of time to waste before my glasses are ready and Chuck, Ida and Steve went back to Big Bertha, leaving Diana, Chris and I in Mexico.
I told Diana that Chris looked like our body guard....LOL

We make our way back to the optical store and it was 2:40 when we walked into their shop.
She tells me that my glasses had just come in.
Perfect timing!!!
The glasses fit well, and I am pleased with my purchase.
Now to get used to the new prescription!


Now it is time to get back to America, so we make our way to the border crossing.
Diana is in contact with Chuck and we meet up on the US side of the border just like clock work.
Chuck is making a u-turn as we come through the gated area.












Back at the trailer we fix some dinner.
After dinner I text and see if Diana and Chris want to go to the casino.
Chuck and I had an ice cream sundae, but Diana and Chris were nice and didn't.
Since we were in the casino I just had to try my luck.
I went to the machine that I had tried to win on yesterday and put some money in.
In no time I was up $90.
It was time to cash out...as I wasn't going to sit and lose it.
This has been a fun day and the win just finished it off perfectly.
Thanks Quechan Casino.



January 26th.
Ida and Steve are packed up and ready to head back to Desert Gardens.
Their rig was a bit hemmed in and a exit route had to be figured out.
Chuck tells Steve to just drive forward and he would put some of our leveling blocks over the curb and get him out the easy way.
Love the mind of my guy.
He can come up with some of the best solutions.  :)

Diana and Chris truck is still in the shop so we want to stay with them and take them to it if and when it is ready.
The dealership calls around 10am and tells Chris it is ready to pick up.
They can't find anything wrong with it.
Diana and I had convinced ourselves that we may have missed something over in Mexico and decide to go back over there.
The guys drive us to the border and let us off.
They are going to pick up Chris's truck.
Diana & I spent about an hour and a half walking around and bargaining for more stuff.
It was just as much fun as yesterday.






With our arms full, we head back through customs.
The line this morning was nothing compared to yesterday.
It was a breeze walking back over.
Chris and Diana are in contact and he comes and picks us up just like Chuck did the day before.










Back at the trailer we start talking about going ahead and starting back home.
Diana & Chris have a sick worker and they are concerned that he won't be able to work Monday, so the extra windshield time today would  be beneficial to them.

We say our goodbyes to Konni and Jerry.
Can't say enough great things about these two folks.
They have shown us all the ropes about navagating thru Los Algodonas.
It is 2pm when we pull out from The Q.
We should be back at Desert Gardens by 6pm.
Diana & Chris are still having trailer brake issues and make a couple of stops to see if he can make the constant dinging stop in the truck cab.

Chuck finds a rest area to pull off and we say our goodbye's to our friends.
Sure wish they could stay longer.
We have so many things to show them here in Arizona.
Totally understand how it has to be though.
They end up driving until 9pm, and make their way to Flagstaff.

We pull in at 6pm...and hustle around to get the rig parked with what little bit of daylight that was left.

Stain glass purchase

Chuck pulls the Taj-Mah-Hauler in like a pro.
Electric is hooked up and we finally dump our tanks.
It has been a week of boondocking and have to say Taj did really good.

What a fun trip....
What great people....
Can't say it enough....
Epic week of making memories.

Other stain glass

Thanks to all who participated.  :)