Wednesday, February 06, 2019

I THINK WE ARE SOMEWHERE EAST OF THE CHUCKWALLA MOUNTAINS

I'M GUESSING THIS BUTTERFLY IS A PAINTED LADY
Despite a couple 18 wheelers in the large paved lot behind Ehrenberg's big new 76 gas station it was a quiet night with no disruptions.  Most traffic goes into the nearby crowded and noisy Flying J on the south side of I-10.  Maybe it's because they have a Wendys there.  I like this nice big 76 station for it's easy in and out spaciousness with it's own separate gas and diesel pumps for RV's.  Two thumbs up for the spacious clean and neat new 76 station.  We've never been big Flying J fans anyway.
THIS NEW '76' STATION HAS EASY IN AND OUT RV FRIENDLY GAS AND DIESEL PUMPS WELL AWAY FROM THE OTHER 4 WHEELER PUMPS.....
EVERY TIME WE GO THROUGH RIPLEY CALIFORNIA I TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS WASTER TANK BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF THE OLD WATER TANK THAT USED TO STAND IN MY HOMETOWN OF TAVISTOCK ONTARIO CANADA.....AND ONE I CLIMBED UP AND DOWN 3 DIFFERENT TIMES AS A FOOLISH TEEN-AGER
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN THE AGRICULTURAL BELT OF CALIFORNIA
IRRIGATION CANALS ARE VITAL TO THIS AREA
I SPOTTED ANOTHER ONE OF OUR FAVORITE MOUNTAIN RANGES WAY OFF ON THE DISTANT HORIZON TO THE EXTREME LEFT...THOSE ARE THE KOFA MOUNTAINS WAY OVER THERE

AND LOOKING AT THIS CROPPED PHOTO I KNOW RIGHT WHERE PALM CANYON IS TOO....THE LITTLE HUMP TO THE LEFT OF THE POINTED PEAK AT THE RIGH
MY NAVIGATOR FELL ASLEEP AND I MADE A WRONG TURN
LUCKILY KELLY WAS DRIVING ALONG IN THE JEEP BEHIND ME WHEN I MADE THIS WRONG TURN OFF THE HIGHWAY....SHE WENT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CANAL AND MADE THE CORRECT TURN WHILE I HAD TO CAREFULLY BACK UP TO THE HIGHWAY.....BOTH PHEEBS AND I HAD ON OUR WATER WINGS  JUST IN CASE....FORTUNATELY I DO HAVE AN ONTARIO 'BACK-UP LICENSE:))
I WAS HOPING THAT WAS A PRESCRIBED BURN AHEAD....AND IT WAS
CROSSING THE COLORADO RIVER FROM CALIFORNIA BACK INTO ARIZONA



Well, where to go today??  Had several spots in mind so by 8:35 we had the big wheels rolling west on I-10 towards Blyth California only a few short miles away.  We were on familiar turf again having first been to Blyth back in January of 2007 and half a dozen or more times since then.  We have lots of great memories in California.  In the back of my mind I like to think I have actually driven an RV all the way out to California from Bayfield Ontario each winter for the past 13 years.

SAME SPOT WE WERE IN A FEW YEARS AGO
DESERT FLOWERS
We rattled and rumbled ourselves into an area where we knew boondocking spots to be.  Being the creatures of habit we sometimes are we found ourselves right back in the same spot we had stopped at one time a few years ago somewhere west of the Trigo Mountains and east of the Palo Verde and Chuckwalla Mountain ranges.  And by golly we are under clear blue sunny skies with hardly a cloud anywhere.  With an area temperature drop I think we might have ended up around 58F which of course is perfectly fine for us.  As so often happens after a travel day we just kinda like to veg out and not do to much of anything for a day and that day for us was today.  I could hardly even muster up enough energy for an afternoon walk so just tipped back in my recliner and enjoyed the scenery out the windows with warm sun spilling into the coach through our open side door.  It truly was a whoop-de-doo day.  After writing this paragraph I'll be darned if Pheebs and I didn't get ourselves out for a desert shuffle after all.
NO IDEA WHAT THAT BIG PIECE OF STEEL IS ALL ABOUT
MOST AMAZING THING IS THAT THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE BULLET HOLE IN THIS LARGE PIECE OF METAL......UNBELIEVABLE, NOT ONE!!  MAYBE IT'S MADE OF KRYPTONITE
YA THAT'S US
WHAT THE HECK WHERE DID THAT COME FROM
DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT GUY WAS HAULING BUT IT'S BIG AND ORANGE AND RATTLED A LOT
CAME ACROSS THIS BIG BLACK CACTUS TIRE
THREE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE TRIGO MOUNTAINS UNDER THREE DIFFERENT LIGHTING ONDITIONS
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A blonde decides to learn and try horse back riding assisted without any experience or lessons. She mounts the horse with great effort, and the tall, shiny horse springs into motion. It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde begins to slip from the saddle. Out of shear terror, she grabs for the horse's mane but cannot seem to get a firm grip. She tries to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up her frail grip, she leaps away from the horse to try and throw herself to safety. Unfortunately, her foot has become entangled in the stirrup. She is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head is struck against the ground again and again. As her head is battered against the ground, she is moments away from unconsciousness or even death when Todd, the Wall-Mart Manager, runs out to turn the horse off.
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“What does a spy do in the rain? He goes undercover.”

Knock Knock 

Who's there?
Oscar!
Oscar who?
Oscar a silly question, get a silly answer!
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As the plane was flying low over some hills near Athens, a lady asked the stewardess: "What's that stuff on those hills?" "Just snow," replied the stewardess. "That's what I thought," said the lady, "but this fellow in front of me said it was Greece." 
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18 comments:

  1. I enjoy the different shades and shadows the mountains take on with each passing difference in the sun. Always amazed at the difference a bit of light or shade can make.
    I don't like Flying J's or Pilot's either. I find them noisy and congested with too much confusion going on.
    I've seen a few of those tire cactus out here as well. Some are much bigger than others and yours looks like a whopper. Enjoy the rest!!

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  2. I bet that big ole truck gave you a real dusting.

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  3. Might that be a piece of 'the wall' :)

    That butterfly is very special is very to me.

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  4. Well I was going to make a comment/joke about the wall but Contessa bet me to it. Always a day late and a dollar short . Always enjoy your blog , thanks for taking the time to publish it and always great photos . Vern in Boise

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  5. Thank you for the fantastic photos of the butterflies and wildflowers. They made my day after shoveling lots of snow over the last few days.

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  6. I so enjoy watching the shadows as they move across the mountains. It is always a beautiful show.
    Really nice pictures of the desert flowers.

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  7. I find it amazing that you can keep track of the names of all the mountain ranges. To me, they all
    Look almost the same!

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  8. That butterfly and the desert flowers are beautiful.

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  9. Thanks for the tip on that 76 much nicer than that Flying J across the road, and the rv fuel islands a real bonus.Enjoy California, Soon hope t be there too.

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  10. Enjoying your posts Al. I'm now getting digests. No alerts on your posts for days then a large digest post arrived yesterday. K~

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  11. Al, as you know, Davis was sent to sensitivity training for blonde jokes at Karen's expense. Oscar should've gone, too. Be careful there, good Buddy. (J/k) It's minus 5 here in Livingston, Montana, so enjoy that sun. :) Chinle

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  12. Hey Chinle, great to hear from you again. Been a few years. Good to know your still up and running. All the best:))

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    1. Thanks, Al. I'm still a faithful reader. Working my way slowly north to spend the summer in Canada. I think I'm going the wrong direction. :)

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    2. PS And thanks for turning me on to Corner Gas. My absolute all time favorite.

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  13. So fun to see our old stomping grounds. Blythe was one of our 90-miles-from-home grocery options while living at the pumping station at Iron Mountain.

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  14. That was one of the most hard-hitting blond jokes I have come across. ;->

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  15. Great pictures as usual. And e-mail notifications seem to be working again. Thanks Kelly!

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