HELLOOOOOOO BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA:))

MOON MUSINGS WITH FACE OF THE SNAKE

Woke up this morning with a hankering for some semi civilization & a Jilberto's hamburger & the only place I could think of with that kind of action was.....Borrego Springs, California.  Question was which route to take. 

A VALENTINES DAY SHADOW HEART ON THE MOUNTAIN BESIDE US SUNDAY

Had packed most everything up Sunday night so we didn't have a lot to do in the morning.  Took the doggy guys for a short walk, had a last long look around at our little site tucked cozily between the Kofa & Castle Dome mountains & had the wheels rolling by 9:20.  As usual I had my last looks back with pleasant memories of our few days there.  The gathering in the desert was a rare & special day I'll always connect that day with that site.

                               

A LAST LOOK AROUND THE CAMPSITE BEFORE LEAVING THIS MORNING

Only a dirt road mile to the highway & as I rolled up to the stop sign I was still debating which way to go.  Yuma, El Centro,  & Brawley maybe or Quartzsite, Blyth, Glammis, & Brawley.  Had I remembered the southbound construction I would have chose the Quartzsite route but of course with my memory I swung left out onto the highway & proceeded to the rear of a long line of cars a couple miles down the road stopped on the highway waiting out a paving operation.   No U turns with 53 feet so we waited it out.  Stop & go, stop & go but after half an hour we were underway.  But, not before I clipped a flagman's 'stop/slow' sign with my passenger mirror.  Don't think he was paying attention as he let his hand held sign out too far as we were squeezing by a narrowed spot in the road.  No damage to the mirror but I think I broke the cigarette in half he had hanging out of his mouth.  When I quickly checked my mirror he was making some kind of cross sign in front of his chest.........:))

<<< CONSTRUCTION SLOW DOWN

Soon as I got into the Yuma morning traffic I was wishing I had gone the other way but we made out OK.  Spotted a Cracker Barrel sign about 11:15 a.m. & knew we had been to that location before so exited I-8.  What  we had forgot about was how small the parking lot was at Yuma's Cracker Barrel.  It is not big rig friendly as we soon found out, squeezing in the entrance & wiggling out the exit seconds later.  Back to I-8 & kept on going. 

West of Yuma we went by the area where the header photo for this blog was taken.  Pilot Knob.  A lot of rigs out in the desert there & I don't know why.  It's flat, treeless, & sandy.  We over nighted there one time last year & it's the only time we ever came close to getting stuck in sand.  In fact I thought I had bent the wheels on the car.   Anyway, they call it the dust bowl when the heavy west winds blow sand in off the Algodones Sand Dunes, & those winds can be horrendous.  Just a short distance away is Ogilbe Road where we camped out for a couple weeks last year & it is hard packed with shrubs & trees.  Lots of room for hundreds & hundreds of rigs with mountains close by & interesting mine sites.   Don't know why folks would camp in the dust bowl except they are a few miles closer to Yuma & the malls.

ALGODONES SAND DUNES WEST OF YUMA

We could have taken quiet & scenic Ogilbe Road to Brawley but I was curious to see what the country was like along I-8 to El Centro.  Aside from the Sahara looking Algodones Sand Dunes the landscape is totally boring with scrub desert most of the way.   For the last 3 years upon entering California we have noticed something else in this area as well & the only thing I can think it might be is......smog.  Hard to see the surrounding mountains in the haze.  I often wonder if it is the smog from the large California cities on the coast blowing inland. 

MR. SNOOZY FACE

Groceries & a tuna sub for AL at Brawley's new Wally World & then north towards Calipatria to dump the tanks & take on water at a rest area.  Back through Brawley heading west for Borrego.  Looks like they are building a bi-pass around Brawley on the north side.  That would be a good thing.

We pulled into the Clark Dry Lake bed BLM land around 4:30 California time.  Noticed the usual amount of rigs scattered about in the desert as we turned onto Rockhouse road looking for a spot.  Had hoped to park beside the same earthen oven we did last year but somebody was already in that spot.  Unhooked the car & drove around with the computer looking for an acceptable Verizon spot.  Best we could find was 2 green bars about a quarter  mile north of the oven site. 

ON FINAL APPROACH FOR THE CLARK DRY LAKE BED EAST OF BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

I'm afraid we have been spoiled with great  3 & 4 bar Verizon coverage so it's going to require a lot of patience now slowly working with 2 bar reception  here at Borrego but hey, 2 bars is better than no bars.  Just takes sooooooo long to open everything.  Didn't get any blogs read this morning & with this slower speed it's going to be a problem.   Saw a lot of comments in hotmail about last night's blog & Kelly managed to publish some but I haven't read them all so hope to read them in the morning.  This 2 bar connection is just so slow & I just don't have the patience to wait for sites to open right now.  We are both sooooooooo beat tonight.

 

WE'LL TAKE A SECOND LOOK WITH REFRESHED EYES IN THE MORNING & DECIDE IF WE'LL STAY IN THIS SPOT

Didn't take a lot of photos today so when Kelly noticed a thin crescent moon tonight I slipped outside with a 200mm lens & a slow shutter speed to create some crescent moon musings................

   

TONIGHT'S CRESCENT MOON WITH A SLOW SHUTTER SPEED & SOME CAMERA WIGGLES

Tonight was the first night warm enough on this whole trip to actually be outside after dark with a short sleeve shirt on.   Noticed the temps really went up west of Yuma today & I had the A/C on for a bit.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  One of the great things about being over 60 is kidnappers are not very interested in you.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

SOMETIMES I'M JUST TOO DARNED OPINIONATED FOR MY OWN GOOD!!

RELAXING IN OUR YARD THIS AFTERNOON

Woke up in a warm fuzzy state this morning & figured it must have been from all those extra hugs & handshakes yesterday.  That kinda stuff can be a bit traumatic for a feller like me who isn't used to all that.

                                                                  

A few days ago when we took the dirt road up to King of Arizona Mine we noticed a sign pointing to another road heading south in the direction of Castle Dome Mountain.  This morning we thought we'd give that road a try because we have been seeing jeep tours going by here & figured that's where they are coming from & going to.  Headed out about 10.  Bit of a hump getting up off the main road onto the trail but we made our way back through the desert about a mile before coming to a dry wash.  It was obvious a 4 wheel drive vehicle was the best way to proceed & we only had a two wheel drive.  I'm sure our Santa Fe would have been alright but why beat it up if we didn't have to.  Made the decision to turn around & head back to the main road.

                                                           

GOT ABOUT A MILE DOWN THIS ROAD & TURNED BACK

On the way to the rig we decided to stop & climb a couple hills just east of the rig.  We could see slightly worn paths along the hillside & figured there may be Mule Deer, or Big Horn Sheep nearby.  Probably was because we found other paths on our 40 minute hike & the sign in the kiosk beside the car said there were those kinds of animals in these parts.

   

HIKING A COUPLE OF HILLS

Checkers got herself into a very nasty bit of business this afternoon.  Noticed her biting at something on her side & acting unusual.  A quick look see told me she was in trouble with a Teddy Bear Cholla cactus.  These spiny cactus plants are absolutely deadly to the touch.  Their spiny barbed hooks instantly imbed themselves in flesh & they are very, very, painful.  I tangled with one 2 years ago over near Ajo & I think it still hurts to this very day!!  Had to hold Checkers tightly while Kelly worked with a small pliers pulling the hooked barbs out of her mouth & nose.  Used gloves to pull off the larger bunched barbs on her tail, legs, & paws.  It was annoyingly painful for her but she toughed it out being the most bestest girl she could be.  We couldn't get the ones out inside her mouth & in her tongue so we're hoping they will soften & come out on their own.  She seems to be her old usual self tonight despite her painful ordeal. 

TEDDY BEAR CHOLLA CACTUS

CHECKERS WATCHING FOR ALL THE PEOPLE TO COME BACK & PLAY STICKS WITH HER AGAIN TODAY

When RVing like this with no facilities it is important to keep a close eye on liquid levels each day such as water, gray, & black tanks.  After about a week or so these levels become important in determining whether it's time to move on & find a dump station with water.  We are good for nearly another week but we're low on groceries  & things.  Nearest store is Quartzsite or Yuma so that started discussions this morning on our next move which is likely going to take place Monday.  Four of five days in one place is generally long enough for me anyway and we have been in this overall area since Feb 5th.   When we reach highway 95 in the morning it will either be a right turn to Quartzsite & Blyth, California or a left turn to Yuma & the Ogilbe road area of California.  We will probably make that decision somewhere along the mile long road between here & the highway. 

                                 

OUR RIG IS VISIBLE IN TWO OF THESE PHOTOS

Now, to the heart of this post!!  I am one of those bloggers who has a tendency to blog a little closer to the edge than some of my fellow bloggers.  Sometimes this is OK & sometimes it is not.  Keep in mind that an opinion is not a statement of fact, it is only one person's opinion & those opinions are usually based on the person's own personality.  I come from a family of very opinionated people & anyone in my home town of Tavistock Ontario knows exactly where I get that from.  In fact I may be hearing some chuckles right now from people who knew my Mother:))  I have unfortunately always been one of those opinionated characters that would reason, 'if you bought a brown car & I bought a red car my car would be better than your car because your car would  be harder to find in a buffalo herd!!

My inherited opinionated characteristics are no excuse for some of  my RV lifestyle opinions though.  But, it is a part of my personality & I have to deal with that daily.  That personality flaw sometimes finds it's way into the blog & I knew somewhere along the line somebody was going to step up & take me to task on that.  Didn't know when or who but this morning it finally happened when a comment came in from my old blogger buddy RICK http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/ .   He had finally had enough of my constant chirping RV opinions about RV Parks, etc & rightly stepped forward & wrapped me a good one right on the end of the nose.    JERRY http://jerrysuzylifeonwheels.blogspot.com/ the third member of the 3 D'umegos (or however we spell it) has also tapped me on the shoulder several times when I have got myself out of line as well.   And getting myself out of line occasionally is something too easy for me to do!!

KELLY LEAVES A NOTE ON THIS RIG'S DOOR.  TALKED TO A FELLOW WHO HAD PARKED NEAR HERE YESTERDAY & RECEIVED A $165.00 FINE

Rick is absolutely right in everything he says in that comment & I have to take a step back, look inside, & make some long overdue changes to that little character defect I have been carrying.  My true opinions about what  I am seeing,  doing, & feeling, will remain the same but  my RV lifestyle comparisons will stop.  (I probably missed my calling as a movie critic) My east/west comparisons will stop & my digs at the 'high enders' will stop.  The RVing community is the best bunch of people I have ever met whether they are driving a million dollar coach or an old VW hippy bus.  I am very proud to be a part of that world & all the great people in it.

                                

LOOKING SOUTH TO YUMA                     LOOKING NORTH TO QUARTZSITE

Here is, in part,  an email from a blog reader that came in today & basically backs up what Rick referred to in his comment.............

"Dear Al -Something Rick said today:  he swims every day in the pool provided at the RV park where he is residing.  There must be many older RVers that have some form/degree of arthritis, like myself.   Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for this problem.   One of the things that I have not solved is how to get swimming exercise in the southwest, since I will not ever be able to afford RV parks with swimming pools.     My point is this:  how many RV park sitters are there because they can use the pool?  I don't know, but Rick's comments made me realize that, if I had the wherewithal, I would probably spend time in the parks with swimming pools. "  

I thought this email arriving from C Moon today was perfect & it just shows me how far off track some of my opinions have been. 

And to Rick over there in California right now I say...............Thanks buddy, I needed that:))

WE THINK THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A BIG HORN SHEEP PATH

GROANER'S CORNER:((  You know  your getting old when you sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

A GET TOGETHER IN THE DESERT

PARKING LOT SECURITY WAS PROVIDED TODAY

First off let me say thanks to all the folks who showed up today for our little 'spur of the moment' get together.  Peter & Patty from Quartzsite were the first to arrive followed by the Bouse gang, Jim, Ellie, Janna, Mike & their little sweetie pie doggy Emmi.  Donna (Froggi Donna) & Stu rolled in from Yuma on their Harley's about half an hour later followed closely by Motty, Patti, & their energetic boxer dog, Moe.  They drove in from their temporary RV Park in Blyth, California.

                             

PATTY & PETER WERE FIRST TO ARRIVE FOLLOWED BY ELLIE, JANNA, MIKE, & JIM IN FRONT OF THE MOTORHOME DOOR

Because this gathering was a last minute idea Kelly & I hadn't been to town to pick up any supplies so a big  thank you goes out to Peter & Patti for a yummy plate load of delicious brownies.  Motty & Patty brought in a load of Bagels, dip, & Danish pastries.  Thanks guys:))  And Peter, thanks for the two packets of popping corn. 

                              

STU & DONNA RUMBLE IN ....... PATTY & MOTTY MEETING JANNA & MIKE

Always nice to meet fellow bloggers & put a face to the posts.  We've probably been following Donna's post the longest.  Kelly first met Donna at a gas station in Ajo, Arizona 3 years ago.   I think it's about a year now that we first came across Janna's blog when we were at the ranch in McNeal.  I  think Janna & Mike emailed us inquiring about a boondocking spot near Sierra Vista.  Motty & Patti first emailed us a couple months ago & we met them at the Bisbee Breakfast Club in Bisbee last month.  Jim has been on my Facebook for awhile but I had never connected who he was until a few days ago despite first meeting him a week ago today.  Ellie does the blog in their family & today was the first time we met her.  Peter & Patty don't have a blog but they are blog readers.

   

Let me say that these are all fine people just as are most if not all RV folks we have met.  RV'ers are a different breed of people unto themselves & as a group overall, I don't think you can find a finer bunch of folks.  One of the key factors is age & maturity.  No game playing, no one upmanship, no schemes or scams.  As a rule these are all successful folks in one field or another who are at the age & stage where they are comfortable in their own skin & do not have to impress or razzle dazzle anyone anymore.  Nice to have friends like that I'd say.

 

MAKING NEW FRIENDS:))

I'm usually not very comfortable in a crowd of people but felt not too bad about it today.  Experienced my usual guilt feelings after everyone had left that I hadn't got to talk to more people individually.  I'm actually a bit more comfortable in one on one encounters.  Kelly felt the same way about not getting to talk longer with everyone so we'll just  have to wait until individual paths are crossed again someday. 

    

Jim & Ellie are new to boondocking & have been enjoying themselves immensely up near Bouse with friends Janna & Mike.  When we first met Jim a week ago it became evident that he was really enjoying the boondocking lifestyle & after meeting Ellie today I think the bug has bitten them both.   For sure they will find it difficult going back to RV Parks now that they have experienced the much quieter &  finer side of RVing.  Good work Janna & Mike for helping your friends, 'see the light .'       :))

      

THE BOUSE GANG HEADS OUT.......... MAY OUR PATHS CROSS AGAIN                   

While listening to some of the conversation going around today I became aware of an overall consensus among all people present & it was something that surprised me.  Some of the these folks have been very involved in various clubs organizing rallies, events, newsletters,  etc.  Some have been involved in RV Park activities & social events but what I was hearing today was a move away from the 'organized' structure of things.  As most of you readers know, Kelly & I are not fond of all that socializing stuff that goes on in a lot of clubs, parks, groups, etc.  & after listening to some of the wild & whacky stories today about  what these people have seen & experienced I am sooooooo very glad we are the way we are.  Call us anti-social if you will but today it was nice to meet others of similar opinions.  And it was nice to hear their reasons of, why!!  It just reaffirmed our belief that for us, we are definitely on the right track with our way of life despite what is considered to be, & pressured to be........'the norm!!' 

  

DONNA & STU RIDE FOR YUMA........SEE YA LATER GUYS:))

Always sad to see people depart because in this life it is an unknown factor if or when you will ever see any of these folks again.  It's just the nature of the RV lifestyle & I think it is that which creates the silent bond among RV travelers.  It's unspoken friendships resulting from  brief encounters of a friendly kind................10-4:))

MOTTY, PATTY, & MOE, HEAD OFF INTO THE DESERT......... TAKE CARE FOLKS

 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A wise old man celebrating his 100th birthday got a visit from a local television reporter at the nursing home to interview him.
"Are you able to get out and walk much?" the reporter asked. "Well, I certainly can walk better today than I could a hundred years ago!!"

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.