AWWWW NUTS WE SLEPT THROUGH OUR FIRST EARTHQUAKE & INTO THE VALLEY OF THE GREAT STONE SNAKE & OH YES…….MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE:))

A HAPPY LITTLE SHOPPER AT BORREGO SPRINGS CHRISTMAS CIRCLE THIS MORNING

Apparently we had a 4.2 earthquake with 5 aftershocks out here in the desert late Tuesday night but neither Kelly or I felt anything.  We were both probably sound asleep.  Even if I had felt something I probably would have assumed it was just Pheebs jumping up onto or off my bed.

OUR MORNING SUNRISE

 

WE BEGIN OUR CLIMB TO FIND THE GREAT STONE SNAKE

AND BY GOLLY WE DID FIND IT TOO

It was 7:20 a.m. & we were out the door with our feet (& paws) walking west towards Coyote Mountain.  Quickly found a  familiar footpath & we were on our way up over a couple ridges to the wee valley of the great Stone Snake.  Kelly brought a walking stick with her & was up to the challenge of the sometimes slippery stone covered trail.  So nice to see her energy is back.

OTHER STONE CRITTERS ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO POP UP IN THIS WEE VALLEY

Happy once again to see the Great Stone Snake has not been disturbed.  In fact there appears to be a few other stone Critters popping up in the area as well.  Nice to see people being creative.  Am suspecting the creators of these stone anomalies may be from a popular RV boondocking area below called Peg Leg Smiths.  Great views from where we stood looking towards Borrego Springs about 5 miles away at the foot of the San Ysidro Mountains.  From our scenic elevation I counted about 31 rigs scattered about in the desert to the east where we are.

PEG LEG SMITHS BOONDOCKING AREA IS KNOWN FOR IT’S GATHERING OF CANADIAN SNOWBIRDS & THAT IS THE TOWN OF BORREGO SPRINGS UPPER RIGHT NESTLED AGAINST THE SAN YSIDRO MOUNTAINS

THIS IS US

TECHNOMADIA & WHEELING IT WITH THE HIGHWAY LEADING TO SALTON CITY IN THE BACKGROUND

GAELYN FROM GEOGYPSY

AND BY GOLLY I’M WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE NAN & JOHN TALLEY WAY OUT THERE FROM TRIPPIN WITH THE TALLEYS

Nina had left a note in our Shout Box about the market being open this morning on Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs so it was off we went to pick up some veggies & things.  Pheebs stayed in the rig to keep an eye on stuff.  I love going to Christmas Circle & shuffling my feet on the soft green grass.  It’s probably the largest circle of grass this side of the San Ysidros.  And you know how we northerners like our green green grass under foot.

HARDEST PART IS ALWAYS COMING DOWN THROUGH LOOSE GRAVELY STONES

 

THIS IS WHY WE LIKE BOONDOCKING CLOSE UP TO COYOTE MOUNTAIN

Figured we might recognize a few familiar faces & sure enough within minutes we bumped into Gaelyn buying half a Duck for Christmas dinner.  Had ourselves a chinwag before we all scurried off in search for fresh vegetable bargoons.  Well not me so much.

MAIN STREET BORREGO SPRINGS

 

I haven’t eaten any burgs & fries for about 4 months now but knew I would be making an exception to that when in Borrego Springs.  Has kinda been a tradition of mine to get a burg & fries at a Mexican eatery on main street called Los Jilbertos & sure enough we made the short walk from Christmas Circle over to Los Jilbertos this morning.  Kelly had a couple fish tacos.  Kind of a groovy breakfast I would say.  A walk across the street to Borrego’s Nature Store netted us a schedule for all kinds of events coming up over the next little while or so.  Photography & Astronomy outings, hikes, Jeep tours & the list goes on.  Borrego Springs is a great place for people looking for interesting things to do.  In the past we’ve been on a couple Jeep tours & I have been to an Astronomy seminar as well as an early morning photo shoot a few years ago.  Dis is da place to be folks:))

INSIDE LOS JILBERTOS & HERE COMES 1 BURG & FRIES PLUS 2 FISH TACOS

KELLY CALLS HER MOM THIS AFTERNOON USING SKYPE

On the way back to the Jeep walking across Christmas Circle I heard a “Hi there” but didn’t instantly recognize the person behind the dark sunglasses underneath a floppy Santa hat despite the fact I was keeping an eye out for her.  Yesireeee it was Nina from WHEELING IT alright.  Minutes later Chris & Cherie from another popular blog TECHNOMADIA walked up & we finally got to meet them as well after all these years.  Chris & Cherie are very active folks in the social media side of things & they got themselves a neat old bus too.  We plan to have a look at that Saturday afternoon.  (big Hootenanny planned) How nice to see Nina again.  Paul is in Miami visiting family.  Nina & Paul boondocked just down the road from our Congress digs on Ghost Town Road last winter.  Coincidentally I first met Nina a couple winters ago right here in Borrego Springs at Christmas Circle one morning.

AND YES I AM GOING TO END UP CARRYING THAT 45 POUND BAG OF VEGGIES ALRIGHT

 

WE FIRST MET GAELYN THEN CHRIS, CHERIE,  & NINA

 

JUST GOTTA LOVE CHRISTMAS CIRCLE

 

JUST WASN’T SURE WHICH ONE WAS THE REAL SANTA CLAUSE THIS MORNING

Kelly wanted to pop into the Frugal Coyote Thrift store while in town so we headed on over there before heading back to the rig.  Normally I just wait in the Jeep but this morning I decided to go in & check things out.  Within minutes I found myself a shirt I liked & within another dozen minutes I found something else I considered a real bargain.  The camera case I have been carrying on my belt 365 days a year for the last 5 years or so had pretty much finally disintegrated & I was in desperate need of a new case to house my Canon Powershot SX210IS.  Spotted a black case in the showcase which looked promising.  Price was $6 & that included the Samsung S860 camera inside.  ‘WOW’ now that was a totally unexpected bargoooon. Now we’ve got ourselves another digital camera.  That makes 7 working digital cameras in the family plus 2 cell phone cameras.  I tested the Samsung when we got home & the camera works great.

 

THE 4 PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN WITH THE SAMSUNG

 

 

MY SHIRT, CAMERA, & CAMERA CASE WHICH WAS THE ONLY ITEM I WAS ORIGINALLY LOOKING FOR

Spent ourselves a quiet afternoon just soaking up our quiet surroundings.  It was so quiet we could have heard a pin drop in the desert.  Our kind of Christmas & I was just saying to Kelly this morning that it all started 10 years ago now.  We had made a quick trip to Big Bend in Texas & on Christmas Eve we sat atop a hill watching a beautiful sunset.  Christmas day morning we went hiking in  Boquillas Canyon & I still remember us standing on a hill looking over the Rio Grande River into Mexico.  We both agreed this was the way we wanted to spend our future Christmas’s quiet & relaxing somewhere in the gentle arms of Mother Nature.  And that is what we have managed to do every year since…………..:))

 

THIS 7 YEAR OLD PHOTO TAKEN CHRISTMAS EVE 2007 WAS ALSO IN BORREGO SPRINGS NEAR THE SPOT WHERE WE ARE CAMPED ONCE AGAIN TONIGHT…IN FACT IF YOU LOOK OVER OUR HEADS & SEE THAT BROWN MOUNTAIN COMING IN FROM THE RIGHT WE ARE TONIGHT RIGHT WHERE THAT MOUNTAIN MEETS THE DESERT FLOOR

So from the Bayfield Bunch way out here in California we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a big thank-you to all the folks who have sent so many good wishes & well meanings our way through Emails, Comments, Shouts, & Facebook messages:))))))))))))))))))))  

WITH MY CAMERA ON A TRIPOD & A LONG EXPOSURE I PAINTED THIS GREETING TO EVERYONE WITH MY FLASHLIGHT ON THE SIDE OF OUR DAMON MOTORHOME AT THE TIME…………….:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( I had the toughest time of my life. First, I got angina pectoris and then arteriosclerosis. Just as I was recovering from these, I got tuberculosis, double pneumonia and phthisis. Then they gave me hypodermics. Appendicitis was followed by tonsillectomy. These gave way to aphasia and hypertrophic cirrhosis. I completely lost my memory for a while. I know I had diabetes and acute ingestion, besides gastritis, rheumatism, lumbago and neuritis. I don't know how I pulled through it. It was the hardest spelling test I've ever had.