BLOGGER-FEST 2015 QUARTZSITE ARIZONA…..WE WERE THERE:)))))))

FIRST BLOGGER-FEST GATHERING NORTH OF QUARTZSITE ARIZONA

Turned out to be mighty fine Arizona morning for Peter & Leslie’s departure today.  We all took a walk back through our small rear gate to our neighbor’s property behind us.  Same property I cleaned up last year.  Nice garden of Joshua trees.  Wanting to get an early start on their drive back to McCarron Airport in Las Vegas they soon had their luggage loaded into their Kia rent-a-car & it was time to say good-bye.  Always enjoy having Leslie & Peter here. 

 

MAYBE SEE YOU LATER THIS YEAR FOLKS:))

I wrestled with the Blogger-Fest decision all week.  Half of me wanted to attend the first ever Fest in Quartzsite & half of me did not.  It wasn’t until sometime Saturday morning that very apprehensively one half of me finally gave in to the other half.  Definitely not an easy decision.  I had sensed all week Kelly was leaning towards going but knew it was not an easy decision for her either.  We both have the same feelings about being in or around large gatherings of people.  Certainly much easier to stay home than go.  So to make a long story short, we went.  Pheebs too because without the Pheebs we are not The Bayfield Bunch.

JEANNIE, SASSY, & BARBARA D

  

RETIRED ROD, GAELYN & IVAN

 

 

THAT’S PAUL WEAVER OVER THERE ON THE RIGHT

THERE’S PHEEBS LOOKING FOR A FREE HAND OUT & I’M THINKING THAT JUST MIGHT BE MARIANNE FROM FRUGAL-RV-TRAVEL.COM

Of course our first dilemma was which vehicle to take.  Gas logic dictates we take the Jeep.  Much easier than taking the rig.  But logic also dictates a few numbers first.  About one & a half hours to reach Blogger-Fest destination, 2+ hours there plus an hour & a half drive back to Congress.  Decided on taking the Motorhome.  Ok, so where does the logic come in now because taking our rig doesn’t make one darn lick of financial sense.  None!!  Well how can I put this gently…….no washroom along the way & none on the way home & certainly nothing at our destination & we would never ask someone to use their washroom.  So unless we wanted to stand around talking to folks with our legs squeezed tightly together, squirming like we had ants in our pants sporting greatly grimaced faces & cross eyed, we had better take our facilities with us just to be on the safe side.  An expensive port-a-potty but it is the way it is at times in these Senior years when sometimes it is wisely necessary we place our comfort levels ahead of all else. (turns out only one of us used the washroom once)

“HEY BARB HAVE YOU EVER SEEN GAELYN HERE DO THE BOOGALOO”

 

WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING OVER THERE….OH YA GIVE MY HEAD A SHAKE I’M WATERING THE DOGS

Under a clear blue sky about 12:15 we rolled out our south gate.  Beautiful day for a drive along one of my favorite routes heading west.  No way we wanted any part of the Quartzsite traffic chaos so at the little town of Hope we swung right & headed on up to Bouse.  Hung a left on Plomosa Road & slipped in the back way to Blogger-Fest 2015.  We were half an hour late but we were there.  Saw the yellow balloons & a gathering of people.  Parked the rig, grabbed our chairs & walked over.  And here’s where we did something wrong that we both felt a little bad about later.  People were all seated & they were going around with each person giving a little talk about who they were etc.  Both Kelly & I failed to clue in on the people talking right away so we kinda disrupted folks as we made our way around the back stopping to talk with a few people.  I remember how much that used to annoy me years ago at AA meetings when someone would come in late & disrupt people talking.  Anyway, sorry folks for the unintended disruption.

THAT’S OUR BIG EEE IN THE BACKGROUND

 

KEVIN & RUTH FROM TRAVEL WITH KEVIN & RUTH

 

BARBARA D FROM ME & MY DOG

Ok, let me get right to the gathering itself & tell you how I felt about it.  First…..both Kelly & I were really glad we went.  In a later post I will get into my being apprehensive about certain things then overcoming that apprehension & actually enjoying myself.  So nice to see so many people there & how great it was to finally put some faces to many of those blogs over the years.  Not only did we see old familiar faces but we met a lot of new folks as well.  I’m not going to try & name everyone because for sure I would forget & leave some folks out but I do want to mention a few.  I was definitively hoping to meet Judy from TRAVELS WITH EMMA.  We had been in Judy’s Imperial Dam area twice within the last couple months but had never made it around to meet her.  Judy, your just the feisty quick witted humorous type of person I thought you would be & meeting you today was definitely my pleasure.

 

BY GOLLY IT’S JUDY HER VERY SELF

THERE IS A TOUCHING STORY OF NEAR LOSS BEHIND THIS SET OF PHOTOS WITH DOUG & YUMA

 

<<< LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE THESE PHOTOS DOUG ALMOST LOST YUMA & I THINK YOU CAN SEE HIS DEEP FEELINGS ABOUT THAT…BE SURE TO READ DOUG’S UPCOMING POST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED

Pheebs had a blast racing around meeting everyone as well & made some new doggy friends.  Surprised to see fellow Canadian Alex there.  Last time I saw him was years ago when we met over coffee in Goderich Ontario.  Always good to see Ivan for sure.  Doug & Yuma from Miss Adventure Travels showed up as well as our up the Yarnell hill neighbor Gaelyn from Geogypsy  Nice to see Retired Rod again.  You may remember Rod from his hilariously funny post awhile back about his Roomba vacuum cleaner running amok.   Newfoundland’s very own whirling dervish made it as well & if you felt a whoosh go by you today that would have been that classy Sassy Gal.  Every gathering needs a lit firecracker:))   

LITTLE MISS DYNAMO BETTER KNOWN AS SASSY & THERE’S ALEX IN THE GRAY SWEATER

Nan I saw you when you stood up to introduce yourself but somewhere in the crowd you disappeared & I never got to see you again.  Kelly & I were talking about that on the way home & wondered where you had gone.  And I didn’t get to see John either.  My apologies to the folks we didn’t get around to see & especially to the folks whose names my memory has mis-placed.  I do remember everyone I talked to……just not the names.  It’s the reason I haven’t captioned all the photos but maybe after a good sleep tonight I hope to remember & include a few more folks in my Sunday post.

A TENDER MOMENT FOR YUMA & PHEEBS

 

A big thanks goes out to the people who pulled this Blogger-Fest together.  I know George & Suzy Yates were instrumental in it as well Paul & Marsha Weaver & the folks from Just Wanderin.  And of course Sandie & Jim Dixon.  It is you people & others I may have missed who made this all possible & I would say it was a resounding success.  A big THANK-YOU goes out to you folks.  Hope plans are already underway for Blogger-Fest 2016.  Oh, & if I have anyone’s name or blog address wrong please let me know.  And I hope I haven’t mis-identified anyone. 

KELLY TALKING WITH KEVIN & RUTH FROM TRAVELS WITH KEVIN & RUTH

I will probably have more to say about today in another post but right now it’s late & I’m just too darn tired to blabber my fingers on the keys any longer….zzzzzzzz 

I WATCHED TONIGHT’S SUNSET IN MY SIDE VIEW MIRROR ON THE WAY HOME & THIS SHOT WAS JUST WEST OF CONGRESS AZ.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  "Dad," a teenaged girl says, running into her father's den, "I'd like to kiss you good-bye before I go to school!"  "You're too late, honey. Your mother just did that two minutes ago, and I don't have any cash left now."