Feb 24, 25. 26th

I am catching up on posts tonight. Sat. the 24th Bob and I headed over to the Quartzsite Annual Chile Cookoff. Well, we waited in line to pay $4.00 for a cup and spoon for tasting everyone's chile. At the 1st station to taste, they ran out of chile about 4 people in front of us. This happened many times after that. We only got to taste 4 different chile recipes out of about 20 who participated. I don't think it was worth the $4.00 we "donated" to the event.

After the chile cookoff later in the afternoon we stopped by to see our friends, Joe and Donna Wallingford. They are from Montana and planned to leave Quartzsite on Sunday. They are planning on spending the summer in Alaska. Lucky people.

On Sunday, we decided to see if we could find Wiley's Well. It is a geode hunting area. We hopped on I-10 and headed west toward California. About 16 miles west of Blythe, Ca we turned onto Wiley Well road, headed south 3 miles and ran into the State prison. We didn't stop to visit this time. Another 5.3 miles we found a LTVA (Long Term Visitor Area) and stopped in to talk to the camp hosts. She informed us that if we continued to go south for another 11 miles we would run into the turnoff to the right. She was right!

Here's the signs to look for. Another 3 miles back in till the road dead ends and we found it. We found some geodes, nothing to write home about. Most were about 1/2 dollar size. I was hoping to find softball size. Maybe someday we'll go back and try again. All in all it was approximately 62 miles one way. Good days drive. Here's me and Bob hunting geodes!

Monday was the day to dump the sewer in the trailer. After about 1/2 way thru the macerater pump blew a fuse. Well, of course we didn't have a spare. We had to unhook everything, run to town and we bought a handful of fuses. Came back, started it up again and it blew another fuse. Good thing we got extras. We finished with that and Bob headed to town to get a couple things done.

He came back and asked if I wanted to go to lunch at Silly Al's. We went! It is a pizza parlor, we had great pizza and had enough to bring home for lunch tomorrow.

Bob ended up going out to metal detect but ended up scouting for a new place to hunt. He did find a new spot which he will probably check tomorrow.

This evening he is going thru the tackle boxes and fly fishing vests. Just checking to see if we have the right flies for when we leave here. We plan on spending some time at Navajo Dam in NM. Ron and Terry are joining us so we will have a great time.

Gotta check on the beef strogonoff we are having for supper tonight..Hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Feb 23

Once again we both had to work as volunteers at the check in stations on Thurs. La Posa WEST just across the highway from us had some excitement on Thurs. The road is being graded and new gravel put down. The front end loader was digging up dirt for this and dug up some dynamite! The entrance was blocked off for the entire afternoon and they had some campers evacuate their sites. Some of them moved into La Posa North.
We found out today (Fri 23rd) that 12 sticks had been found. They seemed to be old dynamite and the bomb squad from Yuma came up, loaded it into the special trailer and took it North of town a ways. Then the Quartzsite police department videoed it for future reference. They then blew it up. I guess there was quite a jolt when it blew and a big mushroom cloud emerged.
Today they are having some others probe the area to check for more dynamite. Always exciting here!
After work, I went to Bingo at the QIA and came home empty handed but had fun. Bob went over to Ron and Terry's place for a while and said he beat me home by about 15 minutes.
It has been windy and cool here today, just hope the wind doesn't blow all night.

Feb 21

We have been lax on posting on this site, so I will bring you up to date as best I can.

On Sat. Bob went out prospecting, brought back some dirt to pan and I caught this picture of him. He also stopped at the prospecting shop and talked with them for a while. He watched the monthly coin hunt that is held in the city park. About 100 people joined in hunting for coins and tokens. There are about 1200 coins ranging from .05 - silver dollars. It last for 1 hour and after they determine who has the most coins and award prizes. Sometimes they award cash money, gold nuggets or even metal detectors.

Monday it was rainy and windy. We went to La Posa south, 2 miles south of where we are camped and had a volunteer potluck picnic. There are sure a lot of good cooks here. Larry and Phyllis (La Posa N. camp hosts) made the mouth watering pork roast in their dutch oven. They also made dutch oven potatoes with sausage and cheese. We even got some leftovers from them... We sure didn't need to eat supper that night. Our ranger (Clyde)that takes care of the LTVA and free camping areas and his wife brought a cake to thank us for hosting and volunteering.

Tuesday was post office day again since they were closed on Monday.

I went to faceting class in the afternoon. Here are a couple stones I finished today.

Bob got his taxes sent off on Tuesday. He filled the propane tank that was empty and got generator gas. He went out prospecting after my faceting class till about 6pm, came home and we had supper and called it a night.

I also found a hairdresser in town that trimmed my hair. She did a great job and works at the Desert Rose.

Wed. Bob worked at the Tyson Wash check in station. They registered 2 campers and spent the rest of the day wishing 5 o'clock would hurry up.

It's a balmy 65 degrees here at 8pm tonight. Kinda like this weather for February.

Feb 16th

Another beautiful day in paradise! It got up to about 79 degrees here today. It started off great then the wind came up for a while. But it has since died down and is very nice outside.

I made a trip to get the mail this morning. Still waiting for the license plates for the trailer to get here. We finally got word that all the paperwork had been sent to the mail forwarding service and the plates are in the mail to us. It only took a month to get everything done. I went to the library to exchange a book. The library was busy as usual, mostly people getting on the computers, checking emails, etc.

When I got home, Bob and I went back to town to get fittings for the dump tank. We had to get a valve and everything that goes with it to make it work. He got it put together this afternoon and then made some handles for it to make it easier to put it in the truck. Tomorrow we will test it...only after he checks it first with water to make sure there are no leaks.

Once we had dumped the sewer into our blue boy, took it to the dump site and as Bob was lifting it up to drain (I was holding the other end of the hose in the floor drain) the hose came off the Blue boy. Guess what I got covered with? The only thing I could think of doing was head back and take a shower. It reminded me of the movie with Robin Williams, RV. I can laugh about it now but at the time it was horrible.

We're having t-bones tonight on the grill with saute'd mushrooms, baked potatos and buttered green beans.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Feb 14 & 15

This was our 2nd day at work, but tomorrow is Friday and we don't have to work. Can't beat a better work week than that.

We came across Quartzsites bowling alley the other day. Only one lane, 10 pins and 2 bowling balls. No waiting to bowl and scores are not kept. We won't have to buy special bowling shoes either. The snack bar consists of the food you bring in your cooler.. Pretty laid back!

Bob and I went to dinner for Valentine's day at the Grubstake. The place wasn't crowded and we got seated right away. Bob had the special of "all you can eat popcorn shrimp" and I had the delicious crab cakes. Of course they come with probably a whole sack of french fries each and cole slaw. It was wonderful! Every time we have gone to the Grubstake we have had wonderful dinners. I think the people who run the place are either from Australia or New Zealand. They have great accents and are so friendly...

We ordered a 50 gallon tank to haul our grey and black water. The 32 gallon blue boy was just too small. It was ordered on Tues. from Tempe, AZ and on Wed. we picked it up. That's pretty fast service, plus they installed the 2" threaded fitting at the base of the tank. Tomorrow we will go to the RV dealer and get the rest of the fittings and it will be ready to use this weekend.

Hope you all have a good evening. Till tomorrow!

Happy Valentine's Day eve!!

Hello all...

Today Sandy and I decided to check out the recreational activities around Quartzsite. We have heard a ot about the Golf Course North of town and decided to check it out.

So, as you can see of course after seeing this course we needed a trip to the Pro Shop.

After visiting with Charlie, the Pro, we were each outfitted with 1 ea. #4 irons $5.00 and a dozen balls $5.00 total $10.00. Fun Priceless. We figure that Blue Jeans and T-Shirts will be our attire. We did find some more interesting outdoor activities today so stay tuned for future posts.

Sandy made a fantastic Cast Iron Pan Baked Meat Loaf for dinner with mashed potato's, gravy, peas and a great salad.

Stay tuned for future fun from Quartzsite.

Feb 12

Not much news from me today. I headed to the post office to beat the 10am rush. I was 2nd in line and only 4 behind me. I really wouldn't have had to get there early. I received a couple of B-day cards, one from my sis in Wyo. and another from a friend in Wyo that I have know since the 1st grade. It was nice to be remembered. Thanks Jan and Karyl!!!

We had to dump the trailer sewer today. I always dread the day when it comes. Went without a hitch also.

Stopped over at Ron's and Terry's and talked there for a while. Ron got a couple of new solar lights, so naturally we had to have some too. Stainless steel tops too. Now when it's dark outside we can have the steps lit. Notice the buckets they are planted in---children use them to play with in the sand box! So now I guess it's my turn to play in the sand.

We were going to have a fire and cook outside tonight but with the breeze, decided to cook inside. Deep fried catfish nuggets, baked potatoes and salad. Cheesecake for desert. Who says we don't eat good in the desert.

Bob is going to post something later...

Hello All,,,

Sandy has been doing a great job on this site but I get 2 cents worth in once in awhile.

Sandy has mentioned the Desert Bighorn Sheep that I saw on Sat. afternoon and we saw again on Sunday heading to Blythe, Ca. But the thing that I would like to add is that after seeing the sheep on Sat afternoon I decided to take a ride thru the Dome Rock Area, famous Gold Fields.

I was tired and decided to ride around a bit. So coming down a trail, heading East towards Quartzsite, I spot this guy Gold Nugget Hunting with a Metal Detector. He was very smooth and deliberate. I pulled over a good distance from him so as not to interfere, to watch him. I could tell he was a pro.

From following the Arizona Outback Prospecting Forum for quite some time and seeing his technique, Orange Cones for griding, Red Truck, a bell rung from an earlier post. I thought this could be Keith "Lunk" Semanko, I knew he was in the area.

I sat and watched him for several minutes and decided to go on with out bothering him. I started the truck to go but I saw him coming South towards his South Grid point and decided what the heck, if I don't ask now I' ll never know. I parked the truck and walked over towards him and the only words that I could think of were, are you Lunk? and he responded "Yep".

We talked for several minutes and I didn't want to bother him any longer so I was on my way. What a Great Guy and Truly , A Professional Nugget Hunter...

For anyone interested in prospecting, go to Arizona Outback.Com. A bunch of great people.

Night All and Take Care!!

Bob

Catching up

Just catching up on the blog for the past few days. We both worked on Thurs Feb 8th. Beautiful day outside, slow at work.
On the 9th I took a faceting class at the Rock Club building. Bob went prospecting in the desert. The day ended by us going out to dinner at the Grubstake restaurant. We had their wonderful deep fried coconut shrimp. Complete with tons of french fries and cole slaw. Great way to end a birthday.
Sat the 10th, I finished up at the faceting class.
We went to lunch at Beaudry RV. They put on a free lunch a couple times a month for the townsfolk. They served hamburgers, macaroni salad, baked beans, drinks and different kinds of cake.
After that I stayed back at the trailer and cleaned while Bob went out prospecting again. On his way back he saw 3 big horn sheep. The biggest one was about 7 years old. He could tell that by the rings on his horns. He watched them for about 30 minutes at a distance of about 30 yards.
Ron and Terry came over. Ron installed a streets and maps program with areas to boondock, on the computer.
It was a good night to have a fire. We kept it going for a couple of hours.
Laundry day today, the place won't be so packed anymore. We're headed in about 9am.
Then we're going to try to find those big horn sheep again. As I'm typing this the coyotes are howling in the early morning.
Maybe more later tonight!!

Feb 7

Back to work today at the check in station at La Posa North for me and Tyson Wash for Bob. Bob had an uneventful day. A few people came in to get questions answered and directions. My day was a tad busier, checked in 8 people all together. A few people stopped in to ask questions and hopefully we were able to help.

I have the tv going while typing this and a cooking show on. Paula Deen is making a fudge brownie pie topped with whipped cream. Doesn't that sound scrumptious?

While at work, Jim and I were invited over to the camp host picnic table and were served dutch oven chicken and rice, salad, rolls and pie. Not a bad day. Everything tasted wonderful, what good cooks we have amongst us.

Here's a pic of Jim Canody, who I work with. Originally from Idaho City, Idaho.

Next a picture of Larry and Phyllis Seal, hosts of La Posa North.

And I will end this post with a beautiful sunset in the Arizona desert..

Feb 6th

We took a drive thru Q today and the vendors are quickly fading into the sunset. The big tent that had the exhibits and car show is coming down. Traffic is creeping along, only because there is no where to rush to anymore. No lines at the grocery store, gas station, or propane fill up. The desert is emptying out the RV'ers. Kinda getting back to when we came down to Arizona in November only 3 months ago.
Bob went out prospecting today and only found nails. One of these days he will find another nugget. About a month ago he found a nice size one.
I stayed at the trailer, got a little reading done, played on the computer and got in 1/2 hour nap.
Our Canadian neighbors from Alberta on both sides of us will be leaving tomorrow. They are having a big bon fire for the send off tonight.
Late supper tonight because while in town, we had to have an ice cream cone.
With the weather getting up to 82 degrees the past 2 days, it sure helped cool us off. Till tomorrow...stay happy, healthy and enjoy life.

Feb 4 & 5

We headed over to Blythe, CA in the AM to get a few things for the super bowl party. I made some chile and deviled ham dip to take over when I got back. We went over to Ron's and Terry's for the super bowl. We had all sorts of food, chips and a wonderful dip (fiesta dip) that Terry made. My team won the super bowl (Colts) and Bob's lost (Bears). The commercials weren't the greatest this year. After all the snacking we were all so full that we decided to do the Indian fry bread and Chile on Mon. evening.

On Monday (Feb 5) Bob and I had to say goodbye to our neighbors that have been parked by us for 2 weeks. Mitch and Betty Wierenga from Victoria, BC. Great people and hope to see them next year. Keep riding that bicycle Mitch!! ha ha

After the goodbyes, we headed to Wickenburg, AZ. It's about 100 miles from Quartzsite to the east. We had to get some banking done there to get license plates for the 5th wheel we bought. We were driving thru Wickenburg, trying to find a place to have lunch. All of a sudden, Bob was in the center turn lane and it ended! We had cars coming at us straight on, cars on the right and it got a little spooky. Finally a break in the traffic and we were able to turn off that crazy road. We headed back to a hamburger joint we saw coming into town. We had the best hamburger and onion rings at a place called SCREAMERS...Got to try it. !!

Headed back to Q and got home about 3:30pm, noticed the laundromat was fairly empty. So I got the chore done for the week. Then off to Ron's and Terry's for Indian fry bread (Homemade of course). Terry cooked it in the dutch oven over campfire coals. We made Indian tacos and it was soooo good...So we thank them for the great meal...

Here's a sunset on the great Arizona desert to end this post. Night all!

Feb 3rd

The day began with a visit to the Rock & Roll car show held in the BIG TENT in Quartzsite. Lots of pics to follow in the days to come of the fabulous cars. There was quite a crowd seeing all the fancy cars. The vendors left in the tent looked worn out and bored. It's probably been hectic for them the past 2 weeks.

We were able to stop by Ron's and Terry's and see his new computer that arrived in flash time. It came all the way from Memphis in 2 days! I love the wide screen monitor he got. Email almost is that fast.

Later this afternoon it was time to dump the black and grey water. Always such a fun job for me. I always remember the time Bob and I went to the dump sight. We hooked up the hose to the blue boy, another end into the hole in the ground and lo and behold as he lifted the blue boy, the connection came off and I was covered in ____. I just stood there, and said "Take me home, I have to shower and then do laundry." If anyone has ever seen the movie RV with Robin Williams, you will know exactly how I felt. Kinda makes me jittery to go to the dump now.

Afterward we filled a container with water and put it in the trailer. That's done for another week.

After a great day with wonderful weather, Bob has burgers cooking outside on the grill. I'm making homemade fries to go with them. Then we'll settle down and try to find something on the tube.

Here's some pics of the cars seen today.

Feb 2

Well, did the groundhog see his shadow in Pennsylvania? I just know it is beautiful in Arizona at the moment. 62 degrees to be exact about 6pm.

I headed into town this morning hoping to beat the line at the post office. Not too many people there, only about 8 in front of me and they were moving them out fast. Since the crowd has lessened considerably, so has the PO line. I bet the PO workers are glad when it slows down.

Grocery store lines are down also, I had to go in to get fixin's for chile. We're going over to Ron and Terry's on Sun to watch the superbowl, so I offered to take chile. Terry said he might make a batch of fry bread and we could have indian tacos. Sounds mighty tasty!

Bob did his bill paying today. After that we got on the phone trying to get papers together to get plates for the trailer. We've been working on this for about 3 weeks now. Now the bank where we have it financed, wants a faxed copy (again) of what we need. Only have 20 days to get this done. Hope it happens.

Bob enjoyed metal detecting for a couple of hours and found 1 small piece of lead, 2 small pieces of wire and a guy that drove up on a 4 wheeler that wanted to talk, talk and talk. After 30 minutes of that Bob decided it was time to just go home. Lost interest in detecting.

Bob is sitting outside in the nice weather and said he just got buzzed by a hummingbird going about 90 miles per hour.

AH---life in the desert...Hope to hear the coyotes howl again tonight under the full moon...Enjoy the evening.

Jan 31 and Feb 1

For the past 2 days, Bob and I have worked at the check in stations. 35 people came in to La Posa North and 7 to Tyson Wash. A few are still coming in, probably to see the car show that will be held on Feb 3 & 4th.

We have a full moon coming up tonight. It rises over the mountains that have a purple cast to them.

It will be prettier about 6am when it is completely dark outside and the sun starting to rise.

Mitch and Betty , our neighbors from Canada stopped over to talk a while. They gave us some excellent places to visit up past Lake Havasu.

Bob just brought in the baked potatoes and steak he cooked on the grill. Sure smells good.

Till tomorrow,,,keep healthy, stay happy and enjoy life.