Last post from Quartzsite

This will be the last post this winter from Q !

We are headed out in the morning, going north. We have the trailer all packed except for a few items we need to put in tomorrow morning. And the dreaded thing of saying goodbye to friends we have spent the winter with.

We're only going as far a Lake Havasu, AZ tomorrow. We will camp in the free BLM area just north of the airport. Then onto the Grand Canyon for a few days.

I won't miss this 90+ degree heat. Tomorrow in Lake Havasu it will be 80 degrees so we'll be fine.

Bob borrowed Thom's compressor today to get the trailer and truck tires aired up. They were all a little low. Then he used his ladder to hop on top of the roof to make sure the solar panels were tightened down good.

He even cleaned out the truck interior, got it all shiny for the trip.

When we worked last Wed. Larry uncovered a scorpion. Of course I had to get a shot of it. They are very fast moving critters and UGLY! This was the first one I have ever seen.

John and Marie left Wed. also. Marie worked at the check in station Wed. and Thur. and John worked across the hwy the same days. I went to Mexico a couple of times with them.

And last but not least---Bob and Ranger Clyde. Bob and him have become good friends over the past 2 winters. Clyde is storing our tent for us this summer and will be glad to see Bob again this fall. I think they are one of a kind. I'll post along the way and keep everyone up to date on our travels back to Wyoming.

Hope everyone has a great summer and safe travels.

Getting closer to leaving

We had a nice Easter dinner at Mountain Quail Cafe today. Bob had the ham dinner and I had the chicken fried steak dinner. There was enough to bring home for supper.. We went for a drive around after dinner and I got some snapshots. Here's a few.

Some cactus's blossoming in yellow and fuchsia.

A grapefruit tree ! ! I wanted to stop and get some grapefruit. Maybe I will ask him if I can have some before I go.

This is the bush that is causing my allergies to flare up. The flowers are blooming so much and I am constantly sneezing...

A lizard once again. And a dove atop a palm tree.

I got some more packed into the trailer and if Bob said "GO", I could be ready to hitch up the trailer and be outta here. We are both itching to get on the road. I am anxious to hike the Grand Canyon and he is ready to do some fly fishing on the San Juan River. Next week it will happen too.

Hope you all had a good Easter.

Easter EVE

Easter eve is here...I imagine all my nieces and nephews are helping their kids color eggs today. Then the hunt is on tomorrow to see if they can find them all. My mom and step dad had their Easter last Sunday since my nephew Chuck was in town for spring break. Him and his family live in Easter South Dakota where he is attending school in forestry. So it will be pretty quiet at mom's tomorrow.

I ordered a tent from Cabela's for my summer hiking trips and had it sent to my sisters house in Laramie WY. It got there ok, so now I am ready to go hiking. 3 months from today we begin the hike. I've been doing a lot of walking to condition myself. But the elevation is a lot higher there and I will probably notice it some.

Judy (fulltime roadrunners) took this picture of a desert iguana today. She said he was huge, at least 8 - 10" long from nose to the back end. The tail was probably another 10".

Here is a picture of the hummingbird I just finished. Also I made some ears of corn earrings.

March 19, 2008

Sunday was the usual dump and get water day. I got the water for the trailer and put it in and after Bob got up we dumped the trailer. Carley loves to go on rides so she rode along on this fun chore.

Monday and Tuesday were the usual, working in the check in station till 1pm and then Bob headed off to the rock shop to work on a silver pendant. I stayed home and started another hummingbird. He also went today and worked some more on it. I went over to a friends house and helped her with a hummingbird she is making.

I took this picture of a desert iguana today. Boy, was he ever cool. He is also very fast. After I snapped shots of him, he darted away and was gone in a flash. He was about 1' long from nose to tip of tail. He just stood there while I took some candid shots. There are quite a number of lizards and other reptiles out this year. The heat is bringing them to the surface.

We're bbq-ing sirloin steaks tonight. The wind has died down so they should cook in record time.

Till next time--enjoy life!

Windy day

I finished taking down the tent frame today and had to have Bob's help to get the top frame off. After that I pulled all the pipes loose, taped them into bundles and bagged the fittings. It was a bugger getting the 12'' spikes out of the grounds too. We found someone to store them for the summer.

Bob worked on tying flies for the San Juan River today. He finished about a dozen of them with size 22 hooks. You can barely see them, I don't know how the fish do either. But they really bite on his flies he ties.

I spent the day reading and when I got tired of that I grabbed the camera and got a couple of shots taken. The first one is from a couple days ago. I had a Gila Woodpecker drinking out of the hummingbird feeder.

Next is a baby hummingbird, Judy came over and said it an immature Anna's hummingbird.

And finally a Western Whiptail lizard. He was about 6-8'' long and I had to keep circling the bush to get these 2 shots.

Packing up

I started to take the tent down yesterday. Got all of it except the frame. Now we just have to figure how we are going to store it in the trailer for the ride to Wyoming. When I took the tarp off the ground a lizard darted in and grabbed a centipede and another lizard darted in and tried to take it away from him. He wasn't successful and the swallowed it up quick. I did go grab my camera and snap a shot of him after he had his lunch.

It is getting warm now days, out thermometer registered 90 degrees yesterday. We had high winds last night and they are supposed to continue today and tomorrow. Flowers are blooming everywhere!

Snakes are still being spotted around campsites.

We are also supposed to get some showers on Sunday. That might take the dust down a bit.

We have a pancake breakfast to go to on Sat. at the rock club. It will be the last one until fall.

More and more people are pulling out of here. My friend Dave Peterson, left last weekend and got home to Nevada just fine.

We'll be leaving about the 30th or 31st.

March 11,2008

Short notes tonight. I finished one hummingbird and here's a picture.

I also finished a hummingbird that I was making trying to copy a Rufous Hummingbird found in Washington. He is a little to orange but next time I will try to tone down the colors to a light cinnamon.

We worked today and only had one renewel. Today was slow, got a lot of time on the computer, Bob almost finished his book.

We have decided not to go to the Vulture mines tomorrow. Bob wants to finish the ring and pendent he has started. I will try to get in a long walk. I bought a day pack off of Ebay and hope to get it before I leave on the 30th or 31st. I'm going to take a hike on one of the trails in the Grand Canyon when we get there the end of the month.

Mar 8 2008

I haven't posted for a week and don't have that much news to post with tonight.

Diesel prices are outrageous! It's up to $3.65/gallon. When we leave in 3 weeks, Bob thinks it might top $5/gal. Sure hope not!

I have started walking daily. I try to get at least 5 miles a day and try to increase it daily. My sister, Donna, and I are going to do some hiking this summer. Quite a few day hikes and at least one long hike. We plan to go from Steamboat Springs, Colo to Rawlins, WY. It will be over 100 miles. Got to get in shape for that. Next year we want to start the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. That would be a 5 month backpacking trip. I've got a bid on a day pack on ebay. When I get to Wyo, I will have to get fitted for a larger backpack for the long hike. I am so excited to do this.

Then I have to find a light weight sleeping back and 1 man tent. I will take pictures along the way and a journal so I can post after our hikes.

I finished another hummingbird today. Picture tomorrow!

We had a BLM picnic on Monday with all the camp hosts and volunteers and rangers. It was a great turnout and wonderful food.

We were invited to Larry's and Phyllis's place today for lunch. Several others were there also. Larry made Posole soup with salad & tortilla's. Terry made homemade rolls from scratch and John and Marie made dutch oven peach cobbler. All of it was very tasty.

Bob is working on a ring and pendent at the rock shop. He should be able to cast it Monday afternoon. The stone he is using is Ellenberg. It will be beautiful when it is finished.

We went to Bouse on Thurs. afternoon. We were looking for an arts and crafts fair that was supposed to be there. We didn't find it but I came across this yard that was loaded with these beautiful flowers. They were covering the front yard and back yard.

We then stopped along the way back and took this silly picture of me in front of my favorite cactus.

It's hard to believe that in 3 weeks we will be heading northwest. We will spend a couple days in the Grand Canyon, one day I will hike one of the trails, then onto Navajo Dam NM for 3 weeks. Bob is anxious to do some fly fishing on the San Juan River.

Mar 1, 2008

Yesterday, Bob worked on his income tax and I tried to stay out of his way. He took a break 1/2 way thru and went and visited the Gold Prospectors Shop. He spent a while in there and came home and finished his taxes and mailed them off the the accountant.

I worked on a wire tree with beads yesterday and it took a long time to finish.

But here is a picture of it!

I took a book over to Ron today and on the way home I stopped to talk to Thom and Judy and her mom. Curt was packing up and said he was leaving on Monday. He is going to Lake Havasu for a couple days and wants to take his ATV in the sand dunes. He is anxious to get home to his kids and grandkids. He will be home by Mar 12 - 15th.

On my way home, I was casually walking along and noticed something in my path. It MOVED! Come to find out it was a 4' Diamond back rattle snake...Scared the Heck out of me. I went over to Dennis's and Rachel's motor home and told them. They came out and I ran home and got my camera. This is the 5th snake seen so far in just a few days. If camping in the desert, be careful, watch woodpiles, tarps on the ground, etc. AND when going out after dark take a light and something for protection. Bob has a hoe next to the door. I guess I won't be taking Carley out for walks after dusk. Last night I got home after dark after walking her.

We have high wind warnings for tomorrow. We should get winds 20 - 30 miles per hour with gusts to 50 MPH. Good day to stay in a catch on my beading or reading a good book...

Watch for SNAKES!