In the Desert

Today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is also our last day in Quartzsite. Rob and I are not desert people, but overall we have enjoyed our time here. We could have easily spent a lot of money here, but we restrained ourselves. We enjoyed visiting many different vendors, especially the food vendors. There's an abundant assortment of nuts, seeds, candies, jams and fruit butters, honey, beans, marinades and barbecue sauces. You name it, someone made it and its for sale. There are several clothing vendors, too. I bought a jean jacket and a t-shirt, both decked out with a little bit of bling that was applied by the store's owner. And she does a beautiful job. There are also about a million motorhomes, 5th-wheels and trailers for sale. The most interesting to me, however, are the swap meets. I love looking at anything old. Pots and pans, cast iron (that was over-priced, darn it!), farm equipment, dishes, glass bottles, guns, gears, tools meant for giant equipment, books, trinkets, geodes, silverware, horseshoes, shot glasses, jewelry, wheel rims, meat grinders, pressure cookers, marbles, saddles and the list goes on.

Meeting people who actually share interests with us has been the most surprising. We now have friends in Hazen, Nevada, Brad and Patty and, outside Bend, Oregon, Phil and Linda, who we'll be able to visit when passing through their areas. We also have Dante to visit in Houston, although he does spend most of his time on the road. We could cross paths almost anywhere in the country just by happenstance. And wouldn't that be neat? Brad and Patty came here to Quartzsite so Brad could get together with Phil, who he met online. What brought them together was their hobby: Radio controlled aircraft. Rob used to fly RC gliders, so he also shared their interest, which let to lots of conversations. Patty, Linda and I get along quite well, too, and I found conversation easy with both of them. I really look forward to calling them in the future saying 'Hey, remember us? We'll be in your area. We'd love to see you.'

We ventured into the desert yesterday. We drove down a dusty, gravel road that at times became downright rocky. Our GPS showed the road so we could tell where we were, but no one else was out on it. Its remoteness made Rob a little nervous, but it eventually tied into a paved road on which we saw several cars traveling. We decided to take it toward a town called Bouse (rhymes with mouse), and along the way we found a small stand of saguaro cacti that I wanted to photograph. When we finally got to Bouse and made our right turn to head back to Quartzsite, there on the corner was a food vendor. We stopped and tried his bacon wrapped dates and bacon wrapped, cream cheese filled jalapenos. Yum. He let us taste his smoked, pulled pork, too. Oh my! It turns out that JT's BBQ has been in business exactly three weeks. He says he's sold out every evening. No wonder! He's only in Bouse during the winter. Otherwise, you'll find him in Redmond, Oregon. If you are ever traveling through Arizona during the winter and have the option to take highway 72 through Bouse, do it and plan to stop and eat some of JT's food. You won't be sorry. And he's a really nice guy, too.

When one thinks of desert, one usually thinks sand. There isn't too much sand in this area of Arizona. It looks like degraded volcanic rock—red and black. There is a ton of quartz as well, hence the town name, and its just laying around everywhere. Also found is a lot of copper-rich, green rock. As we walked around, we came across areas where the ground look hard and rocky, but actually gave way and felt spongy under our feet. It would have been interesting to have a geologist with us to explain it all. 

Tomorrow we head to Lake Havasu. Our first stop will be at Cat-Tail Cove State Park. Its right on the lake. The likelihood of us having internet access is pretty slim, so I'll update as soon as the opportunity presents itself. In the meantime, take a look at the photos I've selected.

A sunset seen from our camp spot.

A dramatic view of a Saguaro.

Junkyard cat. His name is Lover Boy. And he is.

Bottles for every need.

A socket set meant for earth movers.

If you're out of shot glasses, you'll find all you need here.

That's not a knife. Now, this is a…

Anyone thirsty?

All their luck is running out.

Tea kettles and an old pressure cooker.

Such a grind!

A very old and stately Saguaro.

It was tall.

All things must pass.

You'd think this cactus's spines would be flexible. Nope.

These are so beautiful back-lit.

Evening light.

Rob acting like a Saguaro.

JT's BBQ. Yummy food! Bouse, AZ

An Unexpected House Guest

On Thursday morning I was inside doing the breakfast dishes when Rob exited the Beast for his morning cigar. We noticed a brand new motorhome pull up to the RV wash area. Rob wandered over to check it out and talk to the owner, as he is wont to do. The next thing I know, Rob is asking me to get him some dish detergent for these fellows who needed to wash this motorhome. When Rob returned with the container of detergent, he explained that these fellows are delivering this motorhome to one of the RV sales companies here in Quartzsite. This is their job. In short, they pick up motorhomes or big rig tractors, etc, for delivery to whomever is purchasing them from the manufacturers. Hearing this, I figured I might be able to go inside for a look-see. I wandered over to the wash area with Rob and asked if it would be alright for me to take a look and one of the fellows responded with a big smile and a 'sure you can!' 

This 'Georgetown' motorhome was very pretty inside with cherry wood cabinets, an ultra-leather L-shaped sofa, glass vessel sink in the bathroom, flat-screen TV and 'fireplace.' But, the dinette table was too narrow, the seat backs too upright, the sofa seat not quite deep enough, and no place to put computers. Great for week-long outings but not for full-time living, in my opinion.

After I came out, I was properly introduced to these men. Dante, who was the driver delivering the motorhome, and Anthony, who does the same kind of work as Dante but was just riding with Dante in order to get to a place where he'd catch a bus and get back to where he could pick up another vehicle for delivery. Anthony planned to spend the night in a motel and catch the bus at 5:00am the next morning, and Dante would be sleeping in the motorhome at our RV park. We all got talking and felt a definite rapport. Both men are very, nice guys. 

It turned out that Dante would be delivering the motorhome in the morning, but then would have nowhere to go until his bus came at 7:00pm, Friday evening. Apparently this kind of thing happens frequently, but because of our meeting he asked if we'd be around and if he could hang out with us. We told him yes and welcomed the company. He went online to make his bus reservations but found there were no seats available until the following evening. Rob invited him to spend the night with us. Dante is our kids' age so we just treated him like we would our own.

Dante is from Houston, TX. He spoke to his mom on the phone and was telling her about us. She was grateful that we were watching out for her son. Rob got on the phone with her to tell her what a good son she has because Dante was, for every moment, respectful, kind, friendly and open with us. He told us a lot about his life, his daughter, his experiences, his mom, and his dad, the effect their divorce had on him as a teenager and his decision that he wouldn't let anything interfere with his desire to be the best man he can be. Good decision that.

On Saturday, we all drove out to a back-country area and followed the roads and washes around until we felt we couldn't go any further. I was searching out things I want to photograph in a late afternoon setting. We had a good time exploring. After that, we came back to the Beast, watched a football game, had dinner and then took Dante to where Greyhound picks up their passengers and said goodbye. We are hoping Dante stays in contact and that we see him again somewhere in this big country.

I think spontaneity is an aspect of RVing that both Rob and I will always enjoy. You never know who you will meet and we look forward to newfound friendships potentially turning into lifelong friendships.

Rob and Dante enjoying the sunshine.

Rob and Dante looking tiny next to this Saguaro cactus.

These cacti look amazing back lit, although this shot is not because it was high noon.

Pretty awesome looking from this perspective.

New Year's Beginning

I find that the older we get the more each day is like any other. It may seem pessimistic to some, but New Year's Eve just doesn't hold the same sense of newness and excitement that it used to and staying up until midnight to ring in the new year just messes up my sleep cycle (although it might have been nice to watch Ryan Seacrest honor the late, great Dick Clark). I wake up in the morning and it is a new day. Every day. That's seems pretty good to me. I really don't care what year it is as long as I, my family and pets are healthy, warm, housed and fed.

Yesterday was New Year's day and it was cloudy, cold and windy outside, so I spent the day on the couch reading. I haven't done that in weeks, which is unusual for me, so it was a treat. A good way to spend the 1st of January regardless of the year. My cats loved it. They cuddled with me almost the whole time. At one point, I had to push Louis (my orange tabby), off my lap so I could cool down. He was radiating heat like a furnace.

The wind died down in the evening so I bundled myself in two sweatshirts and a stocking cap and set off on a walk around the RV park, which is pretty large, and I walked every street. Many people live here year round and have patio covers next to their mobile homes, trailers or motorhomes. Lots of them have their areas strung with Christmas lights and other holiday decorations. It looks festive and it gave me something to look at during my walk. I wonder when they'll start taking them down? The walk was invigorating. The air was cold, but not in a damp, chilled-to-the-bone way. It was a dry cold like how I remember New Jersey in the fall. It was crisp and clear and hushed. The stars shone brightly, and truly, like diamonds. It pinked up my cheeks nicely.

Today was sunny and a bit windy, but cold unless you stood in the sun. Rob and I ran a couple errands and bought some rib-eyes to barbecue. While I was prepping our dinner, Rob was outside getting the barbecue started when he found out that this evening's entertainment  at the community center was 'The Grandmas and Grandpas.' We decided we'd go listen tonight. It was delightful, but we stayed for only half of the performance. Many people got up and sang even though you could tell they never were very good at it, but they were fearless and unselfconscious, and that in itself was worthy of lively applause. There were probably a dozen people playing instruments, but two musicians stood out. One was a guitarist called Tex. He got the spotlight as he carried the riffs. He got up and sang a tune as well. I'm guessing he was somewhere between 80 and 85 years old. The other was a fiddle player called Willie. He was really darned good and garnered a lot of applause during his solos. I wondered out loud how old he is and Rob somehow knew that he and his wife have been married for 66 years. Doing the math, he's pushing 90 at the least, but I think he's older. Rob and I left at the break but first I watched people help Willie get on his feet, keeping hold of him the whole time, while someone else brought him his walker. If we come back here next year for a spell, I hope we get to see him again. Each day may be like the others, but each day is a gift—to use, enjoy, appreciate, and to savor—as I'm sure Willie would agree.

Quartzsite… so far

We arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona, on December 26th. A day earlier than originally planned. We were pleasantly greeted by Judy here at the Holiday Palms RV Park. She was friendly on the phone when I made the reservations, equally friendly when I called to inquire about arriving a day early, and was as welcoming as can be when we checked in. Just the way I expect to be treated because that's the way I treat others. Great first impression.

Because people we'd talked to said that lots of RVers come to Quartzsite every year to winter, that there is lots to do here, and a fun place to be, we thought we'd check it out on this trip. I'd done quite a bit of research as to where to stay while in Quartzsite. I'd checked the Trailer LIfe Directory and found that this park is a 'Good Sam Park'. That was the first good sign. I felt the fees were reasonable, although a little more expensive than other places, and that was also a good sign. I looked at the park, and others, on Google Earth, and found that this place had trees. Palm trees to be exact, hence the name 'Holiday Palms'. There are other trees in town, but not really in the RV parks. Not that they provide shade, but it does feel more green. Another good sign.

Being that we intend to be here only two weeks, we were put in the 'overnighters' area. No problem with that except that we meet people and then the next day they're gone. We are also right by the main street. Kind of noisy, but we're very close to the laundry room so that makes up for it in my opinion. We are also right by the community center so we know when something is going on. There are quite a few musicians here and they like to have jam sessions and everyone is invited to come listen and socialize. That was a good sign. Rob and I were excited about that and were eager to check it out—until we walked in and took a look. Everybody is OLD! The musicians are old. The audience is old. Nice as can be, but OLD! We felt entirely out of place. We aren't exactly spring chickens, but neither are we quite ready for this kind of socializing. I think even my mom would've felt too young for this crowd. Not that she's too young in age, but too young in heart and thinking. That's how it felt. And I know I could be completely wrong about these folks because we didn't really give them a fighting chance, but we just couldn't see ourselves mingling.

I did laundry yesterday morning. When I walked into the laundry room, a man well into his 80s was doing his. He acknowledged me with a nod and then proceeded to explain to me why not to use a particular washer that I was just about ready to use. I let him know I appreciated the tip and we started chatting. Nice man. I left and returned when my washers were finished. The same man looked at me and didn't say a word when I smiled and said 'Hello, again!' Did he not remember me? I think not. Sigh.

Later when I returned to the laundry room to fold my now dry clothes, there was a couple with their backs to the room looking at some sort of circular or publication while leaning over a high clothes-folding table. I wasn't trying to be stealthy but, when they turned around, they were obviously surprised to see that someone had entered without their knowledge. Then the man said with a twinkle in his eye, "I'm glad I didn't give my wife a little pat like I often do!" So I told him that it wouldn't have been anything I hadn't seen before, which got a chuckle and wide grin out of him. He left and I talked with the wife while I folded clothes and she added fabric softener to her wash. I watched her hands and arms shake a little as she filled the cap with softener. They've been coming here every year for 25 years spending 5 months at a time and she says it isn't like it used to be. I didn't ask where they were from, but I'm sure it snows there. She mentioned that she has Parkinson's and I told her I thought she was doing really well. She agreed that it appeared that way—until she tries to do anything that requires concentration and/or fine motor skills. She can no longer sign her name and feels badly that she can't pay the bills anymore, which had always been her job. Her husband has to do it now. He's nearly 90! She's 87. And they were adorable.

Quartzsite is a quirky, little place. Well, not so little. It's pretty spread out. 36.3 square miles to be exact. Their claim to fame is that it's the mineral and geode capitol of, if not the world, at least the southwest. Most years, we are told, RVs are found far and wide at the parks with full or partial hook-ups and on open land boondocking. There are swap meets galore and vendors of food, clothing, flags, RV supplies and services, antiques, art, some good art, some junk, junk and more junk, lining the streets. Some feel this town has had too long a history of crooked counsel members. They thought they got them out last year, but the new bunch aren't much better. According to the few locals we spoke to and some who come here every year, the town got greedy. They raised the rates and fees they charge the vendors to such a prohibitive level that the majority of vendors decided to just not come this year. Then there are other vendors who don't feel too much has changed, that the rates and fees are reasonable, and don't understand what the brouhaha is all about. They feel positive about the near future and that business will pick up in a week or two, just as it has in years past.


We had neighbors arrive yesterday two spaces over. They are staying two nights—leaving tomorrow. Patty and Brad are towing a huge storage trailer filled with radio controlled aircraft. Rob was in seventh heaven seeing that! We went out to an airfield set up for the local RC group to watch Brad and others fly their planes today, but I got engrossed walking through a very special place called Celia's Rainbow Garden located next to the air field. Celia was a child who started life fighting, and fighting hard, but died too young. I invite you to read Celia's story and how her garden got started at http://www.celiasrainbowgardens.com/Story/. Celia's Rainbow Garden has become a beautiful memorial for many who once walked among us. For now, please enjoy the few photos I took there because, with all the negative in the world, all that is decent and worthy just needs another good sign—from all of us.

The Mark of a Good Camper

EDITED on 12/28/12 to include photographs.

It seems nearly forever since I last posted a blog. That's how long it has been since I've had reliable internet access. And, my card reader isn't reading so no new photos right now.

Since we were at El Capitan State Park, we've been to three additional places. After El Capitan we parked the Beast at Dockweiler RV Park, which is just a blink south of Dockweiler State Beach. Dockweiler State Beach is situated at the end of the east-west runways of LAX. We saw lots of jets taking off from LAX. Surprisingly, the noise was unobtrusive to us. 

Our daughter, Susanna, and son-in-law Terry, flew down to LA for their friend's, Sharon, graduation party. Sharon earned her Master's degree. Congratulation, Sharon! We met for breakfast/brunch at a cute restaurant in Manhattan Beach called Four Daughters Kitchen. Afterwards we hung out at the Beast hoping we could enjoy the beach and ocean waves, but, alas, it was not to be. The weather did not cooperate. Wind and rain prevailed. We joined Sharon's family for a wonderful dinner, however, and the following day was Sharon's graduation party.

We headed south to Santee, which is east-northeast of San Diego, and stayed at Santee Lakes RV Park. We stayed indoors for the first couple days because of rain, but what a lovely place! They have seven lakes, a few of which are stocked with fish, one in which you can rent paddle boats and cruise around small islands that attract an assortment of birds such as white pelicans, mallards, wood ducks, snowy egrets, white and blue herons, coots and cormorants, another that has floating cabins for rent, and some meant for day use. The RV park area was clean and had many grassy areas with covered picnic tables. There is a community center, a teen center for the local youth to use after school, and a large and clean laundry room for registered campers. It is a place to which I'd definitely go back. We spent 8 days there and left on Christmas Eve. Rob's brother, Chip, sister-in-law, Chris, and niece, Heather, arrived on Saturday before Christmas, so at least we had family with us leading up to Christmas day.

After Santee, we headed to Imperial Sand Dunes. We originally planned to stay in the dunes for three nights, but it ended up only two. We arrived on Christmas Eve. There were reports of heavy wind, which isn't good when driving a large motorhome, nor is it good for the paint in a sandy area. We stopped at a rest stop hoping to out-wait the wind. I called ahead to a WalMart in El Centro, CA, to find out if they allowed RVs to overnight in their lot. We were given the green light, but upon arriving we found out that they didn't want any RVs in their lot that night because they would be closed on Christmas day. So, on we drove to the dunes. I'm glad we did because the wind had diminished to acceptable levels. We arrived after dark and ended up parked about 150 feet from and parallel to another motorhome. 

The next day, which was Christmas, our neighbor's dog came for a visit. Angie is a sweet, yellow lab for whom I started throwing a stick, which then led to us meeting Mark and Jeannine. We hit it off and pretty much spent the rest of the day and evening with them. They have a four-wheel, off-road vehicle and that is generally the reason why most people go there, and Mark gave us a ride over and around the dunes. That was fun!! 

In the evening we lit a cozy campfire and Mark and Jeannine joined us for some lively conversation. We learned that they live in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, have a glass business and specialize in repairing RV windows. We will be staying at Lake Havasu in a couple of weeks and plan to call them to spend a day on the lake if the weather permits or, at least, go out to dinner. How fun is that? But, alas, they had to leave the next day to take care of business.

We were supposed to stay another night, but the wind was picking up and lots of other folks with their trailers, fifth-wheels and motorhomes were populating the area. If Mark and Jeannine had stayed another day, we would have as well, but Rob decided he'd had enough of dry-camping. I called ahead to our next stop in Quartzsite, Arizona, to see if they could take us a day early and we were told to come on in. About two hours later, we were checking in. And they have WiFi!!! So here I am, finally able to update my blog and feel, at least a little bit, connected to the rest of the world (as I know it). We will be here for two weeks and look forward to exploring this place that attracts so many snow-birds.

I titled this post "The Mark of a Good Camper" because of what I observed at the sand dunes. (I wonder if all my daughters still remember the rest of the expression). The camping areas of the dunes are acres of flat, packed sand and hundreds, if not thousands, of dune-buggying, off-roading campers inhabit the place throughout the year, along with food, wood, ice, T-shirt and supply vendors. There are places away from the camping areas among the ever-changing rise and falls of the dunes in which folks gather and party into the night. The sense of freedom from interference from—well, anybody—is liberating and just plain fun. But, with that self-same freedom comes responsibility. Freedom comes with a price. And the price of freedom in the sand dunes should be, in my opinion, to make sure you leave the place in the same or better condition than you found it. I saw plastic bottles, candy wrappers, plastic bags, cigarette butts, etc, etc, etc, all over the place. When Mark took us for our ride through the dunes, there were even broken, glass bottles. Stupid, selfish people left an abundance of evidence of their visit to the dunes to the detriment of all. It was sad. So, please always remember that the next person to pass through where you passed is as equally important as yourself, and your generosity to them is most evident in the lack of just that: evidence. The sacred beauty of our natural habitats is a gift to all of us. Please respect it.

Always remember: THE MARK OF A GOOD CAMPER IS TO LEAVE NO MARK.

Unidentified type of duck at Santee Lakes

Handsome Wood Duck. I was obsessed with capturing shots of this beauty.

Male Wood Duck surrounded by Coots.

Lucky shot.

Pretty little female Wood Duck

We were feeding the birds a mix of healthy food that the general store sells at $1 per bag. Such a deal to have all these creatures flock to you.

The Cormorants perched in the barrens trees.

I called this 'Bird Island' as it is the place that all the species of birds congregated.

The view of the main camping area from a sand dune peak at Imperial Sand Dunes.

A young man enjoying the dunes first thing in the morning. That's the Beast on the left.

Rob enjoying his cigar and reading while I'm out exploring.

The dunes taken while on our ride with Mark.

Meet our new friends Jeannine, Mark and Angie the yellow lab. Their granddaughter, Breezy, is in the back seat but you can't really see her. Cute little tyke.

The sun is getting low.

Rob collecting tinder for our campfire.

Here's to a lovely evening.

There's nothing like the smell of a campfire.

The nearly full moon and a few stars.