YUMA TO TUCSON AND WE’RE STAYING AT SOME PRETTY DARN FANCY DIGS FOR THE NIGHT

YUMA SUNRISE LOOKING TOWARDS MEXICO
Yuma certainly felt hotter Friday afternoon than Borrego Springs did while we were there.  Way too hot for us so we have to keep the big wheels rolling until we find cooler air.  

HOPE TO SEE YOU LATER THIS YEAR OGILBY

JUST KEEP IT BETWEEN THE CEMENT BARRIERS AL AND EVERYBODY GETS HOME ALIVE

YAY WE CAN NOW TURN OUR CLOCKS ONE HOUR AHEAD AGAIN
A quiet night with a good sleep for both of us.  Nice sunrise and it wasn’t long before it was time to say good-bye to Jean, Skip, Sophie, and Louie.  In this semi Nomad kind of a lifestyle friends generally live thousands of miles apart and may only see each other for brief periods of time and especially if your quiet loner people like we and our few friends are.  Always difficult saying so-long because it’s never a certainty whether folks will ever meet up again.  It was around 9 a.m. when we slowly rolled out of the desert onto Ogilby Road and headed the short drive to Interstate 8.  Wasn’t long and we were east bound into Yuma.

SEEN IN A WALMART PARKING LOT A FIRST EVER CROCHET TIRE COVER
<<< WONDER WHERE THIS LITTLE BLACK DOG SITS ON HIS DAD’S MOTORCYCLE
Picked up some fuel at Love’s Truck stop then a little further east we rolled off I-8 and made our way to Walmart.  I always enjoy popping into Walmart stores on our travels.  It’s my kinda slight touch with fellow human beings for half an hour.   I don’t bug anybody and nobody bugs me.  I like that. Plus I like wandering up and down the aisles looking at all the neat stuff.  Grabbed us a coffee and burg to go at the indoor McDonalds and we were soon back out to the rig and gone on down the road.

NOT ONLY COFFEE CUP HOLDERS ON SHOPPING CARTS NOW BUT SMART PHONE HOLDERS TOO….WHAT’S NEXT, SURROUND SOUND AND GAS PEDALS
PICKING UP SOME COFFEE AND SNACKS AT McDONALDS >>>
From Yuma to Gila Bend on I-8 there really isn’t too much to write about.  The interstate is mainly straight with nothing too interesting to jump out and grab one’s attention.  Picked up some propane in Gila Bend and headed south for Ajo.  In Gila Bend I would recommend the Chevron station near McDonalds for dumping tanks and taking on propane.  Big flat easy access area and the gas pumps are angled the right way for large rigs.  A clean modern facility and not as busy as the Shell station at Gila Bend’s east end.

HEADING EAST OUT OF YUMA

KELLY CHATS WITH HER MOTHER IN SPENCERPORT NEW YORK WHILE WE HEAD EAST ON I-8

HEADING SOUTH FROM GILA BEND TO AJO ARIZONA

We were just north of Ajo and planning on overnighting at the fairgrounds when luckily Kelly remembered reading something not long ago.  The Ajo annual Fiddeling Contest and Quilt Show was on this week-end and guess where it was being held??  Yep, the fairgrounds.   Well that was it for that because we knew there would be a ton of people all crammed into the fairgrounds for sure.  We quickly tried to come up with a Plan B and before we could we had had already driven right through pretty little Ajo Arizona.  Temperatures were still too high for us so we kept on rolling on down to Why then hung a left for Tucson.

ROLLING THROUGH AJO

HANG IN THERE DARBY WE’LL BE BACK

I ALWAYS LIKE SEEING THE AJO MOUNTAINS ON THE HORIZON

THE DRIVE BETWEEN WHY AND TUCSON ARIZONA IS ONE OF MY FAVS

YEP WE’RE IN THE SOUTHWEST ALRIGHT

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE KITT PEAK OBSERVATORIES TOP RIGHT
We had no hard and fast destination when we started out today except to move ourselves further east.  We are not heading ourselves directly home yet.  Winter is still going on full blast there and will still be doing so for another couple months.  Our eastern travels will take us across country to visit Aunt Jean in Sarasota Florida and it will be a few weeks yet before we leave the Southwest behind.

PULLING A RABBIT OUT THE HAT WE CAME UP WITH THIS DESTINATION FOR AN OVERNIGHTER
We decided to head for an overnighter place we had never been before.  Doug from Miss Adventure Travels had blogged about a spot he likes to stop on his RV travels back and forth.  And so it was we pulled into Casino Del Sol in the southwest end of Tucson on West Vallencia Road.  Wow, if there was one RV parked in here there was about 50 or more.  But no matter, still lots of room for the Bayfield Bums.  Nice place here for sure and again we felt like the Clampetts in Beverly Hills.

THE CENTER BUILDING WITH THE DOME ON IT IS THE CASINO AND YOU WILL SEE PHOTOS BELOW OF WHAT THAT DOME LOOKS LIKE FROM INSIDE

WE FOUND US AN OKAY SPOT FOR THE NIGHT…..A LITTLE DIFFERENT FARE FROM OUR USUAL OVERNIGHT SPOTS

YEP WE WOULD DEFINITELY COME BACK HERE AGAIN

Drove around for a few minutes before finding a spot.  I especially like it here because the parking isn’t all regulated like and RV Park.  It’s simply a big paved nice looking parking lot and you just find a spot you like and that’s it.  And how nice it was to be just in the right spot at just the right time to help out a little lost dog this afternoon too.  As we stopped I saw a dog kinda running around by itself.  Some people came by and tried to catch it but to no avail.  Kelly stepped out of the coach with Pheebs and the dog immediately came came right to Pheebs and they started to play.  Kelly was able to grasp it’s collar then we grabbed a leash and the people got on a cell phone and called the owner.  About 5 minutes later a very happy lady came over and had a very happy reunion with her equally very happy  little dog:))))))

WITH OUR LEASH THESE FOLKS ARE HOLDING THE LOST DOGGY UNTIL THE OWNER GETS THERE
I have walked through many Casinos in Las Vegas a couple times years ago but have never felt compelled to do what what it is everybody seems compelled to do in a Casino.  No gambling in my blood and I have no interest in that sort of thing whatsoever but oh how I love to walk through Casinos looking at everything I can see.  What a piece of colorful eye candy Casinos are with all their ritsy décor and opulence.  I love the lighting and all the blinking and bubbling machines.  Neon lighting everywhere.  For anyone who’s never been in a big Casino I suggest you go, take a walk around and look at everything, then get the heck out of there fast before the bug snags ya.

Kelly checked the Casino Del Sol restaurants on-line and we decided one called Mobys looked like our kind of place so we decided to walk over and have us some supper.  The eye catcher in this place is the overhead Blue sky dome.  But it’s not a real sky, it’s a painted one and I liked the way they did roof lines all around to give one the impression you were outside.  At Mobeys Kelly had ‘Chicken Fried Steak’ and I had turkey dinner with all the fixins.  Lots of food, tasted great, and the price was right for us and we were back to the rig by 7 p.m.

HEADING INTO THE CASINO

COMFORTABLY SEATED IN MOBYS WAITING FOR OUR GRUB

KIND OF A GROOY PLACE

HERE’S MY TURKEY DINNER AND THAT ROUND BLACK THING IS A SMALL DISH OF CRANBERRIES AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT BUT WHATEVER THOSE VEGGIES WERE THEY EVEN TASTED GOOD AND I ACTUALLY ATE THE DARNED THINGS

AND HERE’S KELLY DIGGING RIGHT INTO HER CHICKEN FRIED STEAK and yes we brought half home.I have never understood nor will I ever understand people’s obsession with gambling.  Can’t even begin to get to first base on that one.  As I walked around just as I did in Las Vegas I looked at the people bleary eyed in front of those slot machines.  It is if they are possessed.  They are in a world of their own as they stick their debit cards into those money gobbling machines and go crazy repeatedly pressing buttons over and over and over again.  There are many things I do not understand in life and gambling is one of them.  And  my other observation……the majority of the people at those machines were elderly Seniors.

KEEP IN MIND WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS A PAINTED CEILING AND NOT THE REAL SKY….THE BUILDING FRONTS ARE MADE OF REAL MATERIAL

KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS ALL INSIDE THE CASINO AND NOT OUTSIDE
 

 
GROANER’S CORNER:((
In light of the rising frequency of human - grizzly bear conflicts, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert of bears while in the field. They advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. They also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear. It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear dung. Black bear dung is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear dung has little bells in it and smells like pepper.
--------------------------------
When a teacher closes his eyes, why should it remind him of an empty classroom?
Because there are no pupils to see!
How did Vikings communicate?
By norse code!

What is a forum?
Two-um plus two-um!
============================

BORREGO SPRINGS TO OGILBE ROAD WEST OF YUMA AND ONLY 16 PHOTOS TONIGHT….YAY TEAM:))

SUNSET……YUMA STYLE

Up early this morning for our Borrego Springs departure we found out it turned into an unfortunately bad piece of timing as I read a couple blogs and saw that  Doug from Miss Adventure Travels and Deb from On a long and lonesome highway had  both rolled into the Rock House Road and Peg Leg Smith areas Thursday.  Had they come a day earlier or we left a day later our paths would have crossed.  It is the way it is with we RV folks and especially boon-dockers as we drift seemingly aimless from place to place with no time schedules or obligations.  Sometimes we don’t know we’re moving until one of us mentions something on our morning walk and other times like this time we might have an inkling a day or two ahead.  Being morning people we rolled out early taking Borrego Springs Road over to highway 78 and then east through Ocotillo Wells and hung a right on highway 86 with our destination being Yuma.

PHEEBS OFTEN SNOOZES ON THE COUCH WHILE WE ARE MOTORING DOWN THE ROAD

There was a bad accident up in the San Ysidro Mountains along Montezuma’s Grade.  Heard sirens going by the Legion and could see many flashing red and blue lights far off in the distant mountains.  Two fire tracks raced by and I watched their flashing red lights about 10 minutes later going up the mountain.  Looked like large floodlights at the scene as well and I could see lights down the mountainside where a vehicle may have gone over the edge.  Saw one of two helicopters depart the scene.  First noticed all the flashing lights about 9:30 and they were still going at 10:45 when I last looked out the window.  ‘UPDATE’ on the accident::  A car with 5 people in it crashed through a stone barrier on a curve and went over the edge.  All 5 survived the crash but had to be extracted from the car and with great difficulty brought back up to the road surface and loaded into waiting amulances and helicopters.  It is said one occupant weighed 300 pounds and another one 500 pounds.  A very difficult night for paramedics to reach the victims and help them.  With binoculars I could see the tailights of the crashed car and and strong lights beamed down the mountain side.  Also saw two fire trucks heading up and two presumed ambulances heading down as well as two helicopters circlling the accident scene in the night.

HERE’S A VERY HAPPY PIERRE THURSDAY WITH HIS APPLE PIE AT THE JULIAN PIE COMPANY IN SANTA YSABEL

Packed up the rig, said good-bye to our neighbor’s Linda and Pierre, dumped our tanks, took on water and at 8:40 this morning we rolled out of American Legion Branch 853 turning left on Borrego Springs Road heading south.  Borrego Springs is always the farthest west we go each year so every time we leave Borrego it is actually the beginning of our long journey home.  Each year seems to be getting a little harder for us and I was aware of that this morning as I looked backed wondering if we would ever see Borrego Springs again and I must say I have been carrying a rather sad feeling with me for the remainder of the day and knowing me I will carry a sense of that sad feeling for the rest of the journey home.  Both Kelly and I agreed this has not been our best RVing year……………..

HEADING EAST THROUGH THE IMPERIAL SAND DUNES WEST OF GLAMIS CALIFORNIA

APPROACHING A RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO OGILBE ROAD 15 MINUTES FROM OUR DESTINATION

SWINGING SOUTH DOWN OGILBE ROAD  ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE CARGO MUCHACHO MOUNTAINS

Our destination was Ogilby Road west of Yuma and two and a half hours after leaving Borrego we turned left into the desert and pulled up behind Jean and Skip’s rig parked about half a mile in.  One of our favorite couple’s of course and we wanted to have a look at their new them Dolphin Motorhome.  A beauty of course and their coach has my all time favorite paint job.  Soft pastel sand colors. 

PARKED FOR THE NIGHT BESIDE OUR GOOD FRIENDS JEAN AND SKIP WEST OF YUMA

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE COLORS ON JEAN AND SKIP’S DOLPHIN COACH

A WINNING COLOR COMBINATION AND CAN YOU SEE THE DOLPHINS?

We’re parked beside them for the night and we’ll head out in the morning traveling further east in search of cooler weather.  the heat is really bothering Kelly and me as well.  Our engine battery seems to be working fine, I’ve tied up the tail pipe, and we’ve decided not to have the coach washed and waxed in Yuma like previously mentioned.

Nice email from Chris Horst today in which he says “Good morning, Al. I was struck by your lovely lunar photo and am using it for a week or so as the banner photo on the Lazy Daze Owners' Group blog, of which I am the moderator.  Lazy Daze Forum.  There have been other times I have used a photo from your blog as my desktop. Keep up the good work and enjoy your visit to the Southwest.” …….. Thank you Chris and I just love it when any of my photos can be used for a good purpose.  A great feeling of gratitude and inner goodness for me.

Ivan sure has himself some great action squirrel and bird photos at, Critter Pics.  Fellow RV Blogger photo buffs Ivan and Gaelyn are sure leaving me in the dust on the photo side of things.  Good stuff you guys in working harder to improve your photographic skills.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident.  The couple find themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven.  While waiting, they begin to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven?  When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, ‘I don’t know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,’ and he leaves.  The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple are still waiting. While waiting, they began to wonder what would happen if it didn’t work out; could you get a divorce in heaven.  After yet another month, St. Peter finally returns, looking somewhat bedraggled. ‘Yes,’ he informs the couple, ‘you can get married in Heaven.’  ‘Great!’ said the couple, ‘But we were just wondering, what if things don’t work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?’  St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. ‘What’s wrong?’ asked the frightened couple.
‘OH, COME ON!’, St. Peter shouted, ‘It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it’ll take me to find a lawyer?

-------------------------------------------

“I lift weights only on Saturday and Sunday because Monday to Friday are weak days.”

======================