LUNCH WITH PETER & PATTY FROM RAINBOW ACRES

THE OLD YUMA ROAD LOOKING NORTH….Back in the 1800’s this would have been a horse path with probable wagon wheel ruts marking an old dusty trail from Yuma heading north to other dusty little western towns.  We are parked just a few hundred feet from the road & at night we can hear the creaking of old ghostly wagon trains on the trail heading for the gold fields in California & Arizona.   We can hear the galloping of horses & the plodding of mules mixed with the shouts of trail bosses, the grumbling of wagoneers, & the bumpy chatter of children in wagons.

                               

FELLOW BOONDOCKERS WELL SPACED OUT IN THE DESERT

If Max hadn't woke me up at 2 a.m I wouldn't have been up & on the computer until 5 in the morning before going back to bed again & re-getting up at 7:30.  Not exactly my idea of a good night's sleep but at least I was able to get some long overdue things caught up in my Picasa photo editing program.

                            

Sunny morning with a warming breeze as we watched 3 more rigs pull  out around 10.  The desert is really opening up.  Bit of a clean up in the motorhome, read some blogs, soaked up a bit of sun, & just basically loafed around until noon. 

THAT IS RAINBOW ACRES IN THE BACKGROUND ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY BUT THE TELEPHOTO LENS PIC MAKES IT APPEAR CLOSER

Last year while parked here in this same spot a couple fellows rode in out of the desert one morning on their ATV's.  Figured they were going to take issue of the way I was flying our flags, but no, turns out one of the fellas was a blog follower.  From my description of where we were he knew where to find us.  That is how we met Pete & his neighbor Ed.  Tuesday when we returned from downtown Quartzite there was a note stuck in our door from Peter & his wife Patty saying they had dropped by to say hello.  Guess Pete’s still following the Bayfield Bunch.  Peter & Patty live about 3 miles north of our location.

A few emails whizzed back & forth & we agreed to do lunch today so P & P picked us up at noon & we all headed into Quartzite for lunch at the same place we were the day before...Bad Boy.

                            

PETER IN THE RED T-SHIRT SLIPS AROUND THE TABLES WHILE PATTY & KELLY CHECK OUT THE MENU

Like all RV couples we have met, Peter & Patty are a charming couple with a lot of RV miles under their belts over the years & from talking to them I can tell we share a lot of the same interests regarding RVing & people in general.  Peter is the laid back one of the two & Patty shares my impatience with computers. 

                                

KELLY TAKES A DEERPARK LODGE CALL JUST BEFORE THE FOOD ARRIVES  (click on pics to enlarge)

Had a nice lunch on Bad Boy's shaded patio.  P & P  have a winter place located in Rainbow Acres just a few miles southwest of Quartzite.  We can actually see the development where they live across the desert to the north of us.  They have their 38' Safari Class A motorhome parked on a lot for the winter months & travel up into Washington State during the summer volunteering as camp hosts, etc, at various parks.  They will return again this summer to Jarrell Cove State Marine Park in Glacier National Park.

A 700mm TELEPHOTO SHOT OF RAINBOW ACRES.  THE SMALL WHITE RETANGLE LEFT OF CENTER IN THE MOUNTAIN IS AN 18 WHEELER ON I-10 HEADING WEST INTO CALIFORNIA.

Just a few days after Peter & Ed dropped in that morning last year another fellow blogger tracked us down & we got to meet John from JOHN & BRENDA'S INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE.  Another one of those good RV people:))

                                

ED & PETE IN JANUARY 09                                      JOHN IN JANUARY 09

Our last closest neighbor left this afternoon around 3 so the nearest rig to us now is about a quarter to half a mile away.  Nice respectable buffer zone I'd say.  Sure is nice to look out & not see any rigs on 3 of our 4 sides.  Maybe we'll stay here until April now.  Ok, ok, just kidding.  Our next stop will probably be Borrego Springs in California soon.  For sure there will be lots of room over there in the wide open desert as well.

A VERY RELAXING DAY:))

Tomorrow we may head south down the highway a bit with the car then head east on Palm Canyon Road to see what we can see.  We hear it's a nice scenic drive back up there in the Kofa mountains.  Saturday we might have a look around the Bouse area & Sunday we just might boogie west for Borrego:))  Of course all those things hinge on the word...........'might:))'  No rules, no regulations, no problem!!

OLD YUMA ROAD LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS YUMA MANY MILES AWAY

GROANER'S CORNER:((  While making rounds, a doctor points out an X-ray to a group of medical students.'As you can see,' she says, 'the patient limps because his left fibula and tibia are radically arched. Morris, what would you do in a case like this?''Well,' ponders the student, 'I suppose I'd limp too.'

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

SUNSHINE, WARM BREEZES, & A QUIET DESERT DAY

COULD THIS BE A DESERT SUNFLOWER??

Y'know, this Quartzite place isn't so bad after all now that the desert is cleansing itself of all the multi tired RV rigs.  Two more of our distant neighbors left this morning & I would say compared to a couple weeks ago when there would have been close to a thousand rigs out here, the desert has cleared itself of 95% of it's noisy & sometimes messy inhabitants.  Sun is shining, the mesquite trees & creosote bushes are showing their greenery & more Saguaro cactus are visible with each big rig departure. Clear views across the desert floor to surrounding mountains is quickly becoming uncluttered of big boxy looking road vehicles.  This place is now not so bad, not bad at all.  Why oh why we ever came here at the peak of festivities in previous years is beyond me.  Just took us awhile to get smartened up I guess.  This Sunday is the last day for a bunch of vendors in the Tyson Wells area in Quartzite as they pack up their wares & fan out across the country heading for other special events, galas, & festivities.  Bye guys & have a good year.

CARRYING FIREWOOD IN HER LEFT HAND, CELL PHONE IN THE RIGHT…..THIS GAL IS TRULY A MULTI-TASKER

Nice desert walk this morning & we dragged some firewood back for a campfire.  Kelly had a few more things to see in Quartzite plus pick up a vent cover for our refrigerator vent.  The original cover had deteriorated from the elements & was basically in shards up there.  I had one of my favorite kinds of mornings listening to a favorite CD of mine 'Sons of the Pioneers.  Caught up a bunch of wayward emails & sat outside in the quiet desert soaking up some warming rays of sunshine.  Just me & the furry guys doing a whole bunch of nothing:))

 

Our Delorme GPS tells me we are at an altitude of 1,162 feet here south of Quartzite & that's quite a drop from the high desert at the ranch we just came from where the altitude was over 4000 feet.  Definitely warmer here in these parts for sure.  I can see where this GPS thingy is going to be a real challenge for me.  Did some more reading today but am having trouble understanding the overall concept.  And what is this Geocaching all about & how does all that stuff work!!  Has it got something to do with paying cash for a General Motors 1989 Geo??  That might not be a good thing!!  Geo Schmeo, I'm still having trouble turning the darn GPS thing on!!

                           

HEY, WATCH OUT FOR THAT MOUNTAIN PEAK!!

Is it just me or are the days already getting longer:))  Kelly was back with the generic vent cover about 2 & the cover was obviously longer than the previous one which put into question whether it was going to fit between the solar panels.  So, up the rigs ladder I went with the vent balanced on my head.  Amazingly enough the vent fit into place perfectly.  Thought that kinda odd but then was really surprised when the screw holes of the new cover even lined up with the holes in the vent.  Now, what is the chance of that!!!!  I even managed to remember the correct type of screw driver for the job instead of having to climb back down again.  The fact I even remembered the screw driver in the first place was somewhat of an accomplishment in itself.  Wow, was I on a roll or what!!  Another amazing thing happened when I was actually able to screw the vent cover down securely without breaking something or dropping one of the screws off the roof.  Yep, some days just seem to somehow be better than others alright & I considered that little job today to be a major accomplishment in this ever mechanically challenged world of mine.  Yay Al, you go guy:))

NEW REFRIGERATOR VENT COVER TODAY

Two nights ago about 6:10 p.m. Arizona time someone sent an email to our Aboss emai account.  At that precise time Verizon dropped our connection & that email never made it in.  It was lost ,so if anyone sent an email Monday night about that time can you resend it.

And welcome to our latest followers, Sam & Donna.  Appreciate you taking the time join in on the adventures of, The Bayfield Bunch:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  An older gentleman was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the operation. As he was about to get the anesthesia he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes, Dad, what is it?" "Don't be nervous, son, do your best and just remember, if it doesn't go well & something happens to me, your mother is going to come and live with you and your wife for the rest of your lives!!"

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS & MORE INFO.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

MIXING IT UP WITH THE VENDORS IN QUARTZITE

THIS VENDOR (orange shirt) HAD ALL HIS GRANDKIDS PICTURES IN THE ADS ON THE BOOTH

We sure are liking these warmer night time temperatures over here closer to the California State line.  Sure cuts down on the propane heating bill.  With the recent rains there is a fair amount of desert greenery around especially along the edges & down in the washes. (creek beds)  Nice to see some new scenery on our morning walk this morning too.

   

WALKING ALONG A DRY WASH AS THE DESERT BEGINS TO GREEN

Had a better night's sleep & didn't feel quite so cranky this morning so figured I might be able to put up with myself OK if I went with Kelly into Quartzite this morning.   Main objective was a new wind sock pole & told Kelly on the way in we had 12.7 minutes to get in, get the pole, & get out.  She didn't think that was funny so took me to McDonalds to humor me.  It worked:))  Some groceries after that & then into the shopping melee we went.  Crowds weren't nearly as bad as other years though & it wasn't like 'bumper cars' jostling around banging into people all the time.  We missed all that manic mayhem by about a week!!  Only had one little bluster when I couldn't immediately find a convenient parking spot like I thought I should.

                               

                                  OUR LITTLE HOME IN THE DESERT

Meandered around a bit until we reached the flags & poles vendor that we have been to for the past 3 years in a row.  The nice old fellow, Sam, & his staff were still there & he thought he might have remembered us.  Well, he might have remembered Kelly:))  I've never really been too memorable you know.  Picked ourselves out a new pole & told Sam we'd be back next year for another one after I step on & break my third pole in a row probably.  Said he'd put us in the book as reliable 'repeat customers!!'

IT’S SAM, OUR YEARLY WIND SOCK POLE MAN:))

About 40 minutes of browsing was about enough for me so Kelly left me sitting on a chair near the road like a good little boy.  Well, after about 10 minutes that plastic chair got kinda hard so I headed back to the car & tried to squeeze myself in the door after some inconsiderate & obviously skinny jerk parked so close to my door it was nearly impossible.  But, I sucked it up & did it.

             

SOME COLORFUL SIGHTS ALONG VENDORS ROW (click on pics to enlarge)

Kelly was back in half an hour & we drove over to the other side of vendors row on Tyson Wells & had a look at few more things.  Popped into a nice little eatery called Bad Boy & I would recommend this one.  This is where a lot of the vendors & working people come.  It's nice & clean with good food.  It's across the road from 'The Gambler' & just east a bit.

                                            

WAITING FOR SOME ‘EATS’ AT BAD BOY………….

We were back to the rig by 2 & found a note in our door from a fellow we had met a year ago when we were here.  He's been following our blog & when I said last night we were in the same spot as last year Peter & his wife Patty knew exactly where we were.  We'll give them a buzz later.

At precisely 2:37 this afternoon our onboard visual EB (eyeball) radar detected 2 bogeys fast approaching our RV space from 11 o'clock high.  I was up on the roof working on a vent cover & heard them coming.  Kelly was down below on the computer & immediately sounded the alarm.  Looked to be a big fifth wheel followed closely by a small Class C.  Within seconds she scrambled our first line of defense.   3 F-16 furry dog fighters roared out of the motorhome in full afterburner mode & turned to attack the approaching bogeys head on.  Squadron leader Max led the charge with his 2 wingmen (wingdogs) Checkers & Max on either side.  They all opened fire simultaneously at long range instantly scoring direct barking hits on both bogeys because I saw a drivers side window going up.  Both vehicles immediately banked to the right breaking off their approach as our F16 furry fighting dogs delivered a full broadside of barks to the vehicles as they skimmed by on our port side & kept on going.  Thought I saw the Class C trailing some smoke.  Our first line of defense had saved us again.   We welcomed the tired crews as they came trotting back to the motorhome & congratulated them all on another job well done.  They were soon back in their favorite spots & sound asleep.  Bravo guys, you saved our peace & serenity once again:))

Later in the afternoon a couple of ultra lites flew over & that reminded me of a post I wrote while we were boondocked here back on January 4th of 2008.  I called that post, AN AVIATOR WAVES FROM THE SKY.  It was also the time we took out & sold all our Motorhome furniture too.  But, that's another story.

                           

CAN YOU SEE THE GREMLINS FACE IN THIS PIECE OF KNARLED DESERT WOOD & AN AVIATOR FLYS OVER IN THE MORNING SKY

And a big welcome to Ken & Nanette, our latest followers.  Welcome aboard folks & thanks for traveling along with, The Bayfield Bunch:))

No idea how long we'll stay here but Kelly's headed back into the Q tomorrow morning for some more of that there browsing stuff.  Not me, I'm staying put right here in the quiet desert & plan to get caught up on a stack of emails that have piled up.  I always feel bad when I don't get right back to people with answers to questions or comments on things.  I have even slipped a bit on my blog reading & am still only half way through my National Geographic Astronomy book that I started a very long time ago.  By the time I get to the end I'll not have remembered the beginning!!

SUNSET OVER THE DOME ROCK MOUNTAINS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A blonde said, 'I was worried that my Mechanic might try to rip me off.   I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid.'

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS & MORE INFO.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.