IT WAS A HIS & HER MOVIE DAY IN YUMA ARIZONA

DRESSED WARM AGAINST A COLD EARLY MORNING NORTH WIND

Stepped out of the Motorhome Sunday night into a magically Moonlit desert landscape.  To the south along Californias horizon line Mexico’s Algodonus stood out & glittered like a long thin shimmering line of twinkling stars.  Closer by an unseen train rumbled through the night hauling freight from Yuma in the direction of San Diego.  Closer to California’s Cargo Muchacho Mountains came the plaintiff howling of ever present Coyotes.  How nice to be in an area with wide sweeping 360 degree views for miles in all directions & how especially nice it was to have all those views under the luminous gaze of of a nearly full Moon.  How nice it was indeed.

SUNRISE AT OUR HOUSE

MORNING’S EARLY LIGHT THROUGH A SIDE WINDOW FROM THE COMFORT OF MY RECLINER

CALIFORNIA’S CARGO MUCHACHO MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST HERE AT OGILBY ROAD

THE IMPERIAL SAND DUNES ARE TO OUR WEST

There were 16 movies playing at the Yuma Palms movie theater in the west end of Yuma & out of all those movies we only found 2 we felt comfortable seeing.  Here is a sampling of movie descriptions for many of those movies…..strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity….violence and destruction….crude sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, language and drug use….strong combat violence throughout, bloody images, and language….violence and terror….crude and suggestive content, language….disturbing thematic content and images….strong bloody violence….crude sexual content and language.  So there you have it, chose your poison so to speak.  There was a time many years ago when I may have gone to see some of those movies but not anymore.  Even ‘Star Wars’ was not a must see for me but at least I figured it might have some entertaining special effects.  With all the violence in today’s society it’s not hard to figure out where a lot of that stuff comes from.  Below are the last of my Bloggerfest 2016 photos.

IVAN ON THE LEFT WITH DOUG & DOLLY FROM MISS ADVENTURE TRAVELS

LOOKS LIKE DOLLY & DOUG ARE STEPPING RIGHT OUT THERE….MAYBE HEADING FOR THE SNACKS TABLE:))

THIS PHOTO PRETTY WELL SUMS UP BLOGGERFEST 2016

LOOKS LIKE MERIKAY HAS QUITE A SLANT ON THERE

SASSY IN THE WHITE TALKS TO JOHN FROM JUST FINDING OUR WAY 

AND WITH HER BACK TO THE CAMERA IS OREGON’S SUE MALONE FROM THE MOHO AND OTHER TRAVELING TALES

AND BY GOLLY THERE GOES MERIKAY’S VERY OWN CRAIG HEADING OUT OF DODGE IN THE DIRECTION OF THEIR VERY OWN WHITE JEEP….AND THAT FOLKS RAPS UP ALL MY BLOGGERFEST 2016 PHOTOS:))

Had us a cold north wind blowing first thing this morning so our walk was short.  With Pheebs left behind to guard the Motorhome Kelly & I piled into the Jeep & skee-daddled ourselves off to Yuma about 9 this morning.  Being only 15 miles from the Harkins Yuma Palms movie theater we were at the big mall complex 20 minutes later. 

I ALWAYS LIKE PULLING INTO THIS NICE LOOKING YUMA PALMS MALL

With protection from the winds & being on the early side for our 10 o’clock movies it was nice to walk around a bit & peek in some store windows along the lovely road & walkway with it’s outside cafe’s & park like setting.  Although not a mall connoisseur  I must say I would rate this Yuma Palms mall my all time favorite.  Love the southwest architecture & landscaping.  Nice big palm trees & the buildings are done in all those vibrant desert colors one finds so often out here in the southwest.

HARKINS YUMA PALMS MOVIE THEATER FAR CENTER

THIS AREA IN FRONT OF THE MOVIE THEATER IS BUT A SMALL PART OF THIS OVERALL VERY LARGE MALL COMPLEX

CHECK OUT THE CATCHY SIGN UNDER THE WINDOWS

MALL CRAWLIN BEFORE THE STORES ARE OPEN

OK FOLKS IT’S SHOWTIME:))

We slipped into the movie theatre on the early side & of course I was mesmerized as I usually am by all the colored lighting whether it be in signs, posters, menus or even restroom lights.  Neon, subdued, indirect, & ambient type lighting is something that always catches my eye wherever I go.  Could be a simple small lamp in the corner of a dark room or an 80’ tall neon sign out on ‘the strip’ in Las Vegas.  Kelly headed to the snack bar for some popcorn while I being my typical self hauled out my point & shoot Canon & began taking photos of all the lights.  I was like the proverbial kid in a candy store & again I couldn’t help feel like Jed Clampett as I wondered around in my torn blue jeans, longsleeve lumber jacket shirt with another shirt underneath which incidentally were both hanging out & I had enough desert dust on my shoes to hide a herd a cows in.  And atop my head sat my favorite old aging Mojave hat.  Oh ya & then under my hat perched on top of my International Harvester lumberjack shirt from the TSC store was my grouchy face but not to worry cause I’m not about to get into a descriptive version of that!!  By the way this was the same theater we saw the movie ‘Unforgiven’ last winter & with tickets only $5 for Seniors what a great place to see movies eh:))

THE MOVIE THEATER LOBBY

KELLY IN THE CENTER HEADS FOR THE POPPING CORN COUNTER & NO THAT IS NOT THE MOVIE SCREEN UP THERE

“COULD YOU MAKE THAT A 40 GALLON DRUM OF POPCORN PLEASE & LOTS OF BUTTER PLEASE”

SOON KELLY DISAPPEARED DOWN THIS HALL TO THEATER 6

THEATER 13 WAS DOWN THIS HALL TO THE RIGHT SO AWAY I WENT ALL BY MYSELF

NICE LIGHTING & COLORS INSIDE THE THEATER ITSELF & HERE’S THE BEST PART…..THERE WAS ONLY 4 OF US IN THE WHOLE THEATER:))

Kelly headed on over to the left wing where her movie ‘The Dainish Girl’ was playing in theater 6 while I lumbered off for the right wing & theater 13 where Star Wars was playing.  I wasn’t very optimistic about the movie I was about to see & as it turns out I had every reason not to be optimistic but keep in mind folks that’s just me.  Countless millions of people like this Star Wars movie but I sure was not one of them.  But aside from that I did enjoy the big picture/big sound movie experience which I knew I would regardless of what was playing.  I walked out of that movie thinking to myself, geeeeezzzzz I’m glad it wasn’t any more that $5.  I don’t know what it is I’m looking for in a movie these days but I’m thinking the movie I would like to see someday probably hasn’t even been thought of yet & when it is I’m hoping they don’t make it in Hollywood!!

BYE BYE NICE MALL, MAYBE SEE YOU AGAIN SOMETIME

Kelly & I re-connected just outside the movie theater’s front doors & we headed off for the Jeep.  She liked ‘The Danish Girl’ & the more she told me about it I probably would have preferred that movie to the one I saw by a long shot.  But no matter, we had come to Yuma for a change of pace & to see a couple movies & that is exactly what we did.  Instead of stopping for a bite to eat or knock around in any stores we headed west along I-8 back to our rig.  We knew there would be a very happy little doggy waiting patiently for us with her tail a waggin so fast is was just a blur when we got home.

Despite a clear blue sky a strengthing cool California north wind blowing along the flat desert landscape whisked away a big chunk of the sun’s heat & we ended up just staying in the coach for a spell this afternoon.

HEARD SOME HELICHOPPERS COMING SO HURRIED OUT WITH MY CAMERA

WE ARE LOCATED BETWEEN THE BIG MILITARY BASE IN YUMA & THE CHOCOLATE MOUNTAINS GUNNERY RANGE SO THERE IS ALWAYS MILITARY AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD COMING & GOING

LOOK CLOSELY & YOU CAN SEE 2 CREW MEMBERS & I’M NOT SURE WHAT THAT BIG TUBE IS OUTSIDE THE DOOR

Thanks to readers for their suggestions about what to do about a suspected LNB problem with our Shaw satellite TV system.  Fellow Canadian Shaw Satellite TV system subscribers may understand why it’s something we need to get on top of get resloved.  Early Tuesday morning I suspect we will have the big wheels rolling again. 

EVENING SHADOWS CREEPING ACROSS THE CARGO MUCHACHO MOUNTAINS

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A great fruit cake recipie::

You'll need the following: a cup of water, a cup of sugar, four large eggs, two cups of dried fruit, a teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of salt, a cup of brown sugar, lemon juice, nuts, and a bottle of whisky.
Sample the whisky to check for quality.
Take a large bowl. Check the whisky again. To be sure it is the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and beat again.
Make sure the whisky is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whisky to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whisky. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.
Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window, check the whisky again and go to bed.

QUARTZSITE TO YUMA ARIZONA FOR A COUPLE DAYS

HAD US A NICE SETTING MOON OVER THE TRIGO MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING

Skies cleared overnight & we woke up to a nice setting Moon over the Trigo Mountains west of us.  Bit of a cool breeze on our early morning walk but it wasn’t long before the day began heating up.

A FEW OF OUR EARLY MORNING NEIGHBORS

CLOSE CALL FOR THIS FELLOW PULLING OUT…NOTICE THE AWNING OVER THE ENTRY DOOR IS STILL OUT…LUCKILY HIS WIFE FOLLOWING IN THEIR JEEP SPOTTED IT & RACED UP ALONGSIDE BLOWING HER HORN

YEP THAT’S US

Our overnight stay at the La Paz area south of Quartzsite was a good example of why we prefer to boondock far from fellow RV'ers.  Many rigs scattered around in the desert here close by & many rigs generally means much big noise.  There were so many generators going Saturday night the air had a bad smell to it & somewhere to our northeast a group of 'ya-hooers' had a big monster Karaoke machine going & they were sure whooping it up.  ATV'ers off to our left had their machines a snortin & of course the highway a few hundred yards away generated it's own noise but at least the highway noise somehow sounded peaceful compared to the rest of it.  I'm not complaining folks, just passing on my thoughts.  This La Paz area is where Kelly & I first came to back in January of 07 with our truck & fifth wheel & it is the area we returned to each year for our first 5 years of coming to Quartzsite every January for the annual big RV rally in the desert.  Biggest one in the world.

SUNDAY MORNINGS SETTING MOON GIVES WAY TO A NICE DAY

We hadn’t seen our good friends Jean & Skip since last winter until Saturday’s Bloggerfest & a large gathering like that it isn’t the greatest place to sit down & have a good heart to heart ‘catch-up’ visit so Jean & Skip this morning drove down from Plomosa Road north of Quartzsite to the Roadrunner area where we stayed for the night south of Quartzsite.  We have a lot in common with J&S & our lives seem to parrallel each other in many ways so it’s always interesting to sit down & talk with them & go over what’s been happening in the past year.   We had quite a chat before it was time to say & wave our good-byes shortly before noon.  Always kind of sad saying good-bye to friends in this RV way of life because with the Nomadic lifestyle people never know if they will ever meet again.  Jean & Skip are Canadians living on Vancouver Island………….

A FEW MORE BLOGGERFEST 2016 PHOTOS

PAULA (SHADOWMOSS) FROM IN THE SHADOWS, GLENDA FROM CASITA ESCAPES & BOX CANYON MARK

THAT’S SASSY ON THE RIGHT SAYING, “HEY CAN YOU BELIEVE KELLY’S FALLEN ASLEEP OVER HERE” :))

JEAN & THAT’S GAELYN ON THE RIGHT FROM GEOGYPSY

A FEW EXTRA SUNDAY MORNING SETTING MOON PHOTOS

It was just about high noon when we rolled out of the Roadrunner area heading South to Yuma.  Watching the Kofa Mountains roll by on our left my head was filled with many great memories from our boondocking & Jeeping days in & around those mountains.  And a big shout out to Bill & Ann who just might be over there in the Kofa’s somewhere:))

PASSED BY THESE LARGE MILITARY GUNS AT THE YUMA PROVING GROUNDS ENTRANCE

Rolled into Yuma’s Northeast side & snagged us a McDonalds stop near Fortuna Road & Interstate 8.  While Kelly went in for some take-out coffee & grub Pheebs & I piled out of the rig & went for a walk on some nice green grass.  We love our desert life but ohhhhhh how nice to see that green grass & all those great green California trees.

PHEEBS PATIENTLY WAITS FOR KELLY TO RETURN FROM McDONALDS UP THE STREET

A NICE & WELCOME CHANGE OF PACE TO SEE GREEN MANICURED GRASS & TREES

PHEEBS IS JUST LOVIN ALL THAT GREEN:))

Yuma is a familiar & comfortable place for us & we have been there close to a dozen times over the past decade.  Climbing aboard I-8 we headed west on probably one of the easiest Interstates there is going through a large city.  Pretty much a straight shot & traffic has never been what I would call heavy. 

WE HEADED OFF WEST TOWARDS SAN DIEGO

KELLY CHECKS HER BLACKBERRY FOR EMAILS

Our destination was Ogilby Road west of Yuma & we knew exactly where to go.  Again we have lots of great memories from this area.  There are other great boondocking spots north of Yuma around Mitri Lake, Imperial Dam, Martinez Lake but we just took a shine to the west side of Yuma right from the beginning years ago & feel at home here on quiet Ogilby Road.  Lots of wide open spaces & if you like to be far from the maddening crowds Ogilbe Road has lots of room for you.  And it’s only about a 20 minute drive into the Yuma Palms mall complex.  Now I’m not a mall crawler by any means but I do like this large mall complex & this is where the multi-plex theater is.  But oh dear we have several flies in the ointment already:((

OUR OGILBE ROAD SPOT FOR A COUPLE DAYS

Try as we did today we could not get our Shaw Satellite TV system to work.  We are usually able to find a satellite signal within minutes of setting up our dish but not so today.  We noticed a sizeable crack in our LMB & ‘IF’ that is the problem we could very well be without TV for the next two & a half months.  Only way we are going to know if it is the LMB is to hook it all back up in Congress & see if it works. 

Also when we checked all the movies in Yuma tonight we only found 2 out of about a dozen we would be interested in.  ‘Star Wars’ for me & ‘The Danish Girl’ for Kelly.  We will probably do both movies Monday & I have a feeling we may be on the move again shortly……………..

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Two blondes were flying to Miami from Cleveland. Fifteen minutes into the flight, the captain announced "One of the engines has failed and the flight will be an hour longer. But don't worry we have three engines left".
Thirty minutes later, the captain announced "One more engine has failed and the flight will be two hours longer. But don't worry we have two engines left".  An hour later the capain announced "One more engine has failed and the flight will be three hours longer. But don't worry we have one engine left".  One blonde looked at the other blonde and said "If we lose one more engine, we'll be up here all day"