Exploring The Desert

John Antonetti, one of our friends here in the park, tows a Jeep here behind his MH from his home in Racine, WI. He uses it to go exploring in the desert and surrounding mountain foothills. This morning he took Teddy and I on a four-hour trip into the hills overlooking Lake Havasu City. Here you can see Lake Havasu in the background from one of our many stops in the high desert. We started at an elevation of about 550 feet in Lake Havasu to over 2500 feet in just a few miles. The track you see in the photo is the one that we had just traversed in the Jeep.
Here are Teddy and I by one of the giant saguaro cacti that abound in the area. Some are 20 to 30 feet high. It is said that it takes over 50 years to grow one of the arms that grow from the main cactus body. The holes that you see, particularly in the far one, are made by Cactus Wrens who hollow out nests in them. (CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A LARGER VIEW)
It is amazing the amount of flora that is growing out there in the desert. From afar the hills look barren but when you get up close there are many different kinds of cacti and bushes. We had a rain recently and there were many small flowers and grasses pushing their way up through the rocky soil.







John also took us to an old abandoned mine and while John and I stayed with the Jeep...








...Teddy, of course had to explore the mine.

Thanks John, we had a real good time.

Visitors from Appleton

Yesterday afternoon we were just sitting around doing nothing, as we are often wont to do and there came a knock on the door. Suprise, suprise it was Bob and Barb Heim, old neighbors from the Appleton Christine Street neighborhood. They had been in California visiting their daughter, Lynn and had opted to drive to Lake Havasu and suprise us. It was great to catch up on all the neighborhood gossup. We went out to dinner last night and met them again at the i-hop for breakfast this morning before they continued on to Scottsdale to visit some of Barbs kinfolk.Bob & Barb at the I-Hop

Bazaar

Yesterday in addition to our regular Saturday morning Clubhouse Breakfast we held a bake sale and craft bazaar with donated items such as aprons, jewlery, etc. and/or baked goods. Profits to go to our party fund. Teddy made a Pound Cake (.45kg Cake Canadian) and some banana nut muffins. Teddy also worked serving eggs & sausage and I was a waffle maker. Lots of fun

43 Years

Today, February 22, 2007, we haver been married long enough for the earth to circle the sun 43 times. Here we are on that blissful February day in our full battle dress uniforms...









...and here we are today,43 years later. As you can see, the years have been kinder to Teddy than to I.











We have talked it over and have decided to try for fourty-four.

Palm Canyon

There is a unique canyon area south of Quartzsite on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge called the Palm Canyon. Perhaps the only native palm trees in Arizona are tucked away there in narrow, rugged canyons. Yesterday (Tue. 2/13) along with two other couples, Bill & Donna Cutbirth from Idaho and Dan & Pat Martenson from Michigan, we went on an all day motor trip to explore the area.
A dirt road off of US 95 about 18 miles south of Quartzsite leads to Palm Canyon. We followed it east for about 9 miles toward a large, block mountain. The road was passable, but a bit rough. At the parking lot a half-mile foot trail leads to the canyon. I didn’t think that I could handle the trail so I stayed with the truck while the others hiked to the canyon. The trail was well marked but rough most of the way due to large rocks and has some steep sections. It’s took about an hour’s walk to make the round trip.
According to a brochure found there, the palms are probably descendants of palms that grew in this region during the last periods of North American glaciation. Some botanists theorize that the trees gradually spread into these canyons and other protected niches as the climate warmed to desert conditions. Other researchers have suggested that the trees may have been spread from other palm groves by birds or coyotes carrying seeds in their digestive tracts.
Since palm trees do not produce annual growth rings like shade trees, it is very difficult to say how old the trees might be. In Palm Canyon, the palm trees are able to survive in the narrow side canyons where direct sunlight is limited but some moisture is available. The probability of these trees surviving very long is directly dependent on the microclimate in that protected canyon.
The most prominent trail leads to a small sign on a slightly elevated area near the middle of the canyon. By looking upward in the narrow, north trending side canyon, you will see the palms clearly. For a short time at midday, the trees are well-lighted for photos. The rest of the time the trees are shaded.

On the way to the palms the we also visited an area near Quartzsite where General George Patton trained desert troops during WWII. There are still signs spelled out with rocks visible from the air for pilots in training to view. It seems that they also trained female pilots there and the boys in desert training were anxious to ingratiate themselves with the lady pilots. This one had large letters spelling out "QUARTZSITE" with this arrow pointing the way.

We also stopped to view a 30-foot desert intaglio (or geoglyph) known as the Bouse Fisherman. Intaglios (in-tal-yos) are large human, animal and geometric figures on the desert floor also best viewed from the air. It's believed intaglios were made by ancestors of today's Native Americans living along the Colorado River. Perhaps the drawings are messages to their gods or ancestors, a common theme throughout human civilization. it's not known if these geoglyphs are two-hundred years old or ten thousand. Many have withstood the test of wind, rain and time, others having fallen recent victim to motorcycles, SUV's, quads and General George S. Patton's tank-training exercises.

At The Desert Bar

Saturday we went with friends, Dan & Pat Martenson from Escanaba, MI, to the "Desert Bar". You take this unmarked, unimproved road five miles into the desert to a bar that this guy built out in the foothills of the Buckskin Mountains. We had some trouble even finding it but as you can see apparently a lot of people do find it. The ever indefatigable Teddy, climbed up to the top of a nearby mountain craig to take this photo of the parking lot. It is only open on weekends; it is entirely run on solar power as there is no electricity out there.



I'm thinking, the guy is either a genius or an idiot but from the size of the crowd that was there it must be the former.





Seating was at a premium but we managed to snag four chairs; Pat, Teddy & Dan saved me one so that I could snap this pict.


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Valentine Party

On Friday night we had a Valentine Dinner followed by a basket auction to raise money for our activities fund. As you can see from the picts, it was also crazy costume dress-up night so I wore my kilt. For the auction we went around to various merchants here in Lake Havasu City (RV dealers, restaurants etc.) and got them to contribute donations; most of us residents also donated items which we made up into baskets. One of the snowbirds here, Gary Clark from BC, acted as the auctioneer. In the end we raised over $900 which we will use for dinners, entertainment evenings, etc.













I had written a little poem which I read at the Christmas dinner and I was again asked to write one for Valentines.

Valentine's Day at Havasu

Well.. once again we're gathered here,
full of love and holiday cheer.
This time it's in the name of love
to honor those we think the most of.

"Love?", you say, "What's the reason,
That love should occupy this season?”
Valentine's the reason why;
Not Gayle or Ray, but the Sainted guy.

Once more we get to drink and dine
on tasty treats and red red wine
Spread upon a big buffet
are salads, meats, and egg souffle

The desert table's piled high
with chocolate cakes and Babcock's pie,
cookies, puddings, candied sweets,
fluffed up jello, whipped cream treats.

The tables all are decorated
with things the ladies have created
balloons and little candy hearts
for the lovely ladies and their old farts

So sit right down and raise your glass
and drink a toast to your lad or lass
And one more thing, I must insist
Now, give your lover a big fat kiss.

Now they want one for St. Pat's day, apparently I have become "poet laureate" of the Havasu Falls RV Resort.

Waldies

A couple of weeks ago I bought this pair of Waldies for Teddy from their on-line store. Teddy already had a pair of knock-offs that she got last year at Wal-Mart and had been raving about how comfortable they were so I decided to get her a pair of the Waldie originals. You have a choice of 16 colors; I chose this color which they call mango, I call it orange.
Well, she liked them so much that I decided to get a pair for myself. This time in "blueberry". I'm gobsmacked...they are about the most comfortable shoes that I've ever worn. I can wear them in water, with or without socks, and I don't have to bend over to tie them. They're the only shoe that I'll ever need; I don't intend to ever walk in snow again (they might be a little cold for that) and if I have to wear a suit or tux, I'll just get a pair in black. I don't think that they put shoes on you in your casket but if they do...my Waldies will do just fine!

Maytag Mania

Most of the higher end motor homes and RVs are prepped for a washer & dryer usually available as an option and most fulltimers have them installed. There are about a dozen manufacturers that make laundry units for rvs. Because space and weight are primary considerations the units made for RVs are all 24" wide; some are stackables but most of them are combo washer/dryer, 110v all in one machines. When we began fulltiming in May of '05 Teddy was adamant in her desire to not have a built-in washer and when we upgraded to our Cardinal last July she reaffirmed that position. So I made nice shelves and turned the washer closet into a pantry. Well...About a month ago Teddy finally broke down and admitted that she wished that we had gotten a washer. So...I purchased a Maytag stackable (washer only, she still doesn't want a dryer) through Lowes, removed part of the pantry shelving, and installed it yesterday. As you can see, it is a snug fit but I was able to retain much of our pantry storage above it. It is washing it's first load right now, as I write this, and Teddy is a happy woman.
As Kathy Page on the phone told me last night, "a happy wife makes for a good life", and I can attest to that.
Hmmm...in 6 months she'll probably decide that she wants a dryer.

Up, up and away...

One of our snowbird friends (Jerry Brown from Bronson, Michigan) is an RC airplane hobbyist. He belongs to a very active RC club here in Havasu City. The club has built a mini airport complete with a paved runway and control tower in a public park south of town. The other day Teddy and I drove over to watch Jerry fly his Plane(s). His main plane is very large being 30% in size to the plane from which it is modeled. It sports a 5 hp gas motor simular to those used in weed whackers. It is truly amazing to see him put the plane through its paces with barrel rolls, loop the loops, dives and vertical climbs.
Before takeoff they start the plane in this starting block for a preflight controls check.




Then it's takeoff!







And Off We Go...

Quartzsite

Yesterday we drove down to Quartzsite, AZ for the day to attend the annual RV Show as well as the Craft & Gem Show. We first broused part of the Gem & Mineral area. I bought these agates, amythists, & hematites with the intention of attaching them to the top of golf tees for custom P&J pegs. Teddy bought some quartz crystal specimens.Then we drove over to the "BIG TENT" area where the RV show was being held. We oohed and aahed several expensive MHs and 5W trailers.

Then tireing of that we went (Teddy walking, me on my Segway) into the big tent to brouse some of the vendors. There are literally thousands of vendors hawking their wares and I don't think that we saw half of them.
Finally tireing of the croud we ducked out and headed back to Havasu City; stopping on tha way back at Parker, AZ to dine at a delightful little Scottish restaurant called McDonalds.

Steak Fry

Last night the park had a steak fry at the clubhouse. Been planning for it for a couple of weeks and ended up with over 100 people signed up.











For $5.00 you got a steak, baked potato w/choice of toppings, grilled bread, salad & coffee.








Then afterward we had live entertainment followed by dancing.

Entertainment was provided by The Korte Family Singers. They are a family group of 5 natural sisters from Saskatchewan, Canada. They regaled us with folk, gospel and old standards, interspersed with humor.At one point they picked Jim Babcock (shown here) from the audience to pantomime a song with them.

Cuckoo

Back in Appleton before we sold our house we had both a Grandfather clock & a Cuckoo clock and we sort of miss the hourly announcements of the passage of time. We realized that we now cannot accommodate a Grandfather clock...but... what about a cuckoo clock? Well, I researched cuckoos on the web and we found this owl cuckoo that we liked, ordered it, and it arrived this Monday. We like the carved owls & log design in that it is a little different from the traditional "chalet" style cuckoos.
Nazzie was quite interested in it at first but thankfully, like me, his attention span is quite short and he has gone back to his ongoing study of the hummers that daily visit our feeders.

Margarita Monday!

About once a month or so we have what we call a "Margarita Monday". The ladies all go down to a local watering hole for Margaritas at 4 pm and then we men drive down and join them at five.
However last week the ladies proposed that we do it in the clubhouse and the men would come at five and cook dinner.





So last evening we accepted the challenge. We bought burgers, cooked (heated) up a "Nesco" cooker of beans, bought chips, etc. As you can see everyone appeared to have a real good time. Afterward we played cards for the rest of the evening.
Of course the ladies got to eat first. You can see some of the guys lurking in the background waiting for their chance to belly up to the bar.
Click on photo to enlarge and see if you can find Teddy.

IT's COLD!

Snapped this pict when I got up yesterday morning. Had to break out the long-johns. Seems that the world has turned topsey-turvey. Unseasonably warm in the north and cold in the south. I told Teddy that if this keeps up, folks from Arizona will be going to Canada for the winter. Oh well... as Mark Twain once said, "Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it."

Memory Foam Mattress

The mattresses that manufacturers put in new trailers are generally bottom of the line mattresses and the one in our new Cardinal was not an exception.
Teddy had been complaining of backaches and I was waking up with my arms going to sleep. So we decided to upgrade to a better mattress. After extensive internet research and talking to other owners we decided to go with a "Memory Foam" mattress. If you aren't familar with memory foam it is a foamlike material developed by NASA, that contours to your body and temporarily holds it's shape when depressed. I researched brands & vendors and we finally purchased on-line from Healthy Foundations.
The mattress that came with the Cardinal was king size but we decided to go with a queen so before the new one arrived I had to cut down the bed platform to queen size. The mattress ships vacuum packed and rolled up so that it can be shipped by UPS. When I cut the binding, it rolled flat still in it's vacuum pack and was about two inches thick. Then when we cut the plastic vacuum sleeve and removed it, the mattress swelled to 10" thick in a matter of minutes. It was an amazing process to behold.
Well...we have now slept three nights on it and are quite pleased. Back in Appleton we had a "water bed" for many years and it feels something like a waterbed on steriods; sort of like a waterbed that you sink into. The feeling is hard to describe...It feels firm but yet soft, which doesn't make sense but I cannot think of another way to describe it. At any rate we think that we are going to enjoy our new mattress and look forward to many restful nights on it.

BCS Bowl

Last night we had a big "BCS Bowl" party in the clubhouse.






We had snacks & drinks with the game between Florida and Ohio State projected onto the big screen.




There were two "dollar a square" pools going that payed $25.00 per quarter as well.






Needless to say, neither Teddy nor I won anything.







From these picts you can see that everyone was having a real good time.











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