Eight Is NOT Enough! --- Feb 22, 2015

Eight??  Eight what??  Eight months for me "on the road"!  Seems like so much longer for some reason.  I guess it's because life doesn't race by like it did when I always had so much on my plate I couldn't breathe. Anyway, I'm ready for another month!

It's been in the 80's the past few weeks, which is a bit unseasonably warm, but after today's raucous wind, it will be back into the very pleasant 70's.  Believe it or not, there are sea gulls here in the desert. You can find shells here and there that they have brought in from the coast.  Kinda interesting!

Little by little, people are starting to leave the BLM...most likely to do a little exploring before they head "home" - which is more than likely "north". Hope they take their time with all the cold, snowy weather everywhere!  Brrrrrrrrr.....

March is going to be a little 'busier' than normal.  Have several small repairs and things to do around the place to get finished before heading out of here for the spring/summer.  Caulking, mostly.  The dryness out here shrinks even silicone caulking.  I will go around all the windows and seams. Luckily, I don't have to worry about the [new] roof (that ordeal was a blessing in disguise!) but I'll go up there and check the caulking around the vents, etc. just to be sure.  

I need to install some new latches on some cabinet doors....they fly open when driving (and stuff comes flying out!) if I don't put bungee cords through the handles.  Will do oil checks, battery water checks, fluid checks and tire checks, eventho' I just had that done when I got an oil change not long ago. Also need to reorganize some spaces. It's a good feeling to start off the driving phase with everything as 'in order' as it can be.  It doesn't mean nothing will happen, but hopefully I will have diminished the likelihood in some areas.  

Speaking of the spring/summer (which I know many of you in cold areas are definitely looking forward to!)....I'm making some plans. I learned on my excursion across the country that nothing can be carved in stone, but scoping areas out in advance does help.  You may wonder....."that makes sense, but how does she do that exactly?"  I have saved posts from other RVers, but I pretty much rely on Free Campsites to get me started.  I decide what general direction I want to head then zoom into that area on the site map to see what [free] camping sites are available...they are highlighted by a green tent.  I read the description and if it sounds like a feasible place to park, I start a scribbled log of the coordinates and a few notes. Then I move to the next area that would probably be 3-4 hours away (or less)...read the description, write it down, etc., etc. until I have my basic route planned out. Here's what I'm talking about:

THEN, I go to Mapquest and start the trip "from coordinate xxxx to coordinate xxxx" until I have completed the route.  Mapquest tells me the mileage and driving time of each leg.  That way I can tell if my original driving estimates on Free Campsites are feasible.  Plus I have a reference map of the trip.  If I stay at each site for the duration allowed (a few days up to 14 days), I could be camping for about 26 weeks...for free!  In addition to "free", another primary objective is higher/cooler elevations. It takes a little time to do all this, but with the uncertainty of having internet along the way, best to do research now.  

As you can see, my initial plan is not wide spread travel this summer.  I will be circling around the "Four Corners" area of the west.  Four Corners obviously comes from where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona adjoin each other.  There is actually a monument in that very spot so you can have your picture taken in four states at once!  This route goes around several Indian reservations. Anyway, this is the tentative plan.  Even with "plans", you just have to take one day at a time.  

This is also Nikko's one month anniversary as a full time RVer!  

To celebrate, I got him a couple of those rawhide chew things.  He devoured the first one in 1/2 hour then konked out!  (I thought it would last a couple of days!) 

 But, the second one....well, he has paid virtually no attention to it!

He is adapting very well!  He knows our walking path better than I do.  He's funny on it, tho'.  In a few spots there are distinct sharp left turns (like a corner).  Well, after a few days of going to the corner and turning, he realized he can simply bypass/cut across the corner and get to the rest of the path.  He is still the #1 guard dog!  I don't see that ever changing....which is a good thing when camping alone in remote areas.  He is always watching for anything and everything out the windows...even going behind the curtains....

There is one scary creature he absolutely detests...the very intimidating Yorkshire Terrier!  I mean they are soooooo big and dangerous!  LOL!   We have met many other dogs, large and small, and after a few seconds of introduction he is fine with them and vice versa.  However, we've encountered three Yorkies and it has NOT been a good scene! (Sorry, Bob!!)  He HATES them!  It's a dog world mystery. So now we do everything we can to just stay away from them.  

Some neighbors are having a Chili Fest on Thursday.  They are a nice, older (but active!) couple from Washington and do this every year.  Merle is remodeling a vintage teardrop camper while they are here. They make meat chili and vegetarian chili.  The whole BLM isn't invited, of course, but they have invited quite a few people - some I have met already.  Should be a good time.  They are really nice people.

That about wraps it up from here this week.  

Of course, there have been more great sunrises and sunsets!  

Stay warm wherever you are!  Spring IS on the way!

THANK YOU for shopping AMAZON.COM from my blog!  

Up, Up and Away!! -- Feb 10, 2015

Hey everyone!

It's a bright, sunny, warm day (like all of them!) here at the BLM this morning.  Enjoying some English Breakfast tea and English muffins with chipotle jam!  Good start to the day!

I'm going to go backwards with events on this post...starting with this past Sunday.  This first two hour happening will have a lot of photos!  Nikko (I'll talk about him a little later) and I took a walk in the mid afternoon.  Nothing too eventful about that.  But when we got back to the RV, I looked out just to the left of the reservoir into the nearby rolling hills where there are some hiking trails and slowly rising from behind one of the hills I saw this!

Obviously, I raced inside to get my cameras.  I didn't know which direction it was headed and I didn't want to miss any of this unexpected event!  The balloon slowly floated up and over the reservoir, which, you may recall, is right in front of my 'house'.  

I figured that would be pretty much the end of it and it would float off into oblivion.....WRONG!  It started coming down toward the water....I got a great shot with Castle Dome directly behind the balloon.  

Then, to my surprise, it came down ON the water!  

In a couple of minutes, the pilot positioned it into a little inlet...

He continued the up in the air, then down to the water sequence several times...moving to the other side of the reservoir.  At once point he touched down on the opposite sand shore for a few minutes....note the cool, vintage Airstream camping on the water's edge! 

Again, I surmised he would just "float around" and then away....WRONG AGAIN!  He decides he going to head down into the deep crevice just below me...at this point he is quite close!  This guy was a masterful pilot!

Then he rose up out of the crevice and came up the hill right behind me.  

It was getting late in the day and the sun was lowering in the west, so I knew he would wind up his "show" soon.  He drifted about a little while then headed to the northern part of the BLM where his crew was waiting.  WOW!  That was a great two hours!  I took tons of photos, as I'm sure you can imagine.  

Goodbye!  

Thanks for the surprise visit!

OK -- what next?  I saw a pretty sky prism one day.  I just happened to look outside at the right time. They don't last very long.  I still don't know why they form on a sunny, dry day.  

The Sunday before last Nikko and I took a stroll down to the Gravel Pit Ramada for the weekly music fest (I finally made it down there!)  I wanted to get him a little used to a larger group of people. 

There are quite a few musicians out here.  Many live along "Music Row" which is behind my area...brings like minds easily together during the week for play and practice.  I would say most are guitarists (easy instrument to travel with). There are a few singers and miscellaneous instrument musicians.  This group plays mostly "old" country which I'm not as familiar with so I was happy to hear a little Roy Orbison (The Big O) in the mix!  It was fun and Nikko did pretty well but wasn't fond of being too near the speakers.  He can probably hear a lot of sounds we can't!  

This brings us to the Nikko details.  We've been together sixteen days now and he is doing very good! He's settled in nicely and knows the RV is his home.  I must say, his inherent, Secret Service, "guard dog" instincts are always at work!  He does not want anything or anyone near the RV!  The boy CAN bark!  But, that's the only time he makes a sound.  So, if anything or anyone approaches, I can trust that his bark is alerting me to something and he's not just barking to hear himself.  

Isn't he handsome!!  :-) 

He minds pretty well so far and walks good on the leash.  He does get annoyed when I'm on the laptop.  He has learned that means I'm focused on something beside him!  He MUST, relentlessly, keep putting his paw ON the keyboard!  When I turn the generator on, it lulls him to sleep -- that's kinda funny!  

He knows "dark" means bedtime.  He sleeps curled up in a tiny space on the floor right next to my bed on a fluffy blanket, eventho' he has the whole RV to himself.  He also knows "light" means morning and as soon as I start moving around like I'm awake, he jumps up on the bed to be sure I stay awake and GET UP!  

SIDE NOTE:  I must put in a plug about the food I give Nikko (and other dogs I've had). It's BIL-JAC.  I swear by this food!  His coat was very dull, his skin was flaky and his teeth were extra yellowed when I picked him up.  Within just a few days on Bil-Jac, his coat was shiny, no flaking and now, after a few weeks, his teeth are getting brighter and brighter.  Amazing transformation!  Others around here have noticed it, too, and are switching to Bil-Jac.  It's a family owned business since 1947 in Medina, OH. It's not inexpensive food, but it's worth every penny!  Try it with your dog(s) and see the difference! It's available at Petsmart, or you can order it on Amazon.  

I didn't go out to the Dog Burn this past full moon, Feb 3rd, but I did get a nice shot of the moon rising over the reservoir:

Apparently, there was a 4-point-something earthquake out here this past Sunday night around 7:30pm.  I guess it broke some water mains that run the water into the BLM.  If I did notice it, I must have thought it was the wind...but if I'd thought about it, I knew it wasn't windy at all that day -- or the balloon wouldn't have been on its voyage!  

I think that about wraps it up for this post!  Hope you enjoyed the balloon ride!  I'll leave you with a few new landscape photos.  

Make it a good week!

Rescued! -- Jan 26, 2015

Hi everyone!

First, thanks for your continued Amazon orders via the link here on my blog!  Every little bit helps! Remember.....Valentine's Day is coming up!  

I hope the first month of 2015 has been good to you...health, wealth and weather!  We've had marvelous weather here at the BLM near Yuma.  70's and sun every day.  EXCEPT today...it's a rainy one -- few and far between, but it really helps keep the dust down and contributes greatly to having beautiful desert flowers in the spring :-)  

I've had a few "pro" golf days...well, that might be a slight exaggeration!  One day I actually made a hole in one.  Whoa!  All the guys I play with were certainly surprised....maybe more surprised than I was!  LOL!  We tried another desert course down the road last Tuesday.  There is NOTHING flat about that course, like our daily course.   This one is full of hills, canyons and big mesquite trees and bushes...can hardly see the flags. And millions of rocks, of course.  It's a par 3/nine holes.  Nine was enough!  At least 1/3 of the time is spent looking for balls out there...you really can't see where they go...it's kind of a shot in the dark.  We divided up into two teams of four each. As usual, I was the only gal playing. Anyway,  it was my first try at that [obstacle] course and I carried my team by somehow making 3 pars....and a birdie on the last hole.  I made the only birdie out of everyone that day!  

So much for my 15 minutes of [ golf ] fame!

Now for the BIG news!  As you might remember, I had adopted Cody before I started on this RV adventure.  Sadly, for several reasons, he just wasn't cut out to be an RV traveler  :-(  so I had to surrender him.   I've been looking for months for a dog that, hopefully, will fit the bill.  

Meet Nikko !

I spotted him on a Phoenix rescue group's website.  He was described as a Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix (it's a "designer mix" sometimes called Shepinois or German Malinois), "sweet" and "gets along with other dogs and people". Not much to go on, so I called the shelter.  The owner (Ann - a pilot for JetBlue) said they rescued him from the Phoenix "pound" where he was on the "kill list".  She knew he didn't belong there! He had already been in two other rescue shelters...a Shepherd rescue and an Akita rescue.  He's only about 4 years old...what a miserable life.  Then somehow, he ended up at the "pound".  They had put him on the list because he was so "submissive" they didn't think anyone would adopt him.  Wouldn't you be submissive after such an unsettled life??  Who knows what he's been through....

Once Ann and her volunteer group rescued Nikko, and actually gave him some positive attention, he became everyone's favorite.  But, he still hadn't been adopted after being there for a whole year!  So, I decided to make the 4 hour drive to Phoenix on Saturday to meet him.  The rescue shelter is in downtown PHX and not in the best section of town, but that didn't stop me!  I walked into this very small, hole-in-the-wall place and it was chaotic!  I could hear LOTS of dogs barking in the back and most all of Ann's volunteers are Spanish-speaking, so for me, that just added to the craziness.  And there were other people in there looking to adopt...it seems they all wanted the small, yapping-type dogs.  UGH...not my type.  

Anyway, they brought Nikko (just one of the 4-5 names he's had over the years) out and understandably, he was a bit reserved.  Nikko is about 54 lbs - truly a medium-sized dog, but a bit on the smaller side for this mixed breed.  (Cody was 80+ lbs). We took a little walk outside and he was pretty good on the leash, but was used to Ray, who walked him every day.  We made a visit inside the RV and he didn't seem to have any problems with it.  Took a few more walks around and then he headed back to the RV door on his own!  Ray said he was very good....always waited to go outside for his "potty break"...would never go in his pen.  And never seemed aggressive or "scary".   

After about 2.5 hours with him, I said, "Yes!"  And off we went.  He was a little excited in the RV at first...couldn't figure out the best way to look out the window(s).  But once he realized the couch was the best vantage point to look out ALL the windows, he was a happy traveler!  I left him in the RV while I ran into PetSmart for food, etc.  He was fine when I got back in about 1/2 hour.    

We had a long drive back to our site and he was just perfect the whole way.  We stopped in Quartzsite for overnight because it was getting late and we were both exhausted from our big day. We only had an hour to go, but I couldn't drive another minute!  We took a little walk and had dinner then lights out about 7:30pm.  He was quiet the whole night sleeping on the rug and/or the couch.  

Up early in the morning, breakfast, walk, and on down to our campsite an hour away.  He was great.

Here are his best characteristics so far, although realistically, any could change as he settles in....

    * He doesn't make a sound!  No barking, whimpering, whining....NOTHING!  I have never had a dog that makes no sounds at all!    
    * Housebroken
    * Calm
    * Does not jump up on me or other people
    * Seems quite attached to me already
    * Rides well in the RV
    * Lives well in the RV
    * Walks well on a leash
    * Knows "sit" and has already learned to "stay" and not bound out of the RV when we're ready for our walks
    * Trusts that I'm his "person".  Found that out when I introduced him to some folks around here.  He was fine with them, but understandably hesitant.  Stayed by me, listened to me and looked to me for directions.

FYI - The Belgian Malinois and/or the "Shepinois" have replaced German Shepherds in many roles, i.e., military maneuvers and as police and border patrol dogs.  They guard the White House (the U.S. Secret Service uses the Shepinois exclusively) and they were utilized in the Bin Laden raid.   Here is a link that describes the mix in detail, if you are interested:  Shepinois

So, all in all, we've had a good first couple of days.  A little at a time, tho',  It will take us both awhile to get acclimated to our new life together and establish routines.  I see a lot of hikes in our future!  

Can't leave you without some recent sunrise/sunset photos!

Visitors to this BLM camping area sometimes drive or walk up to my site to see the view of the reservoir from the very best vantage point :-)

They should visit at sunrise!

Thanks for letting me share Nikko's story with you! 

As one fellow Facebook RVer put it...

"Another human saved by animal adoption!"

LOL!   

Everyone have a great week!

   
   
   

Ye Ol' Campground.... Jan 13, 2015

Hello from [now] warmer Arizona!  That cold snap that hit the west coast and came on into Arizona has passed us now.  We're into the more "normal" temps...which are pretty much perfect!  Sunny and 70's most days.  Let's see....that's good for golf, hiking, biking, walking, visiting neighbors, saving on propane for heat, solar power...well, lots of things!  We did have a downpour for quite awhile the other day.  It filled most of the cups on the desert golf course up with water.  Yesterday when anyone made a birdie, it was "KERPLOP"!   This morning, it was just "UGH" as they are now filled with goopy mud!  But, it dries out quickly here!

So, what's been going on?  The night of January 5th, was the full moon [hot]dog burn.  Normally it's quite close to the campgrounds, but this month we went west a good 45 minutes to an area known as The Valley of the Names.  (It is only accessible by 4WD.  Thanks to Brad and Karen for driving!) It's a pretty unique spot on the earth.  For over 60 years people have been bringing rocks (yes, you have to bring your own rocks!) to this desert acreage in order to spell out their names, those of departed friends, and messages...an open desert time capsule, of sorts.  It is many acres in size.  No one has disturbed these stone inscriptions for all these years. It would be best viewed from a low flying plane, but here are a few examples of what I'm describing:

For us, this was the "Memorial Dog Burn", which takes place every January.
 With a little wine toast, we paid tribute to a fellow RVer, "Bullshipper", (and others who have departed) who was a friend of many folks who winter here at the BLM.  

A very thoughtful remembrance...

Then...on to the dog burn!

As you can see, it was a virtual inferno!  

But the warmth was welcomed as it was a bit blustery that night.

 Inventive souls come up with barriers (an auto sun screen!) 

to "beat the heat" in order to roast their dogs to perfection.

A good time for everyone!

One morning while we were congregating at the edge of the golf course, getting ready to start the round, there were two burros....an adult and a youngster....right next to the camper of a fellow golfer who parks on the edge of the course.  They sometimes wander among the RVs.  I very, very rarely have my cell phone with me for golf, but luckily, I did that day.  (Always have a camera with you!) The start of the golf game was put on hold until I ran over to get some up close and personal shots.  I wasn't going to make any sudden moves, but in a couple of minutes they came over to me and allowed petting. I probably could have stayed there with them for hours. They were very sweet and docile.....but, they don't like dogs!  Probably from fending off coyotes (and maybe loose dogs) in their natural habitat.  

Believe it or not, you're looking at our golf course where the bushes start...

Who could resist those big, brown eyes??  

Of course, we continue to be blessed with beautiful sunrises...

Here's a little story:

Last week sometime, I drove over into the Mittry Lake area, which was on my way back from errands in Yuma.  It's a bumpy, dirt road...surprise!  LOL!   One objective was to check out the possibility of hanging out there for a few days for a change of scenery and the other objective was to take a few photos of the arson fire remains.  There were many, many charred areas.  

I turned around to come back and in a couple of minutes, I habitually looked in my side view mirror eventho' it is fairly desolate around there...no cars/trucks/RVs at all coming or going.  I saw something flapping around at the back of the RV.  I thought it must be something I had on the cargo carrier (although I couldn't imagine what it would be) had come loose.  I stopped, got out and walked toward the back.  

OMG!  One of the two holding straps for the grey water tank had broken.  That end of the tank was now about 2 inches from the ground (normally about 8-9".)  Hmmmm....what to do????  I didn't dare drive any further.  The whole tank could have very easily come off.  I got under the RV and tried to lift the tank up (not that it would have done any good).  Too heavy.  Well, dummy, it was full of water! (My next stop was going to be the dump station).  I slowly pulled over just a little and had no choice but to empty the soap water right on the ground.  (NOT allowed!).  But there really wasn't anything else I could do.  That made the plastic tank quite light.  Now what??  I had some bungee cords so I wrapped those around the tank to hold it up.  But they are "elastic"...not too practical on a bumpy road.  I was still lamenting about what to do when VOILA! A truck came by out of no where!

An older Mexican man stopped and, in broken English, asked if I needed help.  YES!  He surveyed the problem and guess what?  Right on his belt, he had a big role of wire!  I figured out he is a concrete worker and uses rebar and wire a lot on his job.  What luck!  He got under the RV and wrapped the wire around the tank several times.  Perfect!  Ascension saved the day!  We gave each other a big hug and went our opposite ways.  I still have to fix it some way, but the wire will hold for a little while.  It was my lucky day!  

         

THE END...A HAPPY ONE!  

You all may wonder how things work when someone has a true medical emergency out here....one that surpasses calling the paramedics at the Proving Ground Base like I did that night.  Well, on Sunday afternoon, there was one such emergency.  It wasn't too far from where I am parked, but far enough that I don't know the details.  An official SUV, two ambulances and a firetruck responded from Yuma.  From my vantage point and from the time lapse of activity, it must have been something that needed "medical attention", but it wasn't an emergency that had everyone scrambling around and the ambulance racing out of here at top speed and flashing lights, although they did transport the person into Yuma.  Since there hasn't been any talk about it that I've heard, I'm hoping that means the person is basically okay and just needed assistance of some sort that only a medical facility could provide.

This brings us to today.  It started with a few holes of golf, then off to the campground auction.  The auction items are donated by fellow RVers and the proceeds benefit the BLM library (The Liberry) and the new Senator Wash newsletter (which is quite extensive, I might add!)  A lot of work goes into these BLM community activities...all voluntary of course.  As is usually the case in most communities of any kind, a handful of folks do the bulk of the organization, etc.  One of those big contributors was our auctioneer, "Slobberjaws".  He is helpfully involved in just about everything around here, including the emergency response team.

There were all kinds of items in the auction, from pies and pastries, to model cars and trucks (which brought quite a few dollars!) to champagne cork trivets...

....to more practical RV and camping supplies such as a heater, a screen room, propane connectors, etc. I picked up an Olympus digital camera just one model different than my current one.  There is something wrong with the download feature on mine that would be too costly to get repaired, plus, if you recall, the batteries are held in with duct tape! My current lenses fit this new body, so it all worked out...and for a good price, too!  I cannot be without a fully functional camera and/or back up camera.  

And, of course....food was served!

I'm working on a "project" that I need to finish before I leave here in April.  I'll give you some sneak previews in my next post.  For the longest time out here it was too hot to work on it!

I will leave you with a few new sunset photos....  

Have a good week and stay warm in those colder climates!

Au revoir!