Yuma Air Show At The MCAS

Saturday: (03/27) Maple and Brown sugar oatmeal and yogurt with jam for breakfast. After breakfast we headed to town to the air show at the Yuma Marine Corp Air Station. We parked at the fairgrounds which seemed to be where the people who wanted the best views of the flights were. We also wanted to see the ground displays so we walked around to the gate to the base and walked in. There were a lot of toys on display from radio controlled drones to a B52 bomber. We enjoyed looking around and chatting with many of the attendants. We finally learned (maybe) what the blimp is that hovers around East of our campsite over Yuma Proving Grounds. Evidently it's an unmanned radar blimp which is part of our border patrol operations., at least that's what we think the border patrol pilot told us.We thought it was part of the Army Proving Grounds. Who knows? The Harrier Jump Jets are also interesting.

We sthen went to lunch at the Eat Chinese buffet again. After lunch, we stopped by the local Jeep dealer to look at jeeps. Frankly, they don't look too good. Way too much plastic. We also looked at a Chevy crew cab pickup 4x4. It looked better. the hunt is on.

We then headed home. The weather was pretty nice all day but a little breezy. I went up on the roof and did the touchup of the caulking on the front seam. Lou worked on her dolls. We had an evening campfire using the last of our never ending logs.


Lots to see at the air show including a rather rare jet powered outhouse.


The Cocopah Patriot Jets. And a group of precision biplanes.


Lots of loud jets passing by overhead. The bomb squad truck might make a nice base for a motorhome.


Even though there were a lot of folks there, it wasn't really crowded. The star was the Harrier jets hovering, backing up and taking off an landing vertically.

Kripple Kreek Lazy Daze

Monday: (03/22) Lou arose early as usual to feed and watch the birds. I fixed Don McMuffins for breakfast which we enjoyed outside watch the birds.


I took off on another photo hike this morning to Squaw Lake.


It's been several days since I last was out there and the cactus flowers were just starting.


They were better today.


I hiked some new paths but returned to where I knew I found some good flowers on the previous hike.


There are a lot of barrel cacti out here by the lake and a few are in bloom.


On my way there, I passed through a wash and disturbed three coyotes which scattered in three directions as i approached. I enjoyed watching them and then remembered I had a camera but it was mostly too late and I only got a distant photo of one. Sometimes I wish I could think more quickly but then I would have actually missed seeing them other than in a view finder. Maybe I need a helmet camera that just takes pictures of everything I see. Hummm!

When I returned back to camp Lou was gone to the Post Office in Bard or so I thought. That was one of here destinations. The other was a visit to Sun Garden Date Ranch. She checked out the place, determined it had nicer picnic areas but a little higher prices. When she tried to leave, the car wouldn't start. She called the auto club and when they came out the tow driver wiggled the the battery cable and it started. I suspect that had nothing to do with the problem and that our transmission start switch is bad again. Everything else worked fine and there was no clicking or dimming when Lou tried to start the car. We'll see what happens.

It's was another warm day today. We enjoyed an early campfire just because we like them and have a lot of firewood. The logs burn very slowly so we started the fire at 5pm. we enjoyed a fire until 9pm without adding wood to the fire and only a couple of pokes needed. About 8pm we started to get a little rain as in very thin sprinkles. Not enough to cause us to go inside.

Tuesday: (03/23) Lou was up early as usual to attend to the birds. It's cloudy this morning and we have a 20% chance of more rain but generally it looks like we wont have much sun today. Breakfast was leftover pancakes with strawberries and some bacon.

We tinkered at home all morning. The solar barely kept up with my use. I was working on Lou's laptop trying to speed things up and also update  her inventory program. Things started to clear up in the afternoon. We had some of Lou's chicken potato salad. This version had garlic pepper sauce (normally Tabasco, but we were out) added and we call it Iranian Chicken Salad after a former coworker of Lou's. He was Iranian and brought it to work for lunch quite often.

After lunch, Jeannie from Quartzsite arrived. We went over her new website maintenance procedures. Her dog Goldie seemed to enjoy visiting our little place in the sun though the birds didn't hang around too much during her visit.

I looked at the car and confirmed that it is the gear selector switch that is bad and wont let the car start. I did find a way to wiggle it to start it for the moment. Too bad there aren't any Volvo dealers or specialty garages in or near Yuma.


We shared a roast beef sandwich for dinner then walked up to the Senator Wash Reservoir. I took the high road along the mountain peaks to the reservoir. Lou took the path by the beaver pond. We met at the reservoir and Lou made a couple of phone calls before we walked back via the road arriving home at 7pm as it got dark.

Wednesday: (03/24) Lou fixed corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. After breakfast and before my shower, I went out to work on the car. Might have been a dirt job but it wasn't. I disassembled the cover from around the gear selector and found that the position switch had come loose from the pin on the lever. I added a couple of washers as spacers to movew the switch closer to the pin and all works fine for now. Lou knows what it is and could easily disassemble if it happens again. This is exactly what was wrong a few  years ago in Sante Fe, NM where the Volvo shop replaced the switch. I always get the parts back and tested the switch later when we got back home and found nothing wrong with the original switch. Hopefully the washers make a longer lasting repair. Nowadays I hate to mess with things I don't know about, like the car. We usually leave it to the experts but so many experts aren't even up to the amateur level it sometimes makes my fumbling efforts better.

We packed up a leftover roast beef sandwich and some chips and headed down to the Sun Garden Date farm in bard for a date shake. It's located right across the field from the imperial Date farm but the picnic area is nicer. We enjoyed our shakes and sandwich. Those date milk shakes are quite good.

We drove over to Mitry Lake and Betty's Kitchen. Betty's Kitchen was a cafe in a former village that was flooded out in 1983 below Imperial Dam. The BLM did not allow the village to rebuild the damaged buildings and the village is now a wildlife viewing area. We also explored some of the remote campsites near the lake. Maybe a future campsite was found located well away from the dust road that goes by the lake.

Dinner tonight was sausage, onions, and cabage.

Thursday: (03/25) We got up early and tried something new. We drove down to the campground at Squaw Lake and took showers, or almost. Lou was successful, The two I tried didn't work and I gave up. So what if I'm a little aromatic. After breakfast of leftover corned beef hash and eggs we were on the road to Los Algodones, Mexico again.

It's time for my teeth to be cleaned so that was first on the list. I walked in without an appointment and was out the door in less than 30 minutes with at least as good a job as I get at home, all for $25, 1/5th the cost at home. We then went to an optical shop and ordered glasses. Lou got two pair of her all featured glasses (transition bifocals, photoactive, Unbreakable). The first pair was $269, the second at half price was $135. At home a single pair would have been more than $700. I got another pair of cheap bifocal glasses this time adjusted for use with the computer rather than for reading (a little more distance for the close part). Mine were $39. I'm just learning to use glasses and I got these because Lou is tired of seeing me scowl at the laptop computer screen. Our eye exams were $10 each.

While we waited for our glasses to be made we went to lunch at our favorite little shrimp taco joint. We had shrimp tacos and tomales with a milk shake. We're going to have to find a place like this at home.

After lunch we found a beauty shop/barber shop. Lou got a perm and trim ($14) and I got a haircut ($3).

We returned to pickup our glasses and were ready to depart. Unlike our previous visits to Mexico a couple of weeks ago, there was no line to exit. We were on the road home by 3pm. We stopped for gas and then at the market before returning home. The weather was nice all day. The high was 84 degrees but it's quite comfortable.

Dinner was some of Lou's Iranian chicken salad and rice pudding.

We are now almost ready to leave. Just a couple of more things on the agenda. The air show at the Marine Base in Yuma on Saturday and the Yuma County Fair starting Tuesday. With all that done we can leave as early as next Wednesday. Current plan is to head toward the Anza Borrego Desert State Park on our way North.

Friday: (03/26) Breakfast was leftover pancakes and bacon. Lou was off on another trip to the thrift stores. I removed the caulk and resealed the front roof seam on the RV. We've had a leak above the passenger seat. I'd put repairing it off long enough.

For lunch, I had leftover chicken salad and rice pudding. lou stopped for a taco salad.


Some of the flowers around our campsite.


The cholla plant out side our door has a beavertail cactus next to it. This is the plant to bird was stuck in a few days ago.

I also started processing my recent pictures. Eventually some will make it to this blog.

Lou returned and we enjoyed some pork sauerkraut and potatoes that had cooked all day in the crock pot.

As it was getting dark we started walking down to our beaver pond. we were delayed visiting with Ann, Mary and Howard our neighbors from up the wash. They are leaving tomorrow. We made it up to the pond as it was nearly dark. We did enjoy spotting two beaver swimming in the pond. After a while, the darkness and the mosquitoes caused us to head back toward home.


We stopped off at Ann, Mary and Howard's for a glass or two of wine and some conversation.

Don McMuffins

We often want a quick simple lasting breakfast. What we call Don McMuffins are the answer.

We pan fry the inside of English muffins with a touch of butter. some meat dojour. We usually use butterflied Italian sausage halves or a country sausage patty but sometimes use ham or bacon. Fry an egg for each muffin about the size of the muffin. Break the yolk when cooking. Layer a patty of cheese dojour between the muffin, the meat, the egg and the muffin as glue. Pop the whole thing in the microwave for 30 seconds each.

We usually have precooked sausage or bacon or lunch meat ham available that can either be warmed in the fry pan or microwave,  if frozen. Our favorite cheese for this is pepperjack but any kind works well.

After the mufffin comes out of the microwave oven the top will need to be repositioned again since it always skates off. Hang on and enjoy your breakfast.

Picacho State Recreation Area

Saturday: (03/20) We had maple and brown sugar oatmeal with yogurt and peach preserves. We finally were on the road to the Picacho State  Recreation Area North of us along the river by about 10:30 not too early but plenty of day left. We had to return most of the way back toward Yuma then turn off S24 toward the park. There is about 20 miles of dirt and gravel road. The road was almost too much for our poor little Volvo. The washboard section for about the first 3 miles was no problem. After that though there were several very long 1/4 mile sections of deeply rutted sand which we barely made it through dragging our bottom along. We only have 4-5 inches of ground clearance. After that couple of miles of intermittent worrisome sand the road was fairly nice all the rest of the way. Since I was cruising at about 25-30 miles per hour to slide through the bad spots we made it to our destination in no time.


By 11:30 we were having an early lunch of ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches at the Lower Dock of Picacho SRA. We were the only vehicle there which did worry us a little since we have to return through the bad section again and it would be nice to have some big bruiser of a 4x4 behind us on the way out to offer us a tow if needed.


There were about 20 canoes and kayaks tied up at the dock and the tour boat from Fisherman's Landing at Martinez Lake. The canoes and kayaks turned out to belong to a Boy Scout Troop on a multi-day camping trip down the river.


I call this Picacho peal since it's the tallest thing around and rises above the old mine site. Of course the flowers were all around.


We hiked the Stamp Mill Trail to a couple of old stamp mills. Frankly the trail toward the mill site isn't too inviting but once you are up a ways the views over the river are great. It was rather an interesting hike of about a mile out through some colorful hills with different colored sections of rock. Like an artists paint pallet. The mills are very ruined including the Lower Mill Site. Nature is reclaiming the area.


We got a special treat at the Lower Stamp Mill which was just above a small channel off the river. A group of what we think were river otters were playing in the pond. unfortunately we only got partial looks of a couple. The others were just playing and splashing behind the reeds. Definitely made the hike worth Lou's extra effort to hike out.


Lou watching  the river otters from the Lower Mill Site. There is some old equipment remnants including these gold wash tubs on the right above.


The Upper Mill Site above left had some rusting equipment around it including an old boiler. Lou starts back on the trail from the Upper Mill above right.


I also took a side trail to the Railroad Canyon while Lou made here way back. There was an old narrow gauge railroad that ran from the mine to the mill and the grade is still there. In fact it's too bad it isn't used as the road instead of the wash because it's on rock rather than sand and, even though an maintained for over a hundred years is in excellent shape with no washouts, unlike the road in the wash. There is only one problem. It ends at the site of a missing old tresstle that brought the ore to above the mill. There is no way down now so the old roadbed makes a nice trail.

About 3:00 we started back. While on our way out we didn't pass any vehicles coming or going. On the way back we passed dozens. There were so many coming out that I didn't always get my best choice of ruts from either side of the road. I had to settle for the right side ruts. We slipped back through with almost no trouble except for one spot where we almost ended up at a stop which would have meant we were stuck. We barely inched through. Next year I intend to have something with more ground clearance and 4x4 drive hooked behind the RV for trips like this.

After we got back on the paved road toward home I thought how nice these bumpy old paved roads really are.

We stopped at the imperial Date Farm for date milk shakes on our way home. A nice topper for the afternoon. Fortunately, again today the high temperature didn't reach the forecast high so it was a really nice day. Tonight we had leftover spaghetti and sausages for dinner.

Sunday: (03/21) Lou fixed strawberry pancakes with sausage for breakfast. Another easy day at home. Lunch was left over ham and Swiss sandwiches from yesterday embellished with pickles and avocado.


About 3pm we took a walk by the beaver pond and up to the Senator Wash Lake then back home via a burro trail. Today wasn't too hot but it was very smoggy and a little muggy. Why smog here in the empty desert? It does get around.

Lou fixed coleslaw, brown rice and chicken for dinner. After dinner we had a nice campfire using some very slow burning logs we picked up at an abandoned campsite. Now we know why the left them.

Kripple Kreek Gasette

Monday: (03/15) We were off to town fairly early stopping for breakfast at Brownie's Cafe for breakfast. Lou had the Cowboy cinnamon roll (sliced roll buttered and grilled) with ham. I had their corned beef hash and eggs. Everything was great.

We then accomplished the mission of the day, doing our laundry. Next stop was the Palms shopping center for a look around a few places. After wasting the rest of the morning it was time for lunch at Logan's Roadhouse. Lou had BBQ chicken with a sweet potato and salad. i had a pork chop with homemade potato chips and coleslaw. And of course we had their peanuts while we waited adding our contribution of shells on the floor.

We stopped at Walmart's for a couple of things and topped off our gas. We then drove out to Mitry Lake to see what it was like. It's basically just across the river from our camp. Some of the sites look quite nice for  a future visit. While there we chatted with a couple of ladies that, as it turns out were some of our fellow campers in Kripple Kreek. They had come to the lake via our side of the dirt road we were on so we returned home directly via that road rather than the expected return the way we had come.

Dinner was just yogurt. Our lunch lasted. We topped off the evening with a walk to the beaver pond in hopes of seeing our beaver friends but were not so fortunate. We also enjoyed a last campfire with our neighbors from Calgary Gunter and Hilda who will be leaving tomorrow.

Tuesday: (03/16) Lou was off early to the beaver pond in continued hope of sighting the beast. I remained home knowing that it would happen if I weren't with her. She got to see it a couple of times. When she returned we ate oatmeal with brown sugar and yogurt with jam for breakfast.


Our neighbors from Calgary (in the Sea Breeze motorhome just like ours) departed for home this morning. After we said our goodbyes, I took a hike up and over the mountain to the lake and by the mines.


There were a lot of nice cactus flowers near the lake that posed for pictures.


It's amazing what a difference a day can make in the flowers. None of these were open yesterday. Timing is everything.


I especially like these beavertail cactus flowers.


For some reason  the flowers look better with a lake near them.


Not only do the cactus flower. There is quite a variety. Sometimes you do have to think small though.


The ocotillo has a pretty flower.


A little color here and there and pretty soon the hills look nice.


Just behind our campground over the hill is the Old Senator Mine.

Lou worked at home cleaning the car up some, went to the post office and worked on dolls.

When I got back from my hike we enjoyed a hearty lunch of chips and avocado dip. Then, I enjoyed a nice long afternoon nap.

Dinner was asparagus, tofu, and tortellini that Lou created.

Wednesday: (03/17) Lou was up early again and picked up a neighbor to see the beaver again. They got one glimpse of the beast. I went down to see if i could get a look but it had already canceled future shows for the morning. They walked the road back home while i took the burro trail along the ridge to the West of our camp. When we returned home we had the same breakfast as yesterday, oatmeal with brown sugar and yogurt with jam.


Another hike for me this morning. I hiked over the mountain then along the other half of the lake shore to the Imperial Dam. I got to see some of the barrel cacti in bloom.

Lou worked on her dolls.


Lots of flowers in the washes and by the lake.

Lunch was leftover bean soup and asparagus, tofu, and tortellini. Dinner was corned beef, cabbage and potatoes cooked in the crock pot.

Thursday: (03/18) Lou was off to the beaver pond again and had one sighting. I worked on posting the photos from the past week or so. When Lou returned we had breakfast. Lou had leftover asparaus tofu ravioli and I had leftover Mexican rice with fish.

Lou fixed a chef salad for lunch.

We had a neighbor camper stop by for a chat and she mentioned she had camped in our spot in a previous year and had gotten a cholla cactus thorn in her finger. the cholla cactus is about 12 feet from our door and near the bird water pan Lou placed out. Wit hthe water and food Lou has drawn quite a bird following. There is quite a lot of activity. A little too much for one poor bird that got caught in the cholla cactus. I had to release it, a potential sticky situation. i used our fire poker. The bird hopped away exhausted but returned by my chair to thank me before leaving. Hopefully it is OK.

We relaxed in camp all day, me doing nothing at the computer while Lou worked on the dolls painting freckles.

Dinner was Italian sausage added to the leftover potatoes and carrots from last nights corned beef and cabbage.

Friday: (03/19) Lou fixed corned beef hash for breakfast. We did a little cleaning of the RV before we headed off to town. The carpet got spray cleaned and needed to dry.

We stopped and looked at some ATV's We kind of like the Yanaha Razor 4, a four seat ATV or RTV. We'll have to find someplace that rents them. We also stopped at a few stores. We stopped at some model homes including some that were made with block bricks with foam in the bricks ending up with R35 walls, probably needed if someone wants to live here during the summer.

About 2pm we had lunch at Eat Asian Supper Buffet on Pacific in Yuma.

We managed to waste another day and topped it off with a stop at the Walmart store for groceries and drinking water. The real necessity of our trip to town was for filtered water refills. We returned home after dark.

Who needed dinner after the buffet. We had some rice pudding cups.