Jan 8 Yuma Arizona

Our Home for the next few days after driving 2700 miles.or 4300 kilometers.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon to this camping spot  where we caught up with about a dozen of our friends from previous years. 

After a quiet day on Sunday we set out for a hike through the fields of vegetables that are harvested in this area. The Colorado valley spans thousands of acres in both sides of the Colorado river in California  and Arizona. About 80% of the fresh vegetables in both Canada and the USA are supplied from this area in the winter.

They are harvesting brocolli in this picture. The produce is picked and packed right into the boxes that are piled at the front of this wagon. When the wagon is fully loaded the front wheels are removed and a truck haules this trailer back to the distribution center. These boxes are then delivered to the super markets with out any further handling

They pick 12 rows at a time with one person picking each row, they place the trimmed broccoli on a shelf in front of them, and then a crew on the wagon gives them a final check and they are packed into the shipping boxes.

One of the pickers called us over and he gave us 4 fresh heads, brocolli salad for supper.

The workers are a mix of mostly illegal and unducumented citizens. A few are legal citizens. Not sure what will happen if they are all deported or no longer allowed to cross on a daily bases. The bus in the picture brings them to and from the field.

This trailer is waiting to be picked up.

 

Yesterday when we left to go into town to stock up, we discovered a front tire that was low on air. The tire shop would not repair it as they were to close to the wear limit. We have been putting of buying new tires as I was hoping to get to 100,000 kilometers first, we were only at 95,000 so no big deal. Hopefully we are good now for another 100,000.

Bye for now

Jan 3 2024 Holbrook Arizona Short Update

 We had planned to leave home around 8am on  Tuesday Dec 31 but we had a flat tire on The Gypsy Wagon. The day before I had gotten all of the tires properly inflated in preparation for the trip. Our regular garage was closed on New Years Eve, but we were lucky that Hank's Tire shop in Carleton Place was open. They did a great job replacing the valve and we were only delayed about an hour. The value was a bit rusty and when we inflated the tire the day before it didn't seat properly.

We spent the night at the Flying J in Tilbury. It was the closest spot to the border that we could park at, and although we had never spent an evening at a truck stop before we felt that it should be  pretty quiet on New Years Eve. It turned out OK , and it saved us almost an hour as the second choice was a casino in Sarnia.

Early the next morning when we crossed the border the customs agent looked at our list of food that we were taking across and then did the usual inspection. He took our dozen eggs and 3 packages of frozen chicken breasts. Every other year these were fine but this year because of the bird flu virus the rules have changed a bit. Great agent, very helpful and explained every thing well. We did not have a problem and we were off with out any delay.

902 kilometers later we were at the Walmart/ Home depot mall in Collinsville Illinois just out side of St. Louis Missouri. We were able to stock up on our missing food at the Walmart and get ready for the next day.  

We spent last night in Elk City Oklahoma, 1000 klms, and tonight in Holbrook Arizona  another 1000 klm. The weather has been perfect for traveling with only a bit of rain early the second day.  When we arrived in Holbrook it was 20 degrees. Some years in the past our water froze solid when we spent the night here. We also think this is the first year in about 5 that there has been no snow on the ground in New Mexico.

Because we arrive at our destination by 3 pm or so , the time changes work in our favour, it allows us to have an evening to relax and then get a full nights sleep.

Tomorrow evening we will be at our destination in Yuma, and catch up with about a dozen friends that have already arrived. 

When I have a moment I will post the gas prices , in US and Canadian dollars in the different states.

Cheers

Dec 25 test

 Merry Christmas

Saturday at The Dirty South BBQ

 

great afternoon of blue grass music

We walked from the campsite to the Dirty South, about 3 klm each way

L to R  Josee, Denis, Ron, Zena, Bob, Lou, Rose

Bob dancing with Shasta

Yuma Rainfall

Average rainfall is about 3 inches per year in Yuma. I think we have half of that already this year.

The rain has almost stopped and its starting to run off. 

 

Sing along at the fire

Bob and Sonny 

 

Fish fry

A pot luck fish fry at the campsite.

Left to right, Zena, Scot, Lou, Ron, Rose, Mike, Angie

Mile caught the fish in the irrigation canal that runs along the campsite.

 

Howling at the moon

For two evenings each month , just when the moon reaches its fullest , 

a couple of 2000 people gather for music and dancing in the desert.

It has become an annual event for us with friends from the campsite.

 

Watching the moon rise

Watching the moon rise as we sit by the fire with friends.

 

 Quartzite Gem Show

This artist , or craftsman hand cuts theses designs for coins from that he has collected
 from all over the world. First step is to drill a small hole and insert a tiny saw
 blade and cut around the shapes. Amazing details.

A home made rock polisher, made from a truck tire.

Book readers oasis has been a famous used book store in Quartzite for a very long time.
Paul the owner was a Vietnam veteran and he died last year. so his wife now has the
 store up for sale.  He always dressed exactly as in the picture. The end of an era.

Jan 20 Schoolie Palooza

 

Schoolie Paloozia  started out as a gathering in the desert of people who had converted old school buses to RVS. The event has gradually grown and attracted many people who travel in all sorts of RVS but the conversions are definitely the most interesting. This year there was between 1500 and 2000 visitors. The event lasts about a week

This converted bus has a sitting area on top that was being used as a stage. There were at least 3 more of this type that people would gather around and listen to various types of music.

This wasn't a converted bus but was the perfect vehicle for the mountains and rough terrain

Like any event there are always people selling stuff. This girl was travelling with here farm. She has about 15 chickens a duck and a goat. She was selling a breakfast sandwich for $5.00.  a dozen sandwiches a day at $5 each paid here expenses to live on the road.

She kept here dog and goat tied together because the dog wanted to stay around and the goat wanted to wander. 

Supper with Hippie Bob ( Sells), catching up on the past year. 

Los Algadonas

 Los Algadonas in a town of about 2500 residents with 750 dentists and a whole lot of optometrists.  Hundreds of people go there every day to get dental work done and eye glasses.  Upper dentures are about $500.00 and are completed in 24 Hours. Eye glasses are $125 to $150 and competed in one hour.

My dentures had become loose so I got the relined for $150.00

Everyone parks on the US side of the border and walks across. The Famous Trump/ Mexican wall runs right through the town.

The wall at the border crossing

A section of the wall 

The wall construction

Enjoying a margarita while my dentures were being fixed

In every tourist trap there are always lots of t shirts for sale.
They had the same one for Biden as well.