And by relaxing I don’t mean doin’ nothin’. Doin’ nothin’ is boring. Bored we have been while in Florida. So we don’t need to be bored again. We did have an agenda today and that constituted a 20-mile trip to El Centro to do laundry, do some shopping and get some drinking water. Water coming out of a well in this area means it contains quite a bit of salt of various kinds. So we don’t drink well water out here. Instead we go to to a water mill where we can get purified water which in the process has been cleaned of containing salts.
 
A long time ago.. These guys were ready to pick a fight at Gila Bend
I also went to a hardware store for some bolts and nuts and a receptacle and plug-in to be able to connect and disconnect our solar panel, which at this time is still mounted on the roof of the van. With all the sunshine we have here, it produces a lot of power for our batteries.
 
The afternoon was filled with putting said electrical gadgets together and Bea did clean some cleaning up after the trip. Of course I needed to test-drive the Hot Springs and had myself a very nice hot shower and bath. Such refreshed I went home, had coffee and some of Bea’s home-baked cookies. I also sun-bathed for a while. (gotta get some tan on this bleak body) A walk with Molly followed and more chitchatting with friends we met underway.
 
It’s almost like we are feeling more at home out here than on our island. Maybe that’s wrong to say, cause we got a great place on Campobello Island, and we really love it and the friends we got there. But it sure is a similar feeling of hominess.
 
Imperial Dunes at Yuma The All-American (Irrigation-)canal
It all began in the fall of 2005 when we came down the west coast in search for a warm place to hang out during the winter. We knew of LTVA’s and had made a list of places we wanted to check out. When we finally ended up at the I-8 east of Holtville we looked and looked and couldn’t understand that out here between the wide-spread agricultural fields, growing carrots and cauliflowers of the Imperial Valley and a desolate looking piece of crappy desert there should be something like a campground. We finally spotted some RV’s out there and went in. It was the beginning of this “marriage” with a BLM-area and the people on it, that has dragged us back year after year after year.
 
Flowers already- Desert Sunflowers and…….. Bougainvillea
And you better believe us that during this winter we learned a valuable lesson, not ever to go anywhere else in the winter than this particular place in southern California. Love it, love it, love it! |
I agree,"'Doin’ nothin’ is boring". And I hear ya about, "not ever to go anywhere else in the winter". We have been so very fortunate this winter to have such great weather here in the South-West.
ReplyDeleteWell, let me say Welcome Home. There is just something about the desert that beckons us. We understand.
ReplyDeleteI so agree - there is no where else to be in the winter than in the desert.
ReplyDeleteWe too will keep coming to the southwest and enjoy all this great weather, like you said love it!
ReplyDeleteYou and Bea would probably love Quartzsite, too. The town is right there, within walking distance of two of the LTVAs at the northern edge. Free water and dump. Tons of people you probably already know. You could start there and move down here when you want a change of scenery. I agree with you, though. Once I found the LTVA desert areas and then the annual State Park Pass in New Mexico, I felt I wouldn't do any better than those two for economy and beauty and a complete change of scenery from summer to winter.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your house, too. Bea sent me before and after outside shots and it's a great looking house. You guys have the best of both worlds! :)