Settling Into A Routine

Hard to believe, but we've been in California for 2 weeks already and by now we've found our daily routine, or at least a framework for it.
 

"Pilot Knob" near Yuma

At Dome Valley

Quite in tune with what most snowbirds down here do, we go to bed early.. 10pm would be very late, while often we hit the pillows around 9pm. And that it partly due to the long hours of darkness, starting at around 5pm. But being in bed for 10 or more hours is just not what we do. First daylight starts at 6am and that's usually when we get up. 30 minutes later we don't need a light anymore.
First activity for us then is a doggy walk after breakfast. The air is still cool and a light jacket is warranted. By the time we come back 35-45 minutes later, my jacket is already off and I'm getting into shorts and T-Shirt. The sun is powerful and we start generating electric power from the roof-mounted 600W solar panels. Through our inverter we will now have 110V all day long.

Massive sand dunes along the I-8 towards Yuma

If we need to go to town for various errands, this is the time we would go. F.ex. today, I started using our blueboy and the recently purchased hitch carrier. It all worked out very well. At the same time I filled our 40gal. water bladder with fresh water, which then was filled into the trailer upon my return.



Looking towards the "Chocolate Mountains"

Yesterday, we went to Wellton, a small town east of Yuma, to visit friends from Prince Edward Island. They have parked their rig in an RV-Park year-round.

Bougainvillea hedge

Irrigation Canal at the I-8

We are always back before sunset, when another doggy walk is on the agenda.

When supper is done it usually is dark already. After supper we either do some computing, sending messages, writing a blog post or reading a book (Bea) Some evenings I simply enjoy a YouTube movie which I can project onto our TV screen. We don't pay for satellite service and we don't watch any TV-channels at all.

But some evenings we go visit a neighbour who is having a campfire round every evening. There we meet other campers, most are from Canada.

The above is what happens here most days, and in between we just relax hanging out around the camper enjoying the nice weather. Some people might think of this as pretty boring, but we like it that way. We come down here to relax and have a good time and enjoy the warm winter, while the homeplace in Canada is getting cold, wet and windy.

Some times I think of taking the camper to Mexico, but why would I do it? Weather is not much better there, and a stay in Mexico is not particular cheap. I also think the country should get their crime and drug problem under control before we cross the border for a vacation. The entry into Mexico also requires Mexican insurance for both van and trailer and I am not willing to pay that either. So we stay here where friends are close by.