arizona Quartzite Yuma Kofa

Monday, January 23, 2006. This is a collage of some of the things we saw while at the Quartzsite Gem and Mineral Show

Denis feels that each pictures is a story and that this really does not depict the stories but there is so much happening in this small area which gets invaded with close to a million trailers through the winter that it would just take over my website. Starting at the top from left to right of the picture is: A beautiful sunset there then a Rock Bridge at the Ghost Mining Town, fireworks, flag on Mt. Q., Paul from the book store, a background pictures of some of the trailer at Quartzsite, a snapshot of vendors, a Mini Van travelling with a donkey and bull in back seat, a Dino fossil in rock.

There are thousands of vendors with their wares and entertainment acts plus sites to see. The town has been doing this since the mid 60's so they really do have their act together but it takes time to find everything.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006. Today we are at Imperial Dam, LTVA, California which is a desert location, just north of Yuma. We will stay here where it is warmer. This is just 24 miles North of Yuma, A.Z.. I think we will stay here for the rest of the winter unless we get too bored. It's pretty quiet here compared to Quartzsite, A.Z..

Yuma was named after the Yumas, the first inhabitant, Native American who gathered along the Colorado River. Because the Colorado River caused a division of the land between the east and the west, crossing the Colorado during the western migration was a necessary challenge for those wishing to reach the West Coast. The Native American tribes flourished along the river. The tribes used the river as a focal point for farming and trade, and the Yuma Crossing became a focal point to all trade routes. The area which is now Yuma, was the only place to safely cross.
We have decided to stay in this area until about February 26th, 2006 as there is an air show at a huge army base, Denis thinks will be big..

Now this looks like California. Standing at a "Imperial Date Gardens", the dates are so sweet here.. Date trees in the background. Denis's first comment to the ladies working there is "I hear you can get good dates here"? Answer "Yes, you can". Denis's answer: "Now what do I do with the wife"? I guess he has had enough of me and is ready to trade me in!!!	This is our view from our kitchen table. It's great. We are staying in the Northwest Territory off Ferguson Rd. We have been here for 2 weeks and find the residents are not overly social. They stay in their trailers and do not stay outside much. We may find another location in the area for the next 2 weeks.	Our best ever sunrise. Donna, next time we are plugged in, I will make a copy of my sunsets for you. Too little pixels for good printout. Our nights are about 9C but the days have been going up to about 25C, so yes, we have been getting tanned and loving it. The heat is a nice dry heat and you just want to absorb the heat. I fee that I have gained weight though. A lot of sitting. Just like it was at work. We hope to get more hiking in here. There is miles and miles of irrigated farming here in Arizona/California.
	We toured the Imperial Date Gardens. It was interesting. Dates were considered a delicacy and served by royalty for generations. Medjool dates are the gourmet variety, and for many years savoured only by the elite. The Medjool originates in Morocco. It was introduced into the United States in 1927; by eleven shoots, nine plants survived and are located in Southern California. Twenty-four offshoots of those original trees were planted in here, in 1944, by Stanley Dillman. Every one of those dates are looked at to make sure they are just the right moisture. It also takes 15 years before a tree produces dates. The "Date Shakes" are a must in this area.
While hiking on a trail at Imperial Dam, LTVA we came across an old Turquoise Mine. As you can see they left some behind for me.	This is Furguson Wash. A Wash is like a huge river that has dried up but left behind layers of history.	Denis bought a 10lb. bag of Tangelos to squeeze for juice. We sure are getting our vitamin C.
Ferguson Lake and Martinez Lake. They are all man made lakes of the Colorado River.	We went canoeing in the Colorado River, it looks like my umbrella is a bit worse for wear.	Senator Wash. Denis is explaining about the erosion history of the rocks.
We walked across the border in Arizona to Mexico at Los Algodones. There was all kinds of things for sale there. These guys were doing art work with just the bare essentials. A lot of people from the states go across for medical reasons.	Denis got me beautiful roses for Valentine's Day. Then took me out to dinner at the Yuma Air Base. Nice place but my Prime Rib was way over cooked. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.	Before we got into Imperial Dam, C.A. There is a "U.S. Army Proving Ground in Arizona and it was the location where General Patton trained his tank battalions, during the 2nd, world war. I believe this is still a training area.
We try and do a bit of hiking up the mountains. It is fun and we get good pictures.	We hiked from the left (third peak back) to the top where the arrow is.	This is part of the view we had. Our campsite is the Northwest Quadrant.
Burrows were originally brought over by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1600's.	Many like these have survived in the wilds since then.	There was a bee attack to-day. A neighbour ran to help this elderly couple only to be, beaten off, stung multiple times. The army fire squad was called in with their Hummer Fire Truck, from the local air base. Fire trucks winning the war against the bees. We were all standing by watching with our binoculars.

The City of Yuma had many sites that we enjoyed. Yuma was very easy to get around. Denis could find his way very easily. Here are a few more sites we would like to share with you.

Yuma Territorial Prison State Park. Between 1876 and 1909, this penitentiary housed many of Arizona's most dangerous and notorious criminals. Famed in literature, movies and television, the remains of the prison are now Arizona's most visited Park. The was a lot of interesting exhibits, documenting the story of the prison.	The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge protects 665,400 acres of mountainous Sonoran Desert habitat. Met Sheila and Peter at the campground and they took us 4 wheeling here. Good driving Peter. Looked like an abandon mine. Had a hard time keeping Denis out of this.	At the Yuma Proving Grounds, located a few miles from our trailer, the Golden Knights practice parachuting every day unless it is too windy. We are allowed to go on the Army base anytime to watch. It's really something.

Denis is matching me up with soldiers now. Isn't he a cutie. This is at the Yuma Air Show.	One of the highlights of the show was the Harrier Jet. The one Swartzinager flew in "True Lies".
	This is the Harrier Jet on takeoff! Awesome...It goes directly up and down for landing on ships..

Saturday February 25th. We are quite comfortable in Yuma and at Imperial Dam and have made a few friends. Yuma, was a pleasure to explore. They are so nice to tourist. We feel at home in Yuma. But all good things usually come to an end and there is still so much to discover out there. Bye for now until next time.

Big puddy cat...Isn't she cute. These (6) pictures were all taken at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum. It so very good and interactive. This is a must see.	Guess what this is ???? Javelina. (Wild Pig)	This guy sounded really scary...Texas Diamond Back Rattler, I think.
In New Mexico, Texas and Arizona they have all kinds of painted horses just like our painted moose.	This Tarantula gave me a scare. Someone was standing in front of this person holding it so I did not see him. I quickly rounded the person and "whalla". A short, quite scream came out of my throat.	Nice barn owl. So majestic.

We hiked through this desert to the mountains you see there. It's really not as far as it looks. I did this with a sprained ankle. Denis was going to do this without me but I insisted on going. I am glad I did not miss this hike. It's the best.