We had another beautiful sunrise Sunday (Jan. 8) morning...there is no lack of gorgeous sunrises and sunsets this year!
The wind was calm today...a rarity so far this season, so Steve took his plane out to the desert behind us and managed a few successful flights.
When he got back, it was still calm, so he took up his glider out front...it's up there somewhere!
I started my day with a 5 km/ 3mile walk and after showering and dishes, worked on a blog update. The videos Steve takes with his drone seem to take forever to upload to YouTube! I know that it is starting to get busy here so the internet is not going to be as fast, but the uploading of these videos have always taken a lot of time...and gigs! Oh well...they are really cool!
At 4:00, the gang gathered for more games of Core Crash...always fun! Deb(1), Ray, Jerry, Debbie(2), Steve, Marilyn, with Debbie(3) taking her turn. I have numbered all of the Debbies based on the order I have met them, LOL!
Monday (Jan. 9) morning Steve and I got out for a walk and then since we had another calm start to the day, he took his plane back out to the desert for another few flights.
That afternoon, Greg/Debbie, Jim, Marilyn, Steve and I rode our 4-wheelers into town to check out the RV's. It's already getting very busy in town, so taking the quads/sidexsides in is the best mode of transportation. We rode in on the trails and parked them in the wash off Kuehn Street. Even though the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show doesn't start until January 21, the assortment of trailers, 5th-wheels and motorhomes are open for viewing. And it's the best time to take a look at them before it gets too busy! All of us were in agreement that the favourite 5th wheel floor plan was the Grand Design Solitude 390RK.
Afterwards we stopped at Beer Belly's Adult Day Care for a brew before heading home!
Well, our couple of calm days ended on Tuesday (Jan. 10). Although sunny, the wind was coming from the south which meant the awning and sunshade had to come down...and no protection from the trailer to sit outside.
We all had parcels to pick up at Quiet Times, so Steve and I went with Greg and Debbie into town. One parcel was particularly heavy at 100 lbs...a new Cummins generator for Greg, so he would need Steve's help lifting it into the back of the truck. No more open frame Champion noise...thanks Greg! 😉
No Core Crash or happy hour outside today...it was just too windy!
Wednesday (Jan. 11) morning Steve left at 8:30 to go to the Quartzsite Desert Flyers meeting. He was back in less than 2 hours after running a couple of errands as well.
After lunch we headed out to do some geocaching...Greg/Debbie and Colan/Marilyn joined us. Debbie and I recording our find...'The Cabin'...
Not a spectacular sunset tonight...but still pretty!
...and then switched over to corn-hole. Ray taking his shot...
Jerry and Ray...
Honour Guard...
Arizona Sunriders OHV Club...
Hope we never need one of these...
Pacific Northwest Camel Company. Camel rides are available in town...
Quartzsite Camel Corps Car...
Quartzsite Camel Corps dog dressed as a camel...
Quartzsite Roadrunners Gem and Mineral Club...
Don't recall what these guys were all about, Shriners perhaps...
I believe these are for sale in town...
Didn't recognize our friend Bob Stewart (Prince George ATV Club) who was dressed in a mountain man outfit until he was announced...
Russ from RVerTV filming the crowd. We've watched many of his YouTube videos, especially during COVID...
Thursday (Jan. 12) was a sunny day with the breeze coming from the north for a change. We had a pretty laid-back day...we sat outside, Steve reading and I was knitting.
Jerry has a very cool hobby...Astronomy, and has numerous telescopes for viewing stars and planets. It was a nice sunny day, so Jerry set up his special telescope for viewing the sun.
Steve here...if I remember correctly the tripod has counterweights so a variety of telescope sizes can be used and is motorized for tracking images. Jerry uses a small hand held computer to set up whatever inputs are required for star gazing. Using a special filter for viewing the sun we were able to see black sun spots and solar flares. Very cool! Once we have a cloudless evening Jerry has invited all of us over for some star gazing.
At 4:00 we all gathered for happy hour at our place and enjoyed great conversation before calling it a night about an hour and a half later. Left to right...Ray, Marilyn (Colan arrived a little later), Deb, Jerry, Debbie, Greg, Debbie and Steve...
Friday (Jan. 13)...and another relaxing day. We both pretty much had a repeat of yesterday...knitting and reading. The only difference was that it was a cloudy day.
Today we switched it up a bit for happy hour...Ray and Deb brought out their ladder-ball game along with corn-hole.
We played a bunch of ladder-ball. Steve and Jerry...
Saturday (Jan. 14) morning...another beautiful sunrise...
However, it was a cool windy day with the wind coming from south (again!)...there is also rain in forecast tonight.
Steve and I went into Quartzsite to watch the Hi Jolly Daze Parade...The parade honors Hadji Ali, a Syrian camel trainer who was part of a U.S. Army experiment of using camels in the Southwestern Desert.
Waiting for the parade to start...lots of people lined the road!
Didn't recognize our friend Bob Stewart (Prince George ATV Club) who was dressed in a mountain man outfit until he was announced...
It was the first time we have gone to watch the parade in all of the years we have been coming here. A small, well done parade and wonderful seeing such community spirit.
Sunday (Jan. 15) was another cloudy, windy day. The weather forecasters had been right...it rained throughout the night.
Greg and Steve went to the Gun Show...dropping Debbie and I off to check out new vendors.
Steve here...We paid our $10 entry fee and were asked if we had any weapons to check in. Told her nope...we're Canadian!😉Lots of guns and accessories, many of which aren't allowed in Canada, ammo, knives, stun guns, and believe it or not...bullet proof vests!
I really liked the colourful stocks and barrels on these custom made rifles...
It was quite busy but didn't take us long to check everything out. As we walked back to the truck I took this picture for our grandson Isaac who loves dinosaurs...
About an hour later Greg and Steve picked us up. It's amazing how quickly the vendors and people have poured in! Quartzsite is getting very, very busy!
Today is Greg's birthday, so we thought we'd all go out for dinner at Silly Al's. Ray, Jerry and Debbie (Deb still had a bit of a cough so didn't think she should go) headed out early and found that Silly Al's had a 2 to 3 hour wait...and this was at 4:15! Ray called us to let us know...so we changed plans and suggested trying the Yacht Club. They had room for the 9 of us out on the enclosed patio. Inside was very lively with Karaoke...and very loud!
On the back of the menu is a little history of The Yacht Club (thanks for the picture, Debbie#2)...
Left to right, around the table...Jerry, Debbie, me, Steve, Greg, Debbie, Ray, Colan and Marilyn...
We all had a great time...food was good and the company even better!
It rained through the night again and Monday (Jan. 16) morning we woke to another cool, windy day. Actually cool temperatures and wind are in the forecast over the next week.
Debbie and I spent the day in Parker grocery shopping...that time again, another 2 weeks have gone by! While I was gone, Steve took care of a few chores around here and was reading when we got back.
About 8:00 one heck of a storm come through....with major wind and heavy rain. Apparently there had also been thunder and lightning 11 km/7 miles away but with our blinds closed and the home theatre booming as we watched America's Got Talent, we didn't see or hear any of it!
It should be interesting tomorrow morning to see how much water has pooled!
Do you guys ever slow down?!? Looking forward to getting there and joining the fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's been way too long, Jim. Can hardly wait to see you both!
DeleteIf there's only one flying group in Quartzsite, my friend from Ontario.Canada...Bill Richards....is the President.
ReplyDeleteYes…Quartzsite Desert Flyers.
Delete