March 13 – 17, 2013 – North Ranch Update and More Quartzsite Background and Pictures

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all.

So what have we been up to……

Wednesday, Andy and I made the trek to Surprise and Sun City for supplies and a new microwave for the RV.  And I found one at Best Buy that fit the spot exactly – :-)))).  While in Best Buy,  we checked out computers.  I am going to need one soon but I am overwhelmed with the choices.  Right now, I probably need to do more research and see what programs we use the most and are they compatible with Windows 8.

Thursday, I met with Lila, Peggy and Linda to discuss running the store for Bead Week.  Peggy and Linda use to run it and Lila and I will be doing it this year.  So we spent the morning with them and then Lila and I got together in the afternoon to do a plan.  It seems overwhelming now but I am sure it will fall into place.

Friday.  I found a place in town that will service my sewing machine so Andy dropped it off for me.  This afternoon was beading where I helped with pricing store items.  This evening, Elena stopped by to chat.  We met her and Ron at the ABQ. Balloon Festival in 2010 and have crossed paths a couple times over the past few years.  Please keep Ron in your prayers – he has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and is doing treatment in Phoenix area.  My heart just breaks for both of them.

Steve is also in the park – we met Steve a few years ago and are paths usually cross here at North Ranch.  So tonight we got together and went out to dinner.  Steve is an astronomer so tonight he showed us the Panstarrs comet – how exciting to see.  :-))

Saturday found Lila and I being trained on the cash register in the morning.  We also stopped by the Polymer Group – it was so good to see more familiar faces.  And we have more volunteers for the store – YEA!  In the afternoon I starting working on my kits.  I will be teaching two classes and will be supplying kits for the bracelet.  Also Wendy, Vince, Glenda, and Don came into the park – it was great talking with them all.

Sunday morning found us saying goodbye to Glenda and Don – they are continuing their travels.  And I finished making all my kits and doing my preparations.  Soooo, I think I am ready (well, maybe – LOL).  Wendy and I have been chatting back and forth – she and Vince are parked near us.  And this evening, Steve treated us all to another view of that comet.

So what has Andy been up to…well, once he washed the RV, he has been working on trying to set up his radio (amateur) and on Saturday, finally succeeded.  He has been enjoying making contacts. :-)

 

A couple more things to share with you. 

Andy and I have started to wear red on Fridays – just our way of supporting our troops.  A friend, Gloria, sent us this link for an organization that does some great things for our troops:

Soldiers Angels

 

As most of you see in the pictures that I post, we fly the flag whenever we are stationery for a few days or more.  Our friend, Bill, sent us this link to a video on why we put up the flag.  WOW!  It truly says it all:

Why I Put Up the Flag

 

Okay so you are wondering why I mentioned Quartzsite in the title. Well I heard from Lee Anderson who reads my blog and he sent me some really interesting information and great pictures concerning Tyson Wash.  He has given me permission to use it and his pictures and I thank him so much for that.  If I took a picture from the same sight, I will post that for a comparison.

From Lee:

“Tyson Wash was our playground.  It usually floods every summer and in the 10 years we have been there the level of the sand in the riverbed has risen at least 10-15 feet.  At the base of the rocks with the petroglyphs there use to be huge boulders which are now mostly covered with sand. The grinding holes, of which there are 4, are on top of the outcropping you called an Indian Cave where you took the photo of Rainbow Acres.  They are on the south end of that hill you were standing on.  There are also Chuckwalla lizards, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuckwalla , that live in those rocks.  The largest one we have seen was a little over 2 feet long and about as big as round as a football.  The Indians used to use them for food.  We have also seen Mountain lion tracks there, have seen numerous Bobcats, very large Mule Deer, large Owls, and Hawks of all kinds. We also watched a family of Desert Kit Fox raise their young for about 4 years.  Here is a video I took when they had 4 pups...a normal litter was just 2 or 3.  Quartzsite Kit Foxes  (From Diane – this is an AWESOME video – thanks Lee)

Every time it rains there are many pools formed and after about 3 days they are filled with Tadploles that soon turn into Toads.  They then bury themselves in the sand to wait for the next rain when they once again begin the breeding process.  At the base of the petroglyphs hill there was a pool formed there in August of 2004 that was so huge that you could swim in it.  It was about 60 feet long and had a depth of about 8 feet.  Our dogs loved to swim there to cool off from the summer heat.

Glad you enjoyed your stay...come back again to explore this great area once again. “

Yes I will….

Anyway the pictures below with the water are Lee’s.  The dry wash pictures are mine.  I try to pick ones that would compare.

 

 

Per Lee, after a Flash Flood the water will be from bank to bank and flowing about 20 mph. The water here remained at this area for almost a year before it completely dried up.

We have always been in the southwest during the dry seasons.  I cannot imagine what it must be like during the monsoons.

Lee also sent me some of these pictures that he took around that area and Quartzsite.  Aren’t they incredible!  

Thank you Lee for sharing.

And to all, Enjoy Today!

March 12, 2013 – Beading and a Beautiful Day

Another beautiful day here at North Ranch.  Here is our site – check out those blue skies:

 

This morning was spent doing some chores – I cleaned and vacuumed and Andy washed the other side of the motorhome and started waxing.

This afternoon, the North Ranch beading group met – it was so great to reconnect with some of the ladies and meet new ones.  Many of these folks were the ones who spent the time with me and taught me how to bead.  And that is why I volunteer to teach and help out – it is my way of giving back.  This year I will be teaching two classes (same bracelet) and helping with the store.  So this afternoon instead of beading, I was helping with the store items – getting organized plus being able to see all the neat stuff! 

This evening Andy went to the local Amateur Radio Meeting while I watched this beautiful sunset.

 

Tomorrow we are heading to Surprise/Sun City to get supplies.  And then the next couple of days, I have a few meetings for Bead Week.  Also tomorrow I will be picking up my items to make up my kits.  It is great to be busy – Love it!

Enjoy today!

March 11, 2013 – Travel to North Ranch

We woke this morning and half our neighbors had left (Hmmm, was it something I said??).  But, alas, it was travel day so we got prepared, drove into town for gas for both the Bounder and the Tracker.  Andy was finished with the Bounder first and headed over to Kuehn Road.  Once I was done filling up, I headed there, we hooked up, and off we went.

We headed east on I-10 past the mountains and saguaros:

 

And then we traveled on US-60 to Hope:

And further – I love this sign:

More neat mountains and saguaros:

And thru Salome – not sure who danced here:

And also not sure why this is here:

Ahhh, the planting has started:

This “mansion” was in the middle of nowhere – and it was for sale too:

An old saguaro – check out all those arms:

There is a lot of things to see and do in this area – maybe next year we will spend some time exploring.

Coming into Wickenburg – more cool mountains:

We are actually about 15 miles north of Wickenburg at the Escapees Park – North Ranch.  We will be here for three weeks and one of those weeks is “Bead Week” – can’t wait.

After settling in and having lunch, I headed into town for groceries while Andy washed part of the motorhome and set up our sunscreens – I will have more pictures tomorrow.  The rest of the day was spent doing other chores that needed to be done.

Until tomorrow – enjoy today!

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 104 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: SR-95; Main Street (for gas); SR-95; Kuehn Road; I-10; US-60; Vulture Mine Road; US-93; SR-89; Escapees Way

March 10, 2013 – Bizarre Day

My normal morning ritual is get up, feed the cats, pour a cup of coffee, and check my email.  Occasionally one of the kitties will jump on my lap and fall asleep.  Well this morning, they both wanted lap time – how funny.

 

Today was also chore day so I headed first to the transfer station to get rid of our garbage – they are only open Sunday thru Wednesday.  Then to the laundry on 95 – Nice place – reasonable, clean, and free Wi-Fi.  While there I met a woman from Pennsylvania who is now full timing.  She is also going to Bead Week – small world.   Anyway, she spends quite a bit of time in Quartzsite and told me about a number of the beading and crafting activities that happen at the QIA.  I had seen their calendar but I thought you had to be a member – apparently not.  So next season, I will need to check it out – :-)

Back home, Andy and I started packing up some things – we will be heading out tomorrow.  I also did some reading and beading and watched our neighborhood get crowded.

Here we are on last Monday:

 

Can you even find us today?:

Here is the cluster of RV’s around us (there was another one that parked behind us not too long after this picture was taken):

Now the next four pictures show how much room there is here:

And behind this 5th wheel, there is another whole area that is EMPTY.  So for a number of days, I could sit at my dinette, look out the front, side and back windows and have a clear view of the sunsets, mountains, etc.   Not anymore!

All I can say is BIZARRE – a whole area to park in and ?????  And only 2 RV’s are together – ?????  We watched people from different RVs go check out other RV’s (walked around it , etc.).  You know, we have been coming to the desert for 5 years now and I have never experienced this.  If we weren’t leaving tomorrow, I would definitely be moving to the other side.  Can I say it again – BIZARRE!

I truly was tempted to knock on every door and have a happy hour just to get to know the thinking behind this but then again the checking of the other RVs unnerved me.

Tomorrow we are heading to North Ranch, an Escape Park near Wickenburg.  We will be there for three weeks – Bead Week is the end of the month, can’t wait.

Enjoy today!

March 9, 2013 – Original Quartzsite

Blue Sky and SUN this morning – YEA!   Another road trip – YEA.

Looking at the “Stone Cabin” Booklet, we decided to try to find the old Quartzsite Town Site and Petroglyphs and Grinding Holes.  The directions were to first go thru the BLM Long Term Visitor Area.  This area is a fee area to camp - $40 for 14 days or $180 for 6 months.  It is dry camping but there is access to a dump, water, and garbage disposal.  We did not have to pay anything to drive thru it.

We found the “ Old Yuma Road” and turned left onto it.  Here it is:

 

Compared to some of the other dirt roads we have been on, this is like a super highway.   We were looking for BLM Road 356.  For those who don’t know, the BLM marks most of the roads in their area with a brown metal “pole” that lists the road number.  So every road we passed, we slowed down, first to find the marker and second to try to see the number.  Well, we went all the way down to the paved La Paz Road.  Hmmm, we missed it or maybe we should have went the other direction.  Well as long as we were here, we checked out the La Paz Road area and then the area around MM99.  Every January, the Escape Amateur Radio group has a rally.  Andy has stopped by but always went in the back way (not good for a MH).  We wanted to check how to get in with the motorhome – nice area.

Okay, back to finding BLM Road 356.  We go back thru the BLM Long Term Visitor Area and turned right.  Lots of folks in this area but no 356.  And then I realize that I have a BLM map of this area with me – LOL!!  Our comes the map, and we go back down the way we first came.  Now here is what is strange..the roads are numbered in the 500’s and then the 600’s.  Right after 620 is 356 – no wonder I missed it – :-))).

Here is the road back to the petroglyphs:

 

We parked the car here and walked down to the outcrop and the wash:

Tyson’s Wash:

This is part of a mine – not sure what they were mining:

 

The petroglyphs:

Tyson’s Wash was HUGE!  The wash goes from the rocks on the right to the trees on the left.  I took Andy’s picture for a perspective.

This is the outcropping with the petroglyphs – notice the width of wash:

Looking down the wash:

 

We headed over to the outcropping on the right and found the cave where Indians once lived.  This is part of the cave – it was starting to fall down:

We found the road to climb to the top – it was worth it for the views.  This is the area of the original town site of Quartzsite.  It was washed away in a flood and then rebuilt on higher ground in its present location.  It is said that there is a safe full of gold buried beneath the sand at the bottom of Tyson Wash somewhere near the spot.  The safe was apparently carried away in the “great” flood.

The road across the wash is where the car is parked:

The group of houses in the center is Rainbow Acres – yep, it is in the middle of nowhere:

 

This guy was enjoying floating on the breezes and looking for some food:

We headed back to the car and then back into the long term visitor area where we found this RV with a garden (must be one of the long termers).

Oh, by the way, we did not find the grinding holes.  I am sure they are there cause I did see posted pictures but we couldn’t find them – maybe next time :-)

We headed back home where we enjoyed a sunny afternoon.  We started a fire late afternoon, cooked supper, and enjoyed more of the campfire.  The clouds started moving in again – made for dramatic skies (sorry no pictures).

Another great day!