936 March 28-29, 2023 Itty Bitty Bouse

Laps around the campground to begin the day.  We packed food and bedding.  Then, we went into town for firewood and gas.

We traveled on Swansea Road to Midway.

We took Powerline Road and then when the landscape got interesting, we took one of the many little roads up into the hills.  The BLM road map to this area looks like a bunch of spaghetti.  There is no way to know until you get there what condition the road is in or how passable it might be.  We had fun exploring and then backtracking when roads became too narrow or harrowing!

We found a nice flat spot nestled among hills.  

We both took turns walking through the desert.  There was evidence of burros but we didn’t hear or see any.

Tim brought me posies.

Shale.

Tuff.

Petrified wood.

A little lizard.

We had perfect camping weather with temperatures in the mid-seventies and NO WIND!

Last night there was a rare occurrence in the night sky, a planetary parade.  We waited for sunset and then watched as the sky turned dark blue. 

The moon was half full and cast lots of light.  Venus popped out first, the brightest of the planets.  We could see Mars which appeared red.  Uranus should have been close to Venus but we couldn’t see it without a telescope.  Mercury and Jupiter were close to the horizon so our view was blocked by the rise of a hill and feathery clouds.  It was fun to look!

This morning, we wangled our way back out of the desert. 

We stopped at the Bouse Museum.  The indoor exhibits were closed but we wandered the grounds.

This mining cabin was moved from the Swansea Mine for this exhibit.

We also went to look at the Bouse Community Historic Display at the Bouse Rest Stop.  Bouse was the hub of this entire region in the 1800 and 1900’s.  You wouldn’t guess that now!

Tim saw a drag line bucket.  His father was an equipment operator in a quarry in North Carolina. He was proficient at using a drag line. It is not easy to do and he was proud of his mastery.

Bouse is a tiny town.  We have enjoyed our stay in a very nice RV park and we have found plenty to do.  Tomorrow we are moving on to Alamo Lake State Park.  We aren’t sure if we will have service there or not.  We are looking forward to seeing something new!

935 March 27, 2023 Our Big Backyard

I did laps in the campground for my morning walk. 

We chose to postpone our overnight trip until tomorrow.  The weather will be better, warmer and less windy!

We went into the town of Bouse to check things out.  We were able to find a place for fresh drinking water.  There is a gas station and a really nice market.  There is a Family Dollar store.  There is a hotel with a saloon.  I think there is also a town museum. 

This afternoon, we took a Jeep ride.  There is a trail that starts right here at the RV park.

We meandered for miles into the desert on BLM land. 

There were gates to be opened and then closed again as we went.

There were several places where Tim got out to evaluate whether or not we should proceed but it was all fine…until it wasn’t.  There was a steep downhill section that had washed out.  It was humped and dippy to a pretty significant degree.  I walked along the wash looking for a different way in but didn’t find anything.  When I got back, Tim had the shovel out and he was digging.  He used a claw hammer to smooth down a bigger rock and we tossed dozens of rocks into to bottom to level it out.  Our labors were successful and we passed easily. 

There were other 4WD vehicles out and enjoying the beautiful day.

We finally made it back to pavement and Tim decided to drive into Quartzsite.  We parked the car and wandered among a few of the swap meet type tents.  This is the most eclectic collection of jumbled stuff we have ever seen!  In the end, we found nothing that we needed!

934 March 26, 2023 La Mesa Verde RV Park

We did our laps around the campground this morning. 

It was moving day.  We traveled only 40 miles to the town of Bouse.  We are just puttering along, exploring as we go.  We arrived at La Mesa Verde RV Park around noon.  We were pleasantly surprised.  This is a clean and quiet park in the middle of nowhere.  We have full hookups.  After a week in the state park, we needed to do laundry. 

Tim watched NASCAR.

We took an after dinner walk in our new neighborhood.

We plan to take the Jeep on trails tomorrow and we will spend the night out in the desert.

933 March 25, 2023 Stock Car Racing

We spent a quiet day, walking in the campground, catching up the blog, and doing a few chores.  I went into Parker to gather a few supplies.  We are moving tomorrow and we need to take everything we need.

This evening, we went back to Lake Havasu City.  We went to the Speedway for stock car racing.  It was a great facility.  The announcer was entertaining and the various heats moved quickly without lengthy waits. 

The grand finale was fireworks, a pleasant way to end the day.

Tomorrow we are moving to the small town of Bouse. We aren’t sure what we will find there! Not sure if we will have service but we will post when we do!

932 March 23-25, 2023 Shea Road and Rodeo

Our day started differently than usual.  I drove the 27 miles to Lake Havasu City to do some errands.  I picked up a picnic for an overnight adventure, went to the Anything Offroad store to get Tim’s steps, and then went to the hardware store.

By the time I got back, Tim had cleaned tanks and moved the RV to the overflow area.  The state parks along this corridor of the Colorado River are very busy.  They each have dry camping areas that are first come first serve.  We had decided we wanted to stay in the area and this was a great solution for us. 

We installed the steps on the hinges of the passenger doors.  Theses steps allow Tim to more easily access the tent when we are setting up and putting the tent away.  The first set went on fairly easily.  The second set was harder.  The neighbor, who is from Alberta Canada, came to offer tools and help.  He saw that Tim had stripped the bolt and he declared it “hooped.” Canadians for the most part are much too polite to be crass.  The neighbor walked away on to his own adventure for the day.  Tim was determined not to be “hooped.”  He didn’t give up.  It involved drilling a bolt out but Tim got it done.

We packed the coolers and loaded the Jeep and headed for Shea Road. This is another lovely area.

We were as usual searching for the perfect camping spot.  We found a beauty.

We each took walks.  I found a sign indicating that this was an archeological site.  We had seen the fire scars in the caves and we had wondered if this had been home to Native Americans a long time ago…question answered!

We saw a couple of packrat nests.  This nest had tin cans and plastic bottles in it.  Packrats like to gather treasures, especially shiny things to decorate their nests.  Packrats also like to chew on engine wires and parts.  For this reason, we opened the hood of the Jeep to deter nighttime gnawing activity.

As we were watching the sun go down, Tim spotted movement in the valley about ¼ mile away.  We used the binoculars and the camera zoom and saw that there were burros out there.

Another evening of a simple dinner, peace, the smallest bright smile of moon, and dazzling stars.

Friday morning, we wanted to take Shea Road all the way to another portion of the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge.  When we woke up, we could hear heavy machinery out on the road.  15 miles from town and we could suddenly hear backup beepers!  The men were working to repair the parts of the road that had been affected by heavy flooding.

We passed the workmen and got to a totally impassable section of road.

We got back home in the late morning.  I had enough cell service to talk to a good friend and my mom.  We spent the rest of the day resting. 

This evening, we went to Lake Havasu City to see the Havasu Stampede Rodeo.  This was an upscale. Professional rodeo.  The patriotism and the pageantry, the horse and the athletes were all remarkable.  We stayed until after 9pm and it got chilly.

Sheep waiting to get out of the ring after being ridden by children 5-7 years old…mutton busting!

Great adventures!

931 March 22, 2023 Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge

Last night the sun finally broke through making us hopeful for the day ahead.

It was chilly but sunny this morning as I walked loops in the campground. 

We went for a ride to the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge.  This was such a pretty place.

Long before we got to the end of the road we could hear and see the rushing water.  There was a water authority officer sitting in his truck.  He told us that Alamo Lake had been released yesterday and that the water here would continue to flow for several days.  The road was closed.  It was disappointing that our exploring came to such an abrupt end.  The system of dams and levees is certainly being challenged with this huge influx of moisture.  Snowmelt will also be an issue in the coming weeks.

Hawk.

Buckhorn cholla.

The ride out was just a nice.

This afternoon I rode my bike, again loops in the campground.  The main road is too busy for walking or biking.

This evening we took a walk as the sun was going down.

930 March 21, 2023 Coddiwomple

The atmospheric river that is sitting off the west coast has brought havoc.  Most of the state of California had been in a state of significant drought.  The recent rains have improved that situation.  This bounty of precipitation also brings floods, mudslides, rock slides, power outages, and downed trees.  We have been spared all that because we have moved.  We are only 3 ½ hours from Borrego Springs; creeping along and again in a holding pattern and deciding how long to stay.  If we didn’t have plane reservations for April, we might have already gone east!

The rain started here early this morning and was steady until lunchtime.  Tim walked in the rain, carrying an umbrella.  I was not that loyal and I waited until the rain stopped before I went out.

This afternoon, we took a Jeep ride.  We went across the Parker Dam.

We explored the backcountry road on the California side.

The skies were dramatic and threatening and the mountain scenery was stunning.

As we headed back to the main road, I spotted a group of four burros.  We stopped to take pictures. 

A mom headed toward us, her foal following closely, trying to nurse.

The burros did not appear to be afraid and continued to approach.  It was time for us to leave.

We decided to travel along the California side of the river back toward Parker. 

We crossed back into Arizona.  The rain began again as we arrived home.  We were glad to get outside and grab the best of the day.

We found this quote online today. Coddiwomple is an Irish word and it describes what we do quite accurately!

929 March 20, 2023 Wedge Hill Trail

I took an easy walk in the campground, taking a few pictures as I went.

Crimson bottlebrush tree.

False bombardier beetle.

Cactus garden.

Tim and I both hiked the Wedge Hill Trail from the campground to the top of the ridge. 

Can you see the blue bench on top?  That was the goal.

The beavertail cacti have blossoms.

The yellow sundrops are blooming and the hillsides were covered.

Along the trail.

The view of the river from above.

We made it to the top…it wasn’t that hard.

Bufflehead ducks.

This afternoon we went into Lake Havasu City.  We accomplished several missions.  First, we went to the BLM Field Office.  The guy there was able to help us download Avenza Maps, an app that has detailed maps of all the 4WD trails on all of the BLM land in 12 western states.  I really like having hard maps as well but now there are fees to buy them so we will try this!

Second, we went to the bike shop and Tim was able to get his bike tire repaired.  We also bought a couple of extra tubes!

Our third successful mission was to order a new side step for the Jeep.  We will go back later this week to get it.

A bumper sticker today. We are looking forward to our trip this summer!

We are watching the weather and it looks like there is more messy stuff coming. Happy Spring!

928 March 19, 2023 Same River

We took our 4 mile walk along the river together this morning.  It was a beautiful day.

After walking, we pulled out and headed north on California 95, leaving Blythe behind.   We crossed the river at Agnes Wilson Road and drove on Arizona 95 to Parker.  We stopped to get diesel fuel in the RV.  We realized that we had successfully avoided having to fill the RV while we were in California!  We filled with 60 gallons.

We drove another 15 minutes to River Island State Park.  As soon as we left Parker, the landscape began to change.  We rode among the mountains and red rocks.

As soon as we arrived at the park, I knew that I loved it.  This is a beautiful park and we are excited to be someplace new.

Tim watched the NASCAR race and then we went for a walk in the campground.  There are several hiking trails here but we had already taken a good walk today so we will save those for another day.

We went for a ride to explore the area.  We started at Buckskin State Park where we could walk on the river’s edge.

We drove north to Parker Dam.

We took the road to Take Off Point.

We will see what we can find tomorrow!

927 March 18, 2023 Colorado River Fair

I took my walk along the river.  The cottonwood trees are really shedding today!

The sky is brilliant blue and gorgeous.

We are moving tomorrow and so we spent some time this afternoon doing some laundry, getting fresh water, and groceries.  We are going to be at River Island State Park in Arizona for four days.  We are not sure whether or not we will have WIFI or other services there so we will be prepared!

This evening, we went to the Blythe Fairgrounds for the Colorado River Fair.  We started at the 4H auction.  We watched young kids showing their prize goats, sheep, steer, and pigs.

We wandered through the midway and the rides

And games

And on to the exhibition hall where there was a beautiful display of quilts.

We had some bad Mexican food for dinner and then shared (kind of shared) some ice cream.

There were Farm Olympics.  The competition began with a prayer and the National Anthem.  Then there was a parade.

The first event was hay loading.

We watched  hay squeeze and a potato race.

There was a tug of war with volunteers from the spectators.

This is small town America at its very best.  As we watched these hardworking farmhands competing, it became clear that they are very skilled at operating this expensive equipment.  The job they do is dangerous and strenuous and they are susceptible to the whims of the weather.  What they do is based on science.  Every job has its own special skillset and farming is a craft and is no exception.