Crafty Fred

Marilyn has her painting and sewing, I craft my blog and enjoy photography. Others do wood carvings or rebuild old cars. Still others make jewelry, collect rocks or crochet puppets. We all have our crafts. Then, every once in a while you run into someone with a really different hobby. Meet Fred; he makes signs out of license plates. Anything you want on a sign, just tell him and he’ll whip it up.

We were at a car show on Saturday (more about the car show someday when we get decent internet)  and got talking to Fred, a very interesting man with a very different hobby. And if you are not into old license plates, how about a sculture using old beer cans?

Fred and his fish

[Maybe I should buy that fish and hang it over the beer fridge, what do you think?

Who’s for a puzzle? This one is thanks to Fred

Rock Guitar

About a half hour north-west of Yuma, just across the California/Arizona border is a massive area known as the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitation area. This camping area covers more than 3500  acres, and trust me on this one 3500 acres is one big campground. In the summer time you can camp out there for free but between mid September and mid April the prices really go up. In their high season camping out there will cost you $40 for 14 days (NOT $40 per day, $40 for 14 days) or $180  for up to 7 months. There are no hook-ups and you are certainly camping but water, sewer and bathrooms are all readily available.

We learned about this area back in October from a couple we met in Glowing Embers RV Park in Edmonton, Alberta.

We were out for a walk with the dogs one morning and he (Doug) was busy packing up their RV, obviously getting ready to go somewhere. He was happy to tell us that they were heading south for the winter to spend 5 or 6 months camping in the desert. The next day we saw them again, they were hooking up this time, we jokingly promised to drop in on them if we were ever in their neighborhood near Yuma.

Yesterday we took a drive out to see this area they had told us about. With hundreds of RV’s out there all parked just where ever they want to park and 3500 acres of desert we were out to see the area, not to find anyone in particular.

Doug and Irene

We’re out there poking around (it is really pretty out there for a desert) and I spy a familiar trailer. Meet Doug and Irene Fairbanks, just two more friendly RVers enjoying every day of their life.

View Larger Map
See the “A”: in this map? I bet you are thinking that’s us. Well it’s not. Google has the same problem finding us as our Garmin did. Move along that same street a couple of blocks to your left, closer to the desert. Now you see us. That’s me in that motorhome on the computer. It’s 6 in the morning and yes it’s still dark out. By the way,  it’s already 15 degrees C (low 60′s) and we are heading for 77F.
Back to the map: On our block we have the large park/drainage area on the east end of the block. The rest of our block has about 35 lots on it with a mixture of uses. About 1/3 have your typical Arizona desert homes, another third would be modular (prebuilt) homes and the remainder have hook-ups for a couple of RV’s, probably a shed or Casita (often with a bathroom, kitchen and laundry. This is typical for this whole area; a mixture of uses all living together, some blocks with more houses, some with less. some are almost all RV lots.
Our lot has an older trailer accross the back, a shed and room for 2 large RV’s down the sides. Ours also has a fence on the street side so the dogs are free to roam. We are on one side, Sonny and Linda are on the other
The folks we are renting from tell us that they bought this lot about 10 years ago to park their RV, put the trailer in as a bunk house for company, later selling their RV and buying a house in the area.
Their goal would be to rent out each side of the lot for 4 or 5 months every winter for about $350 per month. They tell us that these days finding long term renters is a bit of a challenge so that’s how we wind up here for our 20 day stay-over. At $15 per night we think we have struck gold.

Look at that blue sky! It just never ends
Thanks for the read

Computer is back

This is Monday. Since last Thursday my computer has really been giving me a rough time. I couldn’t get my amazingvanstones email or my Yahoo home page. I couldn’t save drafts in my blog and it took many attempts to actually publish it. Anything that did happen was extremely slow. I’d ran the Norton software a couple of times and could find nothing wrong. I was however down to my last gigabyte or two of memory. Yesterday, with Marilyn’s help, we attacked my beloved toy with an axe. We threw out programs I hadn’t used in a long time, moved a couple of gigs of pictures off, even cleaned up my email accounts. I had cleaned my inbox out a few times but in my sent folders I had emails going back to 2008. I’ve had a few computers since 2008. I must have moved the old emails over for at least a couple of computers.
Even after all that, still no email or home page. I did the only thing left to do. I shut it down, went out side and had a beer.We promised we would do battle with windows again today.
This morning I crawl out early, bringing my Kobo for back up (if I can’t blog I can pout and read). I make a cup of joe, fire up my Dell and voila! We seem to be back in business. Will it last or was it really crappy internet like I thought? Maybe it was the beer. Time will tell.

Old Friends

The first time someone comments on this blog they need to be approved by me, the administrator. These days you need to be careful, you can’t have all those weirdo’s and perverts leaving comments on the important subjects we cover on here, that’s for sure. Let’s face it. I’ve got both those titles reserved with my name on them and I don’t need no competition.

Anyway, today there is a comment from Don and Yvonne. How long has it been? 8 or 9 years? What a neat surprise! Just one more way this blog connects me with people in our extremely small world. Good to hear from you guys.

For the next three weeks or so this is where you will find the Vanstones. We are on a residential lot out in the “Foothills” area of Yuma. We are in a fenced yard (the dogs are confused; “What do you mean we can go outside when ever we want”) with 50 amp and more importantly,lots of room.
Here’s where we were;

Here’s where we are now;

Difference

In the “were” picture we had 30 amp, pavement, a pool and a hot tob. We had to hussle the dogs about 1/4 mile before they had an “accident”. All this for about $40 a day. In the “here” picture we have no pavement or pool but we do have 50 amp, lot’s of room for $15.00 per diem.

We leave you while I still have internet

It seeems that after 3 months of total bliss Verizon and I are having a spat. I want to post my blog and they don’t even say “I’m sorry”. I’m sure we will get it worked out though. Until now we have had a beautiful relationship. I,m doing this on Marilyn’s net book so there will be no pictures, they are all back on my lap top. She seems to have a little better access to the internet than I.
We have spent the last two nights in Suni Sands RV Park. They call it Suni instead of Sunny because the park was built in the 60′s (remember the 60′s?) before RV’s got wider and added slides and there is just no room for that extra letter. Our space is 60′ long but only 15′ wide. Onthe highway we are close to9′ wide. With our slides and awnings out we are over 20. Needless to say, it’s tight. When I walk between our coach and our next door neighbors I slide by side ways.This place is kind of like a well finished truck stop.
I need to stop picking on the place,it’s clean and well maintained with a nice pool and even a hot tub. It’s just from another era, back when “the earth was green, with all sorts of animals that you have never seen….”
This morning we move to a large lot in a different area, hopefully I can soon post a before and after picture.
Once again,thanks for the read.

Yesterday it was jacks up, slides in and 90 miles down the road for a suprise birthday party for Glen of Glen and Myrna fame.
We are experiencing absolutely crap interent. See you later.

One of the highlights of Boomerville each year at Quartzite is the “Jeraldine Fashion Show.”
Each year top designers from Paris, Milan and London come to the desert to show their latest creations. They fly in their “A” models to display these pioneering fashions in their absolute best light. This event is unique in that instead of walking down the runway, these girls prance around the fire pit. The event is covered 24/7 by blogs like this one and may even rate a mention on George’s who made a special point of driving 5 miles further out in the desert for this monumental event.

Actually, he and Suzy  came out for a beer with us, even brought his own. Although I think he kind of took a shining to the model in the black dress (her name is Larry too)The fashions may not be the latest designer but they were the newest ones the thrift store threw out. Oh, and the girls are local, except they are not girls, except for the one dressed as a guy, he is a she and her name is Connie.

I snapped this one when we were out on our 4 x 4 adventure the other day. I was impressed with how thoughtful the people of Arizona are when considering the comfort of their fellow off road travellers. And how romantic! You’ll notice they have offer both a mens and a ladies.

One more from the Redneck Book of Manners:

What were we thinking?

Mar and I rolled out early yesterday to do the “Big Tent” at Quartzite. Now the story is that every RV’er worth their salt has to do Quartzite at least once and while you are there you certainly have to see all the stuff for sale. We got out early so we could beat the crowd. Looks like some one else had the same idea. Except they brought their dogs, their scooters and as Rick would call them “their little red pushers.” After about a half hour I realized that I had forgotten to bring my patience. I can see us back in Quartzite again, we are definitely having a blast, but I hope I never do the Big Tent. I have been there and I have done that.

Busy Days

Here’s what was going on at Boomerville yesterday. We can never complain about nothing to do. Today’s board is even busier. Boomerville winds up on Saturday or Sunday and we apparently have to fit it all in before we go.

From the Redneck Book of Manners:    Always have a positive comment about your date’s appearance, such as, ‘Ya’ll sure don’t sweat much for a fat gal.’