We left Quail Hill on the 15th, the final day our season LTVA permit was good, and I wanted to spend some time at a camping area I've read about, but I just couldn't find it. Drove down dirt/rock roads here and there along canals and saw some interesting things. This boat was in a dry wash on one of the dirt roads - bummer for the owner. It looked like a good boat:
I kept going, and ended up at a dead end - with this truck parked right at the end of the road. I looked at it, and my chest and shoulders got very tight - instant stress reaction. It looked like a nice truck, but was covered with mud and dried rain drippings (the dirt doesn't show in this photo). It looked like it had been there for a while, had a camo backpack thrown on the hood, both the passenger side doors were open, and there was a bunch of stuff in the truck bed. Fishing gear, etc. No one was around and I don't think anyone would leave the doors open like that and walk off very far.
I thought either a weirdo was in the area, or someone had done something to the driver and left the area. It wasn't a wide road, but I got The Palms turned around, watching the area carefully for movement as I got it turned, and as I drove away I saw jeans and boots in the bed of the truck with bare foam cushions under and over the person. He didn't move as I was driving off, I don't know if he was dead or alive, but I wasn't checking.
I drove into that area at ten mph because of the condition of the road, but I drove out at 20 and was glad to hit the main road! I decided to drive up to Quartzsite and spend some time at the 14-day BLM land areas.
These are the final photos of birds from the Quail Hill campground area:
Beautiful bird with lots of bright yellow on it's chest and body.
I love shots of birds on a wire.
There were three of these big birds who perched on this wire,
then flew in the winds that came up in the afternoon.
They were beautiful soaring in the winds.
I kept trying for a close-up, clear photo. This is the best one I have.
They swooped down right overhead - just beautiful.
The last few days at Quail Hill were REALLY windy. The hummingbirds that came by the feeder were buffeted all over, sometimes they couldn't make it to the feeder and flew away. One of the birds was looking like he was sick, his feathers were all weird looking, I couldn't tell if he was sick, or if it was just the wind.
Late Sunday morning I drove into the Quartzsite Hi Jolly BLM area, and parked. I took Katie outside for a walk and the woman parked nearest to us came over to warn me about the 10-foot snake they have seen twice right next to her rig. I was hoping to see it and get a photo, but I've kept my eyes open for six days and no picture yet.
I saw a woman walking toward us, and it was Debbie - one of the Dingbats. She was the last Dingbat to leave the LTVA area and is here until the end of the week. She came late to Quartzsite this year and I left for my surgery shortly after she got here. We haven't had a chance to get to know each other very well, but we've been sitting out in the shade every afternoon talking and trying to stay cool. She's been great company and it's been nice getting to know her. She plans to leave Sunday, heading north.
Our Hi Jolly Campground site - they are all starting to look alike, aren't they ? :)
I've been covering the windows with windshield sun covers and lowering the window covers every afternoon, but it was still a pretty constant 98 degrees inside yesterday afternoon, until the sun went down, then I opened everything up again. You pretty much have to leave some windows uncovered and open so the breezes can come through, which cools things a little. Today I'm covering the windows early - I set my alarm to remind me. I get busy and forget, and all of a sudden I look at the thermometer and it's 94 degrees. At that point, it's too late. Hopefully I'll do better today. I'm learning....
I could leave and drive east or north, but I have a follow-up blood test in a month and need to drive back to California for that, so I'd like to stay in the area until then, if I can stand it. Then I might head over to New Mexico - that's my new plan - where they have an annual State Park pass non-residents can purchase for $225. It's good for a year from the date of purchase, and allows camping at sites with electric and/or sewage hookups for $4 each, water is free when available, and primitive no-hookup sites are free. If I get to New Mexico and buy buy my pass in May, I'll be able to go back next year when Arizona gets too hot, and finish up the pass before driving north again. Gas prices are definitely going to determine where I go and how long I stay, but that's fine with me. I have no problem driving less and staying longer as long as I'm enjoying the area.
The sunsets have been especially beautiful this week.
I haven't been to New Mexico yet, and might spend the whole summer there where they have many State Parks and the weather is cooler. Then when I'm ready, I can come back to Arizona and purchase the LTVA permit again for the winter. I really enjoyed staying in the desert and can see doing that from year to year as long as I'm full-timing. $180 for seven months which includes dump site and water is such a good bargain.
I have some photos that didn't fit anywhere in the last few weeks, and I'm going to post them tomorrow just to get them out of my "Blog Photo File." So tomorrow's post will be a mishmash of unrelated photos then I can start again with new stuff. :)
From Me and Katie, have a great Friday, everyone! :)
PS - My condo isn't closing today. :( We have too many non-owner occupied units, so the borrower's lender wouldn't complete his loan. My Realtor has a couple of lenders who, hopefully, will take his loan, so we're hoping that will work out. I'm guessing there are a lot of condos with this problem right now. So many are being bought up at reduced prices to use as rentals, and that upsets the balance that you want in this kind of housing. My buyer is also purchasing as an investment unit; the longer this goes on, the more rentals we will have. When I purchased seven years ago, we were almost all owner-occupied, things have really changed. UPDATE Good news - my Realtor just called and my HOA had the numbers wrong, and the rentals to occupied owner units is within guidelines, so my buyer's loan is going through. It will put us back a few days, and we should close next Wednesday or Thursday. (I have the WORST HOA in the world of condos - the very worst.)