A week in the life...at Quartzsite

Monday November 12

Kitty made us a wonderful breakfast and by 9 am we were on the road.  We stopped at the Wall mart in  Hurricane to deposit some checks (America First was closed but I was able to make my deposit through the ATM) and then we raced to Quartzsite.  Mad dash although I should have stopped and done some grocery shopping while I was there but we had 400 miles to go and we wanted to get there by 4 pm.

The drive was without problems.  We just kept moving with a fuel stop at the Indian Reservation and again at Searchlight for lunch.  Then straight on through to Quartzsite.  The BLM kiosk at La Posa South was closed due to the Veterans Day holiday and so we kept on driving…didn’t even take time to dump at the sewer station and fill up on water but kept on trucking and pulled up at the tent at 4:02.  Walked into Happy Hour to the warmest welcome ever.   There had to have been at least 18 couples that gave us  big hugs and welcomed us ‘home’.   Dear friends – so good to see them again.

We only stayed for about 10-15 minutes and then drove over to the spot we wanted to camp on this year.  That gave us about an hour of good light to get unhooked and set up – Ed worked on the outside and I worked on the inside.  At least enough to make it look like home again.

Tuesday November 13

Called Emma and sang happy birthday to her on the answering machine.  Got up this morning and had a quick breakfast – Ed got to work setting up the tent we brought.  He put it up behind the trailer – it is our storage tent and it works marvelously.  Five months worth of stuff needed to survive in the desert comfortably without tripping over it constantly in the trailer.  YAY! 

The  "Storeroom"

Wednesday November 14

We were supposed to go on a good long atv ride today but realized we still had lots to do to set up camp.  Ed needed to get fresh water and dump the gray and black water.  I needed to figure out what was needed food wise and head to the grocery store and there were a bunch of parts that Ed needed to find for the trailer..

This is a picture of one of the four barrels Ed has to cart fresh water back to the trailer so I have plenty of water in the trailer - he has a couple of white barrels that he uses for black and grey water to pump out of the trailer to the sewage dump about one mile from our trailer.

So I fixed a good breakfast and cleaned the trailer – vacuumed, made the bed, got myself ready to go to town with Ed and waited.  Finally I realized that he wasn’t going to be ready to leave for a couple of hours and so I simply hopped in the Razr ad took IT into town. 

I had a great time – I think it was the first time in two weeks that I was on my own and didn’t have to juggle my schedule to fit someone else’s.  I loved it.  Very few of the open air markets are open yet but more and more stores are ‘hardbacked’ and open at least nine months of the year.   I stopped at several of my bead stores looking for nice glass pearls for a necklace I am making.  Didn’t find them but found some inexpensive ones that I could practice with.   Then I hit the grocery store and cringed at the prices.  I had forgotten how expensive they are.  Plus there is a 10% tax on everything!   Next week we will go to Parker or Blythe and stock up at the Kmart or Wal-Mart.  Tax is still there though!  On the way back to the trailer I thought I would swing down Kuhn street and see if I could see Ed’s truck at the tool shop.  It wasn’t there but my favorite sunglass kiosk was.  I have bought at least two pair of sunglasses from this lady every year for the past eight years!  I lose them or break them so I keep going back to her.  We had a fun chat about where she spends her summers and then I headed back out to camp.  As I pulled into Laposa South camping area Ed was just pulling up to the BLM kiosk to pay our fee for camping here for the next five months.    I am soooo glad I didn’t wait for him.

As it was I had time to put everything away and head over to the tent for ladies craft hour.   I worked on Kristanne's necklace and its going to be gorgeous.  There were about ten ladies all sitting around doing different crafts.   We had a great visit with each other. 

Thursday November 15

Busy day today.   Simple breakfast and I cleaned up in the trailer and packed a good lunch while Ed worked on the flag holder on the back of the razr.  It is supposed to be 81 degrees today but it sure doesn’t look or feel it outside.   Ed dressed in shorts and sandals with his lightweight jacket – I wore long pants and layered with sweater and warm coat and gloves…glad I did.  It only got up to 67 which would have felt great if the sun was shining – instead we had thick clouds and cool breeze all day.

We went with Ed and Jo ad Bob and Maureen to the Indian Lands – there was a canyon we wanted to four wheel into that we had seen last year.  It wasn’t to be though – due to several VERY heavy rains this fall everywhere we tried to go was washed out and we ended up simply heading back to camp about 4 hours later- and it took two hours to get back.  Long fun day with good friends.  It was certainly not a loss as we had a great time four wheeling and some of the terrain Jo lead us over was …well I was just thankful I wasn’t driving.  Up steep hills, down steeper ones – along ridgelines – over VERY rocky terrain.  We will attempt the days’ goal again next week from a different direction.

When we got back I sent Ed over to Happy Hour with his soda and I took a nice shower and nap and headed to Silly Al’s for pizza with about 16 ladies – we had a fun time laughing and sharing stories with each other.  Good food, great companions.  When we got through eating we were heading towards the door and ended up sitting back down for another hour and a half to listen to karaoke – several of the ladies joined in and they sang beautifully.  I just might join them at the Karaoke practice sessions on Tuesdays and see if I can learn some songs!  Me!!!

Friday

I spent the morning painting pendants – set up a table outside so I could enjoy the sun.   Lovely day.  Ed is busy moving rocks around to create a ‘yard’.  Read and took a nap.  Lazy day. 

Saturday

I decided I needed to run into town today to see if I could find someplace to salvage my nails before they start to fall off.  I only found one salon – it was closed and there was no answer on their phone so I give up.   No fill job for them.   I will have to let them fall off and replace the whole set when I get home for Christmas.    Spent a little time in town looking for chains to hang my pendants from but not a lot of luck there unless I want gold or silver chain …the prices of those make me shudder!

When I got back to the trailer I spent a couple of hours finishing off the necklaces.   I realize now that I can’t work at the kitchen table in the trailer – at least not sit on the bench seat and work – the bench is too low and that is what has been causing difficulties with my right arm.  It had it tied up in knots within minutes!   If I bring in my tall chair then I sit at a different angle and that works better.

Saturday evening we had a party at the tent.  A Welcome Back party and we were supposed to do something different with our hair.  So I found a head band and wired a huge sparkly green flower to it and then sprinkled different colors of glitter in streaks  in my hair.  Ed even let me sprinkle some silver glitter in HIS hair!!!  We both washed it out after the party but we have been glittering for days now!  The party was lots of fun – we all brought finger foods and danced and talked.  It was a fun party

Sunday

It seemed good to be back to our Quartzsite Branch.   We walked in 20 minutes early and the choir was singing like they always are.  The high councilman that spoke mentioned that the last time he spoke in the branch there were only 28 people in attendance…No one is here in the summer!!  The chapel was almost full (the choir stayed in the choir seats for the whole meeting as they sang midway through the meeting but they saved their seats in the chapel so they would have some place to sit during Sunday School so it seemed just partly full) plus the cultural hall was almost full.  By January they will be going to two full sessions each Sunday and every nook and cranny will be filled. 

Sunday school is held in the chapel and cultural hall – the sister that taught the lesson did a marvelous job of including ALL of us in the lesson which would be very difficult.  They are hoping that next week a new missionary prep class will be starting.  PeRFECT!!

Relief Society is also held In the chapel for now.  They’ve already outgrown the RS room.  When they first go to two sessions then it will move back into the RS room until it again outgrows it at which time it will be like a fifth Sunday every week – combined Priesthood and Relief Society in the chapel and cultural hall.  Picked up our mail after church and the first weekly packet from Scott and Lisa was there with the last weeks’ mail.  That will work till we go home for Christmas and at that time we will have all our mail forwarded to our Quartzsite Post Office.

Monday, November 19

Got up and got going with a group ATV ride to Burro Canyon over in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.  It is a range of mountains that are about ten miles South of us.  Quite rugged looking.

 We went for a hike (just about 1/4 mile) to a natural Springs - This is a picture of Susan and Del (friends from Idaho) and edward.  The 'walk' to this point had us climbing over quite a few rocks and I simply didn't dare push my knee this much farther so I let Ed go on by himself.

It always seems so strange to see willows and this type of greenery in this dry desert!

Its hard to see in this picture - but the whole valley is full of Saguarro cactuses.  The desert definitely has a beauty of its own.

On the way back we stopped and searched for crystals - I found a tiny one - about 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide ...I am thinking of making a necklace with it.  Very simple but pretty.

We left our camp at 9 am and got back about 3...pretty steady driving the whole time except for lunch.

Tuesday, November 20

Still enjoying the warm weather - it got up to 78 here.  After breakfast Ed went with several of the guys to Blythe to get stacks of old pallets to burn at the community fires they have most evenings.  While he was gone I stripped the beds and remade them, scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen down, mopped  and vacuumed the floors.  By the time he got back at 12 it was looking so nice.  While here with just the two of us we only use one bench of the table benches.  Right now the other is still folded up against the window but Ed will take it totally out and store it in the tent.  This gives us more room in the trailer - Ed spends a lot of the evenings sitting on the 'living room' bench watching tv or reading and it seemed like I was constantly crawling across him to get something out of the back.  Finally I decided that if I simply turn the table sideways when we aren't eating that gives us plenty of room for me to get past his long legs and knees.

After Ed got back we headed over to Parker - almost an hours drive (it takes 15 minutes to drive out to the main highway at 15 miles an hour!) to go see Twilight - Breaking Dawn.  I loved it.  Ed sat through it with me though he claims he didn't enjoy it - it was so much better than the others - really well done.  Then we hit Wal Mart and stocked up on groceries and headed back to the trailer - it was dark by the time we got home and I cooked a pizza for dinner.

Wednesday November 21

Today I headed into town to do laundry - I got the four loads of wash going and then rushed over to the Family Dollar store.  I am in charge of table decorations for tomorrow's dinner (45 of us) sit down in the big tent for turkey and all the trimmings.  I had found some orange and yellow and green tablecloths and some cute napkins at wal mart but nothing else.  I bought some floral foam to use with some of my fall silk flowers that I have out in front of the house but I really didn't want to cut them up.  Family Dollar store had some cute things that I am going to use - I will post a picture of it tomorrow when I get the whole thing set up.  I went back and tossed the clothes in the dryer, at some lunch and then folded it all and headed back out to camp.  Got there just in time to grab some stuff and head over to the ladies craft hour.  Made a pretty necklace visited with everyone.  Went back over with Ed at four with my bottle of water and made final plans for tomorrow.  At 5 when happy hour was over we all pitched in and set the tables and chairs up so it is ready for Ginger and I to go over at ten in the morning and wash everything off (dust is everywhere) and set things up.  I get to cook a big pot of potatoes and mash them for the dinner plus I am supplying the olives.  We will eat at 2.   Happy Thanksgiving every one!

This is our cute solar lamp that we bought in Beaver at ALCO - It glows almost all night!!  Next to it you can see the cute solar snail I bought with part of my Christmas gift card $$ at Tai Pan Trading - thanks Jamie!

So you can see - we are keeping busy.  Lots of friends, lots of fun!  

Happy Turkey Day!

 By the time I got around to taking a picture of all the tables they were full of people so I took a picture of my table...with Ed's coke can next to the decor.  I had green, yellow and orange tablecloths with a cute napkin and a darling little green and autumn leaf candle holder with an owl sitting at the top of the leaf - then I placed mini candles on each leaf and we lit them.  It made the tent look nice and festive.

I made this necklace at craft day yesterday so I could wear it with my outfit today.  Watch for better pictures to come.  I snapped this while it sat on the kitchen table.  The earrings are large pearls glued onto posts.  Ed thought I looked pretty. 

I missed my whole family so very much today.  I don't think I will spend another Thanksgiving so far away from my beloved children.  At least until they all have grandkids and families of their own to be totally involved in.  I had a wonderful day with lots of friends.  They invited Ed to say Grace which meant much to me as it shows they realize that we are God fearing and God loving people.  I called this Kecia this evening (in response to her call to me that I missed) and found that Kecia and Mauri and Dirk and families all got together for a nice Thanksgiving dinner at Mauri Sue's.  I am so glad.  Shawn and Kris - Dirk - Mauri and Ira- Kelly and Jamie - Kecia and Glenn ...I love you all.