We stopped in Beaver on our way through and visited with Ed's youngest Brother Kevin at Kevin's Conoco for 15 minutes and then headed over to the Beaver Creamery which another brother manages to pick up a five pound block of their delicious NEW cheese which is milder than mild. YUMMY. We also bought a few bags of cheese curd to keep us going down here in Arizona.
We made it to Cedar City about 3:30 PM to spend the night with a college roommate from almost too long ago to remember! <3 Linda and Don welcomed us with open arms and we visited with each other way into the late hours. A delicious dinner and breakfast the next morning made us feel very spoiled.
Sunday found us at an old school buddy's home in St George for a couple of hours and then on the Veyo to visit a sweet Aunt of mine. Both Richard and then Aunt Annette made us feel very welcome.
We loved the warm 45 degrees in Beaver, then Cedar and then St George. (We hope the palm trees survive the cold winter that they have suffered through in St George this year.)
Mesquite was a balmy 54....NICE!
Monday morning we got on the road by 8 am Nevada time. We pulled into Quartzsite about 3:20 that afternoon - to 65 degrees!! That is why we go to Arizona every winter.
Our Home Away From Home
We got a ROYAL WELCOME from all of our friends that were already down here. We enjoyed a lovely campfire at Ed and Jo's that night with Del and Susan and Patty and Gary from our camp up in Idaho showing up at the campfire also!
Tuesday nite was the New Year's Eve party. We had spent the day setting up camp, laying out the carpets and staking them down. Rearranging the inside of the trailer. The party was fun and at 10 pm we watched the ball drop in New York City at which time the music was turned off and the TV turned off and we started cleaning up because out here in the desert on BLM land we are not allowed to have generators and sound systems going after 10pm. We got back to the trailer and took a couple of pictures - one of me that turned out great and one of Ed that was very blurry!!! Then we hit the sack as it had been a very busy day.
New Years Day itself was rather quiet - Ed and I got the tent set up...it sits behind the trailer and we store the stuff we are not using in it. Boxes that hold lights, extra food, the warm clothes we use for four wheeling on cooler days etc. Ed and Jo invited us to go out to dinner at the Grubsteak (they have wonderful wonderful fish). Edward had invited Larry and Kitty and Lee all over for a campfire that evening while I had accepted the dinner invitation so we went to eat at five and Larry and Kitty and Lee AND Ed and Jo all showed up for a campfire about 7. The skies were clear, there was no wind, the weather was warm and the friendship was wonderful around that campfire!!
Our Cute Lamp in the front yard
Thursday we headed out with friends on our first ATV ride of the new year. Fun fun day - we got back at 2pm- early enough that I could take a shower and get ready to meet all of our friends at the tent at 4.
Four Wheeling DOWN the hill
Friday was a quieter day - Ed went to help some friends empty their black and gray water from their trailer and go dump it while I scrubbed and cleaned the trailer. I vacuumed and mopped and waxed the floors, washed the windows and simply scrubbed and cleaned corners of the trailer that I hadn't felt like cleaning in September and October when I should have!
We headed into town finally about noon to go to the post office for our post office box so we could have our mail forwarded. We hit the grocery store and the dollar store for various items and headed back to the trailer out in the desert.
We had invited Larry and Kitty and also Lee for dinner. So I spent the rest of the afternoon cutting and chopping and mixing and stirring and baking and frying dinner. We served them our delicious elk steaks (all except Lee who is a vegetarian.) I really worked hard on this meal because Kitty and Larry have hosted us in their home many times down in Hurricane and I wanted to say thanks to them for their love and kindness.
This morning I woke up just wanting to laze the day away. We have been awfully busy all week. But as I looked at my overflowing kitchen I decided I needed to have Ed and Jo from Washington State over for dinner tonight so as to help with all the leftovers. We had a great time - Our friend Ed wasn't sure he even wanted to TRY the elk as he had never eaten elk before and thought it would be like venison. He kept calling it beef before he tasted it. He LOVED it. Then after the dishes were done and dried and put away we headed over to their trailer for a continuation of our conversation around the fire.
Right now, Edward is watching TV and I am typing on the computer. Tomorrow we will go to church in the morning. This is our life in the desert....friends, four wheeling, firesides, and eating!
Monday morning I hopped in Razr and with our dirty clothes and headed into Quartzsite to do laundry. First I stopped at Gem World - my favorite place in town to buy beads!! Dangerous store. Here are a few necklaces that I have already made from the beads I bought on Monday:
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We had invited Larry and Kitty and also Lee for dinner. So I spent the rest of the afternoon cutting and chopping and mixing and stirring and baking and frying dinner. We served them our delicious elk steaks (all except Lee who is a vegetarian.) I really worked hard on this meal because Kitty and Larry have hosted us in their home many times down in Hurricane and I wanted to say thanks to them for their love and kindness.
Our Front Yard
Right now, Edward is watching TV and I am typing on the computer. Tomorrow we will go to church in the morning. This is our life in the desert....friends, four wheeling, firesides, and eating!
Monday morning I hopped in Razr and with our dirty clothes and headed into Quartzsite to do laundry. First I stopped at Gem World - my favorite place in town to buy beads!! Dangerous store. Here are a few necklaces that I have already made from the beads I bought on Monday:
Deep Forest Necklace and Earring Set
Lariet in Blue Necklace and Earring Set
Lariet in Red Necklace and Earring Set
Gilded Pearls Necklace and Earring Set
Blue Ice Necklace and Earring Set
I still have several more new beads to turn into somthing beautiful. Five new necklaces in
2 1/2 days!! My creative juices are going like mad. :-D
We now have our solar lamps out lining our driveway and my cute red ladybird wind flower set up . We had a couple of days where the wind was blowing cold but today was much better . Its been cold at night (down to 32 at 7am) but warming up to the high 60's each day We miss our family but we are loving the warmth!
Our closest neighbors, Ed and Jo across the way and Brian and Wanda way off to the right
Sunset
