We've Moved.. again

We have left the Pinal County Park and moved 5 miles West to the John Wayne RV Ranch where we can enjoy the amenities of electric, water and sewer hookups. We'll be here until we leave for Detroit but while we are gone, the RV will sit patiently awaiting our return in Jan. Then, we will figure out where we go from there. Perhaps back to boondocking at the Pinal County Park or stay here for a little longer. Weather (and $$) will have a factor in the decision process as Winter has made its presence known with AM temps in the lower 30's and, potentially, the upper 20's. Makes it a bit chilly in the rig in the mornings:( Now I won't have to worry about the batteries on the cloudy days and can watch a football game or whatever without worrying about having enough "juice" to run the furnace in the AM. Plus, the wifi is working pretty good for the moment. Much better than last year. There is even a nice field across the road with smooth lanes that will be good for flying my planes. Maybe tomorrow I'll check it out:)

Tenacity of Age

As I get a little older, I notice different things that would not have interested me in my younger years. This afternoon while walking around the campground, I saw an old Saguaro cactus being crowded by a Mesquite tree and a Palo Verde tree. The cactus is at least 150 years old and has been there much longer than the younger interlopers. The Mesquite on the left and the Palo Verde on the right will NOT defeat the cactus as evidenced by the new growth on the top of the branches. The motto must be "Never give up!". I can relate to that as I look back on my later years of working toward retirement. The new, younger people would eventually look at me as one of the dinosaurs that should move out to make room for them. NUTS! With the great help of Lou, I was able to make it long enough to retire on our own terms. Now as we enjoy being in the desert of AZ I can tell all the others still working toward their retirement, Never Give Up!

Arizona Living

OK, I promised some pics and have finally got them over to the computer. Hopefully, I can get them in some order that makes sense. First (??) is where we "roughed it" at the Echo Bay campground at the Lake Mead Recreational Area. I am not bothering with any pic from our stay at Wikieup:( The Echo Bay campground is on a high bluff above the lake and Marina which can be seen down in the distance. If it's blue, it's water:) The last pic is of our humble abode parked in the "desolate" gentle desert of the County Park south of Maricopa. Yesterday, just for giggles and something to do, we drove over to Florence, AZ to tour the Sun City Anthem housing. Who knows, maybe some day we'll consider living here in the Winter and traveling North for the summer? It's a thought anyhow. Sunny and cool for the next few days with a possibility of some rain showers late this evening. No winds expected with the next front coming through so we should be able to sleep through it:)

Pinal County Park - at last:)

We are now in our favorite site at our favorite So. AZ "RV Park" with solar power, full fresh water tank and empty holding tanks. Upon arrival several days ago, we were in a "temporary" site until another RV moved out of "our" site. Now, we are balanced and level so we can get on with our exciting life of exercising, reading, games on the Kindle, etc. (Not all in that order) Verizon has been very exasperating as they are currently going through some upgrading of the cell towers expanding the 4G network. The result is that service drops out on a regular basis or is out for several hours at a time. Since we are retired and have nothing better to do, one would think it isn't a big deal. However, without email and Facebook, how does one start the day? At least when it works, it works great. The weather is really nice with mild breezes and plenty of sunshine, so far. The winds will pick up tomorrow. The forecast is calling for 15-25 with gusts to 35-45 for tomorrow. Not good flying conditions:( I flew the Sky Surfer this morning a couple of times in the park here. The entrance "road" is smooth enough for landing and takeoffs with the other 2 planes. It will be good for a while until the RV population starts picking up in a week or 3. The RV's are on the move everywhere:) I didn't get any of the pics downloaded from the camera yet so no pics yet.

Friday Night in Wikieup

"Don't blink or you will miss it" is more than just a catchy phrase, it's Wikieup, AZ. 2 gas stations and one "RV Park and Restaurant" comprise 90% of the wide spot. People are friendly and the restaurant serves a pretty good BBQ beef sandwich but no beer:( We have left the beautiful Echo Bay campground and have wended our way further South on our journey. Dazzo's RV Park and Restaurant is where we have parked for the night. We could have continued on toward destination but would have arrived in the Phoenix area traffic rush. Not good with an RV and following spouse in the Prius. RV is doing well at 10 MPG!!!!! Oh Joy:) Look out Mike and Eva, we're on our way! As much as I enjoy driving the RV, I'm looking forward to getting set up and sitting still for a week or more at a time. I'll post some more pics on the next entry. For now, good night!

Valley of Fire Pics

Yesterday we took a nice slow drive through the Valley of Fire State Park. We have been there before (3 years ago on our infamous first trip) but are still amazed at the beauty and grandeur of the park. 150,000,000 years of geological and historical wonder on display for all to see. And, there are still those who think the Earth is only 10,000 years old. We even saw some actual wildlife! Big Horn sheep and a tortoise that was too slowly trying to cross the road. So, I got out and "helped" him the rest of the way lest he become part of the endangered species. How lush and green everything is this year since they had the heavy snowfalls in the mountains (130% above normal). They are projecting that Lake Mead will rise some 23 feet this year as a result which will make the boating groups very happy. We hope you enjoy the pics. We'll be here at Echo Bay for at least a couple of days, maybe more:)

Pictures

Probably in reverse order are some pics I took along the way showing what many of Nevada's roads look like from the driver's seat and some views from our present location. We are on a small plateau some 600 feet above the town of Overton, NV. Note: The RV in the sunset pic is NOT ours:) The winding road is the one back toward town looking down from the plateau.