Jan 23, 2012 - SKP'S Happy Hour, Quartzsite, AZ

SKP's Happy Hour, Quartzsite, AZ Jan 23rd Wow has this been fun. When we left Al's RV Park last Wednesday we drove the rig straight to Solar Bills to have the battery bank and Magnum Charger/Inverter installed. As it turned out the batteries had not arrived and we were told they would be in later in the morning. Solar Bill said we would have plenty of time to finish the installation that day. Well he was right, but by the time we headed out to Scaddan Wash to join the Happy Hour it was already dark. Have I told you how much we hate driving...

Jan 17, 2012 - Leaving Al's RV Park

Leaving Al's RV Park Jan 17th We'll be leaving Al's in the morning. It's time to go do a little boondocking now that the solar panels have been installed. We are going to join the Escapees Happy Hour, it's being held in Scaddan Wash just south of I-10 and East of Quartzsite. Over the past week we we took the time to clean the dust out of the inside of the 5th wheel. You can't stay on the desert with even a little wind without getting dust inside your rig. It seems to get everywhere as you would expect. But after a couple of hours all was...

Jan 11, 2012 - Boondocking and Solar

Boondocking and Solar Jan 10th We arrived at Al's RV Park here in Bouse today. We'll be here for a week. While here we will bring the rig in to Solar Bill's in Quartzsite to have solar panels installed. On Jan 2nd we rejoined Bob and Suzanna out on Plumosa Rd, about 6 miles outside of Bouse. We had to hookup into Bob's solar inverter, which would charge our batteries, during the day. Our problem seems to be with our batteries not being large enough to do much with. We sometimes fire up his Honda 1000 watt generator to bring the batteries up...

Jan 1, 2012 - North Ranch SKP Park, AZ

North Ranch SKP Park January 1, 2012 Congress, AZ We got up early this morning to a great sunrise. The West has the best sunrises and sunsets. We had a leisurely breakfast and then took a walk around the park and took in the desert gardens created by park homeowners. They have done a magnificent job. Like Rovers Roost this park is situated away from any city of size. Congress which is a couple miles north of the park on Hwy 89 only has the bare necessities. For big shopping Wickenberg, AZ is about 12 miles south. This park is very quiet...

Mar 12, 2011 - Same Old Truck Problem

Our last day in the Bouse AZ desert was quite calm. It looks like all of us in the compound are heading out tomorrow. Doug tried to start the truck this morning and it wouldn't start. Same old problem. Doug feels like he has been had by the shop he went to the other day. Rod came up and jumped it again. We hope it keeps turning over until at least Monday afternoon when we can search for different repair place in Tucson. While he was doing that, JoAnn took a long farewell walk in the desert. JoAnn did some of her pre trip operations as did...

Mar 11, 2011 - Winding Down in the Desert

The temperature got into the eighties today and of course there is no shade, so we spent the day inside. Doug has been having difficulties sleeping at night and this afternoon while he was typing something on his computer he drifted ofF and found a long line of ccccccccc's on his page when he awoke. JoAnn spent most of the day on routine household chores, baking dessert for tomorrow's farewell feast with the group & reading. She also printed out tax forms and spent some time working on them. We have really got into this non agenda, no...

Mar 10, 2011 - Bouse Museum

Late this morning, we drove into Bouse to fill up a tank of propane. While we were in there, we stopped at one of the two local cafes that we could see and had a fried chicken plate for lunner. Then we crossed the railroad tracks and went to the Bouse Museum. It seems that there was a top secret army base located just outside of town during WWII. It was called the Patton Testing Range although apparently Patton just lent his name to the place. They were testing a British tank that featured brilliant white spotlights. The idea was that the...

Mar 9, 2011 - Truck Repair in Parker

Doug had to get up before breakfast once again to drive the 28 miles to Parker to have the truck looked at. They stated that it had two problems, the starter and they said the batteries were weak. We just purchased the batteries in November so when we get back to Tucson we will get a second opinion. We do have the papers on them and the guy at the repair shop said that Interstate does a good job with their guarantees. He did have a new starter installed. While waiting on the truck repair Doug treated himself to a diner breakfast with real...

Mar 8, 2011 - Palm Canyon

This morning the men piled into one car and the women in another as we headed to Palm Canyon. The men had one walkie talkie in their car and the women another in order to assure that the husbands stayed in their proper places. It was about a 40-50 mile drive and by the time we got to the canyon the wind had picked up and it was really gusting as we started out walk. Doug soon fell behind the rest. It was only a half mile trail but parts of it were very steep and covered with loose gravel. Doug has a problem going up hill as he becomes short...

Mar 7, 2011 - Dust Storm

Early this morning we canceled our planned trip to Palm Canyon due the to forecast of high winds. The forecast was quite accurate. We had heavy gusts of wind all day and our view of the horizon was dimmed by clouds of dust. We went through the drill of taking down up the rig and drove to a city park just outside Bouse, maybe three miles from us, and paid ten dollars to empty the black and gray tanks and refill the fresh water tank. We can go ten to twelve days on the black tank, but by emptying it today we no longer have to worry as much...

Mar 6, 2011 - We Love This Place!

The high today was in the eighties yet the nights are still cool enough for the winter blankets. We wonder if anyone can tell that we absolutely love in here out in the middle of no where. JoAnn and Ellie went for about a four mile walk this morning exploring a new road off of the main road leading in here. The saw a big horn sheep on their jaunt and got a good picture to prove it. Doug remained in his recliner and finished a new book recommended to him by a Facebook friend, The Spontaneous Healing of Belief by Gregg Braden. He is anxious...

Mar 5, 2011 - Lake Havasu City

This morning we decided to drive over to Lake Havasu City around 60 miles or so from here. We had no agenda we just decided to do it. JoAnn remembered that when the city was getting started in the 1960's that some of her parents friends were flown out to the fledgling town to hear a sales pitch on buying into the property. It would have been hard for anyone to see the potential of that area back then, especially folks from a small MO. town. Today it is a glitzy crowded community sprawling out along the Colorado River and boasting of having...