2011-03-29 Sunset changes

The perfect sunset.  WOW!!!!  All this color change occurred in 1/2 hour.  Started at 18:46 PM and ended at 19:16PM  It was a great day today, highest temperature was +94F at about 15:00PM  Long time residents of Yuma say that this kind of sunset indicates the same kind of weather for the next day.  Sounds good to me.

2011-03-26 Yuma Marine Airshow

Ray went to the air show with a couple friends.  The picture here are a sample of what he saw.  Overall he was quite impressed. This is a heavy lift helicopter.  It can sling army vehicles with very little effort.

 The Ospery can lift vertically with a shift of the propellers.  Once at the desired altitude, the propellers shift to the original position for propulsion.

 This vehicle is used by the Army for road mine sweeper.

 The F22 is a jet very  sleek and fast.

This is a single engine training aircraft.

 The hercules is large freight and passenger carrier.

This is a B17

The harrier jet can can launch vertically and when leveled off travels at supersonic speed

This is a Border Patrol  SUV.  It patrols the US/Mexico border

These two helicopters were refuelling right over our RV park.

2011-03-23 Calaxico, CA

Calexico, CA is a large city that borders on Mexico and California.  Many large and modern stores,, homes and super friendly people.  Fuel prices here were more reasonable than in California or Arizona.  It was $3.359 per gallon.  The international border is on highway 7 and this is where all trucks hauling freight to and from Mexico must pass.  After we passed through Calexico, we travelled down highway 98 back to Yuma.  It was a great day!!!!!

2011-03-23 Mexican and US Border Wall

The Mexican and US border wall is 1952 miles or 3141 KM long.  It runs along the US/Mexican border from California to the middle of Texas and is not completed to date.  The cost to date is 6.5 billion dollars, 5600 people have died and it still hasn't stopped illigal immigration.   The first 4 pictures are ones that I took about 5 miles away from the fence across the desert.  The other one is one taken by someone else depicting what the fence looks like up close.

2011-03-23 Salvation Mountain, Neland, CA

Salvation Mountain is a work of art started by Leonard Knight at the age of 30 years.  He has constructed the monument out of straw and mud, and shaped all the structures with layers and layers of this compound. He has painted it all with donated paint and  with the help of a couple of volunteers. He  decided to give back to the Lord for all the blessings he had received. He is now 79 years old.  Besides the mountain, Leonard constructed several adobes with his message for all in them as well as numerous awards he has received.   The last picture is of his faithful cat.  Kind of skinny as there is not a lot to eat out there for the cat, except for today.  He caught a gecko and wasted not time in having lunch.  This is a must see for anyone coming down this way!!

2011-03-23 Camp Dunlap, "Slab City"

Camp Dunlap, Niland, CA  was the  training grounds for the marines in 1942.  All that remains are slabs of concrete where the buildings stood on.  Thus the name Slab City.  Now it is a dry camping area with lots of squatters there.   But the army still practices war games out near the mountain, bombing and shooting missles.  A little unsettling to say the least.

2011-03-23 California Sand Dunes

We were travelling out to Niland, CA on a day trip when we came across them.  Dune buggies!!  It appeared they were having so much fun.  They were flying up and over the banks so fast that I was lucky to get 2 pictures.  There was one by the canel but he was gone before I captured his picture.  We thought about renting a buggy, but decided .....not this year. 

2011-03-18 Peanut Party

At least once a week everyone from our end of the street get together to shell peanuts, have a drink, discuss the last wesks events, tell lies and generally enjoy the evening.  The graikles and mocking birds were most appreciative of the shells after we all left.

2011-03-15 Trip to Tonopak, AZ

Our journey started at our RV in Western Sands, Yuma down I8 to Gilla Bend where fuel was $4.01.9 per gallon. Whew!!!

We turned from highway 85 to I10  (West) enroute to Tonopok, AZ The freeways are really nice to travel on. 4 lane divided and no frost heaves.

We arrived at Duncan and Carols place after 3 hours of travel.  What a nice lot they have, large and clean.  No sand blowing around

 . 

We toured over to a natural mineral hot springs. about a mile from Carol and Duncans RV park

We checked out the water..WOW, it was to hot for us.  104 F and the sun is pounding down on us, so we all agreed to pass on the soak..

So we looked for something else to do or to see......and guess what we found??

Yup a little scorpion.  3 1/2" long, 1 1/2 " wide and DEADLY.  She was pretty ticked off at being disturbed and made no bones at showing it.  Her little tail just curled up and was ready for war...

This one met his water-lou and is dried out and sitting on a rock.

This temperary shelter from the sun is decorated with Saguaro Cactus skeltons(dried wood) and other desert plants

Now........here are a couple of old crows out by the 9 hole golf course looking for .........

A couple of cute chicks.  Agree?????

Big Horn Peak  3487 feet and is in the Big Horn Mountain Range just west of Tonopah.

What a great trip!!!!