Day 180, Thursday, January 31 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 5

Another Hummingbird Photo

Thursday, January 31 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 8,094.7 Miles for the Trip

Another warm day at Dome Rock. I checked the weather map for home at Oswego, and they are looking at single digits & as much as 5' of snow by Friday. I'll have to give my son an early call to see how he made out. Our road isn't too bad since it is a school bus route, the town knows how to plow & has the equipment necessary to keep it open, but 5' is 5', and he drives home from work at midnight!

After breakfast I sat outside and read (current book is Dennis Lehane's Live By Night). I met a new batch of Casita & Escape owners (well, new to the rally, but I've met most of them along the road). I made a trip into town looking for 5 cup coffee filters; no luck at either of the dollar stores or the grocery stores. I even tried the combined hardware & liqueur store (a strange combination, but it is Quartzsite) and they did have some groceries, but no coffee, let alone filters. I may have to drive to Blythe or Parker just for filters, although I'm putting together a list or other "needs" that I can't find here in the Q.

More reading & meeting during the afternoon, as well as a bunch of hummingbird photos. You may be getting tired of them, but there isn't all that much else to take pictures of, at least until the party starts. In any case, there are many more at today's LakeshoreImages page. After that I headed in for dinner.

Dinner was a Quorn vegetarian chicken patty & a peach cup, along with a glass of Kendall & Jackson Pinot Noir wine. I know, it should be a white wine with chicken, but hey, it isn't really chicken, and the Kendall & Jackson is one of my favorites (and about 1/2 the price here in the West as it is in upstate NY.)

Until Tomorrow -

Day 179, Wednesday, January 30 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 4

A Hummingbird

Wednesday, January 30 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 8,094.7 Miles for the Trip

A bit cloudy today, but enough sun peaked through to refill the batteries. After my morning walk & breakfast I did some reading, chatted with some of the early arrivals for the rally, and goofed off. Photos of some of the new arrivals & another hummingbird image are at today's LakeshoreImages page.

I took a few hummingbird photos at the feeder during the afternoon. The one pictured is a showoff - she keeps coming back time after time. There are at least 3 more, including one read headed male, but they don't show up as often (but, of course, do when I don't have the camera!)

Dinner was simple - the last Church's chicken thigh, and a salad. Churche's chicken is better cold, however it is still worse than most. I keep thinking it couldn't be as bad as I remember, but it is!

Until Tomorrow -

Day 178, Tuesday, January 29 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 3

Tuesday, January 29 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 8,094.7 Miles for the Trip

Another nice day in the low 70's, although off & on clouds. I made pancakes outside for breakfast since it was 60°F by the time I got back from my walk. After that, some sitting around reading. A couple of the sun blockers next door left, but another one moved in. Looks like it will be difficult to expand to the East during the rally, but there is lots of room on the hill & to the West. A couple more Casitas & an Escape 21 moved in today.

I did some more reading, fired up the water heater to do dishes, then headed to Loves to dump a bag of garbage & pick up some Chester's Chicken for an early dinner. I don't know why I do it every year (actually, I do know why - I feel I should buy something when I drop off a bag of garbage) but Chester's chicken is about the worst fried chicken I've ever had. It has not improved this year!

Anyhow, that was dinner, although I may nibble some cheese & crackers a bit later.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 177, Monday, January 28 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 2

A Couple of Cactus & Dome Rock

Monday, January 28 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 8,094.7 Miles for the Trip

A warm night, only getting down to 44°F, and it is already up to 72°F at 1:00. A few hazy clouds in the sky, but the solar is doing OK flat on the roof. I did dig out the portable panel, mostly because I wanted to repack it after just throwing it in the truck for the move. Since it is out, I'll leave it hooked up while here, but just before connecting it I was getting 8 amps of charging from the flat mounted rooftop panels so I could probably get away without it.

My morning walk is a bit rougher here at Dome Rock. While there are roads, they are not as smooth as those at the LTVAs. The scenery is more interesting, so I also get off the roads more often. After breakfast I took another walk around the area & took a few photos, the rest of which can be seen at today's LakeshoreImages page.

After lunch, I did some reading (current book is Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye) outside in the shade of my hooded chair. I've read the sequels to it, but strangely enough, never read the original, considered by Robert Heinlein as "Possibly the best science fiction novel I've ever read". Enough sun that I even ran the trailer awning out, something I rarely do.

After my afternoon eye drops, I headed to Quiet Times to pick up a couple of packages, and made a stop at the Roadrunner Grocery Store. Back at the trailer I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sitting outside reading, and watching the hummingbirds at the feeder.

Since I microwaved a Eating Well Chicken & Wild Rice Stroganoff dinner for lunch (I do wish their excellent packaged meals could be cooked in an oven so I didn't need to microwave them early enough in the day so the solar panels can refill the batteries), dinner was a simple wrap & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 176, Sunday, January 27 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ

Dome Rock

Sunday, January 27 , 2019 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ - 12.5 Miles, 8,094.7 Miles for the Trip

After my walk & breakfast, I headed to the Big Tent for the last time (I know I said that yesterday; I lied), picked up a Progressive "T" shirt & my 4th shopping bag, and a couple of other freebie's wandering around the tent. It wasn't crowded; I guess Sunday is a good day to go, although a number of booths were already closed.

After that it was a bit of reading, and then making a Bubba burger for lunch (along with the remaining potato salad from the other day). Around 2:00 I decided the best plan was to dump the tanks & fill the fresh water tank today, and move to Dome Rock. If I waited until tomorrow, I'd have to pay for 2 weeks ($40.00) to dump, then pay again after the Fiberglass Rally ends 2 weeks from tomorrow to dump before heading to the rodeo grounds in Lake Havasu City. I have no problem paying the $40.00, but $80.00 for dumping twice is a bit much.

A short line at the dump station, although a very slow one. All of the RVs ahead of me were large, with large tanks. Same at the water fill, but I got lucky, and the fill station across the road emptied while I was in line. The guy in front of me didn't want to get out of line; he was still waiting after I filled & headed out.

As usual, there are a bunch of sun blockers (large RV's) here at Dome Rock, but the area I usually set up at was empty. I set up the trailer without paying attention to the sun direction. If I have to tilt my panels, it will be interesting to decide which direction. I'm hoping that by now we are far enough past the December solstice that I can leave the panels flat.

In any case, I'm leveled, have the ground cloth out, my table set up & ready for a couple of weeks of slowly gathering 200+ fiberglass trailers.

Since I had a large lunch, dinner was just a salad.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 175, Saturday, January 26 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 50

Saturday, January 26 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 50 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

While today may be the first after the government shutdown ended, you wouldn't know it by the BLM Long Term Visitor Areas. They didn't open the entrance stations, and nothing has changed since yesterday.

I made a last visit to the Big Tent, picked up a couple more freebie's, and some information on Battle Born's Lithium batteries. While a pair of their 100 amp hour 12V batteries would save me more than 100 pounds, I would need to remove them any time I decided to spend the winter in Oswego. They suggest a minimum temperature of -4°F, and they cannot be charged at less than 30°F. While they would be located in the trailer, so charging temperature would not be a problem when I'm living in the trailer, it would be while it is parked in the driveway. And there is the cost. They have a great deal here at the show - $799.00 each for either the standard group 31 sized, and the same price for the GC2 sized 12V (same 100 amp hour rating) that lets you put two 12V batteries in a battery box designed for 2 golf cart batteries. Normal pricing is closer to $1000.00 for the Group 31, and $1100.00 for the GC2 version.

Tempting, but if I change the batteries, I'll probably go with AGMs this summer.

The rest of the day was spent reading.

Dinner was a cream cheese & grape jelly wrap & applesauce, since I had a Gyro for lunch.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 174, Friday, January 25 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 49

Friday, January 25 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 49 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

I did laundry today. Crowded, with a short wait for washing machines, but no wait for a pair of dryers. Unfortunately, I couldn't take my usual shower while the dryers were running - there was a sign stating showers closed. I asked, and they said they would be open in an hour or so. After folding my clothes, I drove across the street for a haircut, then back to the laundromat. The showers were still closed, and since I had a head & neck filled with pieces of hair, I took one in the trailer. I hate to do that while dry camping for weeks at a time, but since I'm planning on moving to Dome Rock on Sunday or Monday and the fresh water tank is at 2/3s & the same for the gray, a short shower didn't change either, and I'll be dumping when I move.

It sounds like the government shut down will go away for at least a couple of weeks. Not sure when they will start charging for the LTVA campground, but since I've already been there through 2 unpaid 2 week cycles, I'm willing to pay for the next couple of days (or even pay for the previous cycles since it works out to $2.86 per day) & the ability to dump & fill the fresh water tank before I head to Dome Rock.

Dinner was barbecued ribs & potato salad.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 173, Thursday, January 24 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 48

Thursday, January 24 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 48 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Same low as last night, but a much warmer day, hitting a high of 71°F. After my walk & breakfast, I did my usual reading, both on line & a book - John Sandford's Invisible Prey. During my walk I stopped at a kitchen booth and bought a couple of aluminum pie pans. I prefer stainless since they are easier to clean, but I was lucky to find any at all. Not sure why, but cake pans are available just about anywhere, but pie pans are rare.

I thought about doing laundry, but will probably wait until tomorrow. I did change the sheets on the bed.

After lunch, I sat around with Ted & Linda. They are both considering leaving tomorrow.

Dinner was a sandwich & salad.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 172, Wednesday, January 23 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 47

Wednesday, January 23 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 47 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Another cool night, down to 34°F at 6:00AM, and only getting to the low 60's for the high for the day. I did some reading, mostly inside the trailer, although the wind died down, so it was pleasant to sit in the sun during the afternoon.

I checked the propane, and one tank had emptied overnight. I drove to the 76 gas station to fill the tank. Very heavy traffic in town; worse than during the weekend. As usual for this time of year, a long line at the propane fill station. After filling the tank, I headed back to the campground, waiting for over 5 light changes to get across the I 10 bridge.

I dis some more reading sitting outside, watched new arrivals & departures (there is now a teardrop behind me) then decided this would be the Wednesday for my annual visit to the Mountain Quail Restaurant for their Wednesday special, Chicken Fried Chicken. A very long wait to get a table, and average wait for the mea, which, as usual, was excellentl, except for the overcooked vegetables.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 171, Tuesday, January 22 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 46

Tuesday, January 22 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 46 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

A windy & cool day - the high was 58°F and it was down to 47°F last night. My weather station showed a peak of 32MPH for the wind this afternoon. No clouds, so the solar is doing well (and the panels are still on the roof).

Because of the wind an cool temperatures, I spent the day in the trailer reading. Current book is Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman, the daughter of Tony Hillerman. She has continued his Navajo characters in her books, but with a slightly different slant. While I loved Tony Hillerman's writings about the Navajo police, she writes well, and I'm glad she has continued with the characters.

That was about it for the day. I decided to bake my chicken dinner in the oven rather than try to grill it in the wind.

Dinner was a baked chicken leg & thigh, mashed potatoes, and a salad.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 170, Monday, January 21 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 45

A Very Fuzzy Blood Moon

Monday, January 21 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 45 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Well, I went out last night, and it was so cloudy I could barely see the moon. Fairly long exposures let me get a couple of photos, but very fuzzy ones due to the clouds.  You can see two more at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Of course it was nice & clear during the day today, although windy - it hit 29MPH on my gauge. Enough that by late afternoon the mountains in the distance disappeared due to the dust.

A few more RV's left, but a few more arrived. Still fairly crowded, although I went over to the Big Tent to buy a folding water bucket, and it didn't seem as crowded as last year.

After lunch, I got a call from Rite Aid that the last of my eye drops came in, so I made a run to Blythe. Of course, since I was next door to a large grocery store, I also spent $80.00 on groceries (still cheaper than the co pay on the eye drops)!

Fairly heavy traffic on I 10, so the drive back took longer than usual, particularly the part of the drive that went by the tent. By the time I put everything away, it was time for dinner, which was a turkey wrap & some cottage cheese.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 169, Sunday, January 20 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 44

Sunday, January 20 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 44 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

A somewhat cloudy day & evening. I hope it clears so I can photograph the eclipse & blood moon tonight, but as of now at 4:30, it doesn't look good.

A quiet Sunday. I talked again with my brother who hopes to go home tomorrow, and my son where they are in the middle of a snow storm. They are expecting 30" by the time it ends.

We did lots of sitting around talking, took a break for lunch, then back at it. The crowd of RVs is actually thinning out. I watched an Oliver (another brand of fiberglass trailer) leave this afternoon, as well as a number of larger RVs. Still lots more RVs than normal. The dumpsters are already overflowing again, and since tomorrow is a holiday, not sure they will be emptied until at least Tuesday.

Dinner will be a grilled chicken patty & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 168, Saturday, January 19 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 43

Inside the Big Tent

Saturday, January 19 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 43 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Another pleasant day at Quartzsite. During my morning walk I talked with my brother. He is doing much better than yesterday, and in a regular room. Still on antibiotics, but since his appendix seems to have closed up, they will keep him for a couple of days, then send him back to the island. In a month or so, it should be less swollen & they will try to do laparoscopic surgery to remove it. I hope they don't send him home in the middle of the blizzard that is going to hit New England tomorrow.

After a bit or reading I headed over to the Big Tent for a walk through. Some of last year's booths aren't there this year, and there are a few new ones, but is is still more of a state fair type of set up than a true RV show. I saw a couple of things I'd like to get, but nothing critical. I did stop at the Progressive booth for a "T" shirt, but other than that, most of the free swag seems to have disappeared. I took a few photos.

On my way back to the trailer I passed a food booth selling one of my favorites - a Gyro, and one that was actually made with lamb. Expensive at $10.00, but it will most likely cover both lunch & dinner, so why not.

We sat around talking for the rest of the afternoon, then I headed back to the trailer to post this page and maybe make a small salad for dinner. I need some food to go with at least one of my meds. Speaking of meds, I'm having an interesting time trying to get refills for my eye drops. No problem with the generic eye drops that Rite Aid had in stock - they were done a week ago, but both my name brand drops were out of stock at Rite Aid in Blythe. They ordered them & were told by both manufacturers that they were out of stock. Today one of them came in, but the the manufacturer still doesn't have any of the other one. I was hoping to pick them all up at the same time, but if the last one doesn't come in by Tuesday, the original order will be too old & they cancel the 1st one. I would have to get my doctor to phone in a new prescription. A strange system, but it looks like I'll be making a couple of trips to Blythe!

Until Tomorrow -

Day 167, Friday, January 18 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 42

A Very Full Campground

Friday, January 18 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 42 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

I got a call last night that my brother was medevaced off Nantucket Island to Boston Medical Center with a burst appendix. All I could get from the hospital was that they were evaluating him, but this morning I got through to him. Still in the emergency room. It appears that his appendix resealed & they are pumping him full of antibiotics and will watch him over the weekend, hoping not to need to operate. No insurance - should be an interesting bill!

Back at Quartzsite, I took a photo of all the RVs between my location & the Big Tent as well as last night's sunset. When I got here at the beginning of December, there were around 5 RVs, now it is impossible to see between them. Our section is close to full. Lots of new arrivals cruise through, but don't find a place to stay. By the way they did show up today to empty the dumpsters. I really appreciate that - driving across town to get to the transfer station is something I'd like to avoid for the week of the Big Tent show. The additional traffic from the 100,000 + people here for the show makes driving interesting.

I didn't accomplish much today, although I did find a bad crimp that was making Mel's solar system intermittent. After fixing it, lots of sitting around talking and enjoying the sun. I tried to go to Sweet Darleen's for the Friday Fish Fry, but the parking lot was full, and there was a line of around 30 people outside the door. So, headed back to the campground. I stopped at the Roadrunner Market for a couple of New York Strip Steaks. I had one last week that was one of the best I've had, so I bought a 3 pack & froze 2.

Dinner was a NY Strip & mashed potatoes. The steak was OK, but not as tender as the one last week.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 166, Thursday, January 17 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 41

Overflowing Dumpsters

Thursday, January 17 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 41 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

On my walk this morning I took the trash to the dumpsters. I don't know if it is just the increased number of RVs here at La Posa West, or the money to pay to dump the dumpsters has run out, but all 4 are overflowing. I took a photo. On the rest of the walk I wandered by a large Class A from Hawaii. A bit unusual, but I talked with the owners, and they store it in LA, fly over to drive around the other 49 states.  A photo of the plate is on today's LakeshoreImages page.

I did some updating of my retirement spreadsheet as well as my bills spreadsheet, moving everything into 2019. After lunch, I spent some of the afternoon adding a couple of 12V receptacles to Mel's 24' "sticky" trailer (it came with none). I have to say that after working on it the construction techniques & quality is a long way from what you find with fiberglass trailers. Even Scamp, the least expensive currently built fiberglass trailer is much better built & designed than the one I worked on. Of course, since it cost close to the same &the stick built is almost twice the size, one would expect some degradation of quality, but there are wiring problems, fixtures that were quoted by the dealer as LED that are incandescent, a TV cable that doesn't seem to be connected to anything, and comes through the same hole as the 120V receptacle next to it. Another piece of Romex (a 120V wire) is pinched between the trailer & chassis. I could go on...

Anyway, we managed to add 2 12v receptacles. After a well deserved beer & sitting around enjoying what was left of the day, I headed back to the trailer for dinner.

Dinner was a salad & Tapioca pudding. By the way, I forgot to add last night's dinner, which was a turkey sandwich & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 165, Wednesday, January 16 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 40

A 6' Diameter Geode

Wednesday, January 16 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 40 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

While the prediction was for heavy clouds, it was pretty much a bright & sunny day. After my walk & breakfast, I drove to Dome Rock to meet a Casita owner. He wasn't there, but a bunch of other fiberglass trailer owners (2 Escape 21's and 2 Casita 17's) were in the same area. We chatted for a bit, then I headed to the Rock & Gem show. I usually wander around the 100's of booths & tables, looking at all the stuff, and eventually buy something. I am going to need to find a new place for the rocks back at home - the space on my TV stand is getting full! This year I bought a group of quartz crystals from Arkansas. I took some photos of some of the tables & booths with my iPhone, the rest that can be seen at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Back at the trailer, I was going to lend Mel my solar panel since my trailer batteries were already in the float mode & didn't need the full 480 watts of solar. While I was gone, he went to Discount Solar & bought a 100 watt panel, controller, and wire. Not a folding portable unit, but it didn't take much work it put it together (although in the middle of the project he had to go back & buy more wire). Even though the sun was setting by the time we finished, he was getting almost 4 amps from the panel.

We sat around and talked even after the sun ducked behind the mountains and it got cool enough for jackets. Finally, I broke for dinner & to post today's page.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 164, Tuesday, January 15 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 39

Tuesday, January 15 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 39 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

A very wet night & day. Over 1" of rain. While there is a flood watch on for the area, the washes in the campground are mostly dry, with puddles all over. The sand & gravel surface can get you - step in the wrong place and you sink in one to two inches into mud that was like rock when dry. Hard to tell by looking which is solid gravel and which is a mud pot. I didn't go for my walk this morning, the fisrt time since getting to Quartzsite. I don't mind walking in snow, but don't like walking in the rain.

Not much time outside, although a group of us got together and chatted during one of the brief "dry" spells. Very little solar charging during the day - I went from -24 amp hours this morning to -21 at 3:00. At least I got lots of reading in!

Dinner will be a baked chicken quarter (maybe grilled if the rain lets up) and steamed vegetables.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 163, Monday, January 14 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 38

Monday, January 14 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 38 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

We seem to have alternating weather. Today was mostly heavy clouds, with a prediction of overnight rain. The area is getting crowded; 3 more RVs moved into our area, and many more in the areas next to us. We had a couple of large class A's that pulled in and felt that someone that was in a smaller class C that was here first should move so they could park where they wanted. By the way, a couple of rangers came out and talked to the guy with the German Shepard. I think they convinced him that if he wanted to stay in the park, he had to keep his dog on a leash.

Lynda talked with the rangers afterwards, and they don't really have a plan for dealing with those already here once the shutdown ends. They are hoping people will show up at the offices once they open & pay for the time they were here, but there since there hasn't been any kind of records of when people arrived, they will have to take folks at their word. At $40.00 for 2 weeks, I'd hope people will be honest about using the place...

Today was laundry day. I was hoping that it was early enough before the Big Tent event that it wouldn't be too crowded, but no such luck. No problem getting a couple of washing machines, but long lines waiting for dryers. I finally got one (but really needed 2), tossed some extra quarters to make it run more than my usual 40 minutes, then headed for a shower. For the first time in years, I had to wait for a shower! Things calmed down by the time I got out of the shower, and I was able to split my load between two dryers. It still was a long morning.

Back at the trailer I made the bed & put the laundry away. I don't plan on doing laundry again until well after the show. I sat outside for a bit, but by 5:00 it had cooled off enough that I made dinner.

Dinner was a New York Strip Steak, a spinach & noodle Knorr's side.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 162, Sunday, January 13 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 37

Sunday, January 13 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 37 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Another nice day day at Quartzsite, with mostly sunshine, and temperatures in the mid 60's. Mel & Lynda danced their RVs around until both were happy with the locations, and we sat around and talked for part of the afternoon. I also did some reading, as usual, sitting out in the sun; even caught up on the Syracuse, NY news reading the Sunday paper on line.

One of the neighbor's (not my friends from California) has a large German Shepard that he has designated as a service dog so he can take him anywhere. In fact, the said I should get one & do the same so I could take it on the trails in National Parks. I have no desire to do that, but to each his own. He ran into a problem today - He also doesn't believe in leashes. BLM requires dogs to be on a 6' or shorter leash, and while lots of people here in the area don't leash their dogs I guess his dog went after one at another trailer (that was leashed). Lots of angry words! I know many travel with dogs, but they can restrict where you can stay, hike, etc, even if you do obey the rules and keep them leashed.

I also Facetimed with Don & Anne, and called my son for our weekly chat. No big or little accomplishments for the day, and around 5:30 the sun ducked behind some clouds over the western mountains, it quickly got cold, and I headed for the trailer & dinner.

Since I had a microwaved Orange Chicken Steamer for lunch, dinner was a simple sandwich & snap peas.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 161, Saturday, January 12 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 36

Lynda's Toyota Sunrader

Saturday, January 12 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 36 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

The nice 70°F+ weather has taken a vacation. It only got up to 60°F today, with some light, late morning rain. Now, at 4:00, the rain has stopped, but there are still heavy clouds, with the possibility of a few breaks as the sun sets. Not enough to fill the batteries, but they are only down 10 amp hours.

Around 3:30, Lynda, a Toyota Sunrader owner from California arrived, one of the few class C's that is built from fiberglass in two halves, like a fiberglass trailer. She is set up next door, and another friend Mel is on his way. He isn't bringing his Toyota Class C, but is now towing a 24' trailer. We will pretty much fill up the area. I'm also including a photo of the back of the trailer showing the painter's pole with the weather station & my glow ball, photo at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Other than a bit of reading, both forums, web pages as well as a library book on the Kindle (John Sandford's Holy Ghost), I didn't accomplish a thing today. Then again, that is about average for the last 36 days here at Quartzsite!

I did wander to the La Posa South entrance, and picked up 5 books from the table at the closed office. It is interesting how the different areas are different. There is the same table at the entrance station here at La Posa West, and there isn't anything on it but a couple of rocks. The table at La Posa South is covered with books, clothes, puzzles, etc.

Since it looks like the rain is going to hold off for the rest of the afternoon, dinner will be a Turkey Bubba Burger and the rest of the applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 160, Friday, January 11 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 35

Friday, January 11 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 35 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

You can tell it has been a bit warmer than previous weeks; I had to fill a propane tank after 9 days rather than 7. Still not like last year when I was going 2 weeks, but an improvement over December. Quite a line at the 76 gas station (where the nearest propane fill is located). In fact, lots of lines & traffic everywhere. The big tent show doesn't open until next week, but it seems there are lots of folks that are here early. Our campground area is still about the same, with a fair amount of room left, but some of the other parts are getting crowded.

I did my usual reading, both the Kindle & the computer, mostly outside in the sun & 72°F temperature (I checked with home at Oswego, and it is going down to 0°F tonight). The clouds moved in during the late afternoon, and rain is predicted for the weekend, but I really can't complain.

I finally remembered to listen to Science Friday on NPR. One of my favorite programs, but the time zone change moves it from 2:00 to 12:00 and I keep forgetting to tune in on time. Tonight will be another favorite on WXXI (the Rochester NPR station) Echoes. They do a 2 hour show of interesting music Fridays & Saturdays.

Around 4:30 I headed to Sweet Darlene's for the Friday Fish Fry. As usual, very good. For a switch, I got double coleslaw & no potato. I really like their coleslaw...

Until Tomorrow -

Day 159, Thursday, January 10 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 34

Last Night's Sunset

Thursday, January 10 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 34 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Another warm night and beautiful day. We also had a nice sunset:

I spent the morning reading, then headed to Parker to do some shopping & wash the truck. Gas was $2.39 at the Parker Terrible, $2.46 - $2.49 at most of the other stations. Still $2.65 here at Quartzsite, so I filled up on the way back to the campground.

I also made a run out to Dome Rock. I wanted to give accurate GPS coordinates to the rally area & the host site where you get your permit posted to some of the fiberglass forums. Of course, if the shutdown doesn't end, I'm pretty sure the host won't be on duty. He was off today.

That was about it for the day.

Since lunch was left over pizza, dinner was the same as last night - a sandwich & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 158, Wednesday, January 9 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 33

Wednesday, January 9 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 33 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Another decent night at Quartzsite, with a short dip to 43°F by the early AM, and a warm 72°F day. Much of the day was spent sitting outside reading. Plenty of sun, so the batteries are happy. Around 12:30 I headed to Silly Al's for my once a year pizza lunch. They make the best vegetarian pizza I've ever had. Lots of different vegetables, and for the "something different", cashews. Sounds a bit strange, but an excellent meal. I got the smallest size they offer (8") and brought home two pieces for a snack tomorrow.

Not much else going on. I'm not sure how they are scheduling the dumping of the dumpsters, but a garbage truck came around today, just 2 days after the last time, and dumped the dumpsters here & at La Posa Tyson Wash. They probably also did the other sections, but those were the ones I saw during my morning walk. I hope they will continue dumping throughout the season & shutdown.

Dinner was a sandwich & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 157, Tuesday, January 8 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 32

Tuesday, January 8 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 32 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

I finished Fire & Blood last night & started a Marcia Muller Sharon McCone mystery Till the Butchers Cut Him Down. I've read a bunch of her McCone mysteries, and enjoyed them. This one is in the form of a real paperback book. That means I use more amp hours reading it - you need light to see paper, while the Kindle lights itself. Actually, the increase is minimal; my reading light (a directional LED) only draws .1 amps. Speaking of amps, today was clear for most of the day & my batteries are at 98%, about a high as one can expect with the shorter winter days.

A new RV arrived in our area, a large class A (otherwise known by fiberglass trailer owners as a "sun blocker". We chatted about solar & other things for awhile, then I went back to reading and enjoying the sunshine. While it made it up to 65°F, as soon as the sun ducked behind the mountains, it cooled off quickly. The prediction for tonight is 44°F, which means I'll burn very little propane & not use too many amp hours spinning the furnace fan.

Other than sitting around reading, I didn't do much else for the day. With all the sunshine, I had enough extra output from the solar panels to microwave lunch, which was a Innovasian Orange Chicken rice bowl. Not bad for a 3 minute meal. Dinner will be a sandwich & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 156, Monday, January 7 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 31

Monday, January 7 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 31 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

I'm getting there on Fire & Blood - at 83%! A very nice day with lots of sun and temperatures in the high 60's. After my walk & breakfast, I did my usual reading, moving outside as soon as it warmed into the 60's.

Lots of RVs moving into the campground, although so far, none have been added to the section I'm in. I did meet a fellow camper that admired the trailer & wanted to talk solar. Other than that, most of the day was spent relaxing in the sun. I fought off the bees & refilled the hummingbird feeder. The so called bee guards don't do anything to keep them away - a cloud of around 20 were either on or around the feeder.

I was getting a bit worried since the dumpsters were full, but during the afternoon a truck came and emptied them. It was a private company, not a BLM truck. I hope someone is paying them. There is the option to take trash to the Quartzsite landfill, but that is aways up AZ 95 so the dumpsters here in the campground are a better choice, at least as long as they keep emptying them.

Dinner was the remainder of the tuna fish & peaches.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 155, Sunday, January 6 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 30

Sunday, January 6 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 30 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

A much warmer night, only going down to the mid 40's. There was light rain most of the evening and into the early AM, but no enough to fill the washes, or even leave puddles around the campground.

After my walk & breakfast, I did my usual morning reading on the computer. The trailer batteries were down 45 amp hours, but there was quite a bit of sun (and mixed clouds) so as of 4:00PM, I'm only down 14 amp hours, and by sundown, down 12 amp hours. During the brightest part of the morning I was charging at 20 amps, but that only lasted until the bulk phase of charging was finished.

It warmed up enough to sit outside in the sun, at least as long as the clouds didn't block it. The air temperature was still a cool 55F°, although it eventually reached 62°F.

Still reading Fire & Blood (up to 62%). It would be interesting to see a TV show or movie made from this, although I have to admit I am probably the one person on earth that hasn't seen any of the Game of Thrones TV series. I did read all of the books, and enjoyed them.

Dinner was a Turkey Kielbasa sandwich with creamed corn.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 154, Saturday, January 5 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 29

Saturday, January 5 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 29 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

I guess yesterday was a fluke. While we had sun this morning, by 10:00 the clouds moved in, and never left all day. After mailing some birthday cards, I dug out the portable solar panel to get a bit more from the gloom. I didn't empty the truck bed, instead, undid the 3 fold bed cover & slid it back enough to remove the solar panel. I added it to the rooftop panels, and the input to the batteries went from .8 amps to 1.6 amps. This from 480 watts that would produce well over 15 amps in direct sunlight. 1.8 amps is still not nearly enough, but better. As of 3:30PM, the batteries are down 24 amp hours & at 89% full. Here is hoping for sun tomorrow!

That was about it for accomplishments. Still reading Fire & Blood - according to the Kindle, I'm 36% through the book. It is written as a history, with little dialogue. At first I didn't get into it, but Martin's writing makes it interesting enough that I'm enjoying it, although having a bit of a difficult time keeping track of the hundreds of characters.

Dinner was a tuna fish sandwich & a salad.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 153, Friday, January 4 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 28

The "Big Tent" is Almost Up

Friday, January 4 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 28 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Finally, a break from the cold weather. Mid 60's today, although it was still well below freezing last night. I took more photos of the Big Tent as they put it together. A few more photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

For those that don't know what it is all about, the Big Tent started as a mostly RV sales venue with 100's of booths running for a week in mid January. It and the surrounding inexpensive & free camping attracted close to 1,000,000 visitors to Quartzsite. While the crowds are smaller now, it still attracts crowds well over 100,000. The booths in the tent have changed from primarily RV related to about 3/4 typical state fair types, but you can still find just about anything you need for your RV.

The tent is mostly up, just awaiting the side panels, and a bit of cranking on the lines on the east end. Amazing that they can put up a tent the size of a football field in 2 days, but they have had years of practice.

I made a quick trip to town for some birthday cards, and a squeeze bottle of mayonnaise. The rest of the day was spent outside reading.

Dinner was a trip to Sweet Darlene's and the Friday Night Fish Fry. The all-you-can-eat meal is no longer available; it goes away in January, but there was plenty of fish with the meal, and excellent coleslaw. The meal price has gone up a $1.00 since last year, but it is still a good meal for $10.99.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 152, Thursday, January 3 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 27

Thursday, January 3 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 27 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

No change for the weather, but a warm up is predicted for the weekend. After breakfast I did some reading. Started George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood, a 750+ page prequel to the Game of Thrones series. Should keep me busy for awhile!

After lunch I decided it was time to dump the trailer. While there was lots of room in the gray tank, the black tank was just shy of full, and fresh water down to 1/3. It took about a half hour to pack up the trailer for the move, 20 minutes to fold down the solar panels, and 10 minutes to pack up the insides. One RV in front of me at the dump station, and no one showed up after me, so there was no rush. After dumping, it was off to the fresh water fill station.

I angled the trailer a bit more east of south to try to get more morning sun. Aimed directly south seems to put the most direct light on the panels after the solar controller has shifted to the absorption mode, limiting the charging current. I'd like to get more sunlight during the first 2 hours when the controller is in the boost mode, pumping as much current as possible into the batteries. We will see if it makes a difference. I didn't need to do that last year, but the furnace only ran for a total of 20 minutes to a half hour, or, on most days, not at all. That is not happening this winter. I am using 15 - 20 amp hours on the furnace alone. Worst case, I'll dig out the portable panel and add that to the mix, but to get to it I have to completely empty the truck.

After setting up I did some more reading, then made dinner.

Dinner was a bowl of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup.

Until Tomorrow

Day 151, Wednesday, January 2 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 26

The Start of the "Big Tent"

Wednesday, January 2 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 26 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

I'm getting tired of announcing another cold night at Quartzsite, but it was down to 25°F last night, almost as cold as home at Oswego! At least the sun was out all day, getting it up to a high of 60°F, and my batteries down into the single digits for negative amp hours. I don't thing they are going to end up full until the furnace stops running most of the night!

It was a busy day (at least for Quartzsite). I started with changing the bedding, and off to the laundry. While not as busy as Christmas eve, it was crowded. I couldn't figure out why my second dryer was taking so long. Discovered that someone put their money in the wrong slot and before she discovered it, I had 36 minutes of more time.

After putting away the laundry, I checked the propane & found one tank empty. A long line at the propane filling station. Propane is still $2.30 per gallon at the 76 gas station. I also stopped at one of the used book sellers & traded in most of the books stuffed in the back of the truck. I picked up a few, and ended up getting $1.00 back for the trades.

Back at the trailer wandered over to the area they are starting to set up the "Big Tent" for the January show. They are currently moving in poles, and putting down the green AstroTurf for the floor. I also did some reading until dinner, which was an Amy's Cheese Enchilada Dinner.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 150, Tuesday, January 1 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 25

Tuesday, January 1 , 2019 - La Posa West, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 25 - 0 Miles, 8,082.2 Miles for the Trip

Happy New Year! Lots of fireworks going off in town and around the campground, but I wimped out and was asleep by 11:00.

I want my 65°F - 70°F days back! I know many parts of the country are having freezing days, but for some reason, 50°F days at Quartzsite just are not right. During my morning walks, I meet others that are also complaining, so it isn't just me. In any case, another cold day, and expecting another cold night. Since I'm curled up under multiple blankets, the cold at night doesn't bother me, but I'm tired of wearing a sweatshirt sitting around in the trailer! At least it was clear, so the batteries, while not full, are back in the single digits of negative amp hours.

I spent much of the morning collecting bank information for my 2018 tax return, checking on my retirement (2018 was not a good year!) and starting new spreadsheets for checking & other bank accounts.

I drove to town to buy a loaf of bread, my major activity for the day. I did read a couple of books on the Kindle, one of which, The Arrow Collector by Cristian Perfumo, an Patagonian author, was pretty good.

Dinner was a Maria Callender's Chicken & Dumplings dinner (cooked in the oven to add a bit of heat to the trailer!)

Until Tomorrow -