Beauty at 4:30AM

Our first full day in Yuma had Mike & Dan Uhl busy digging a trench for drain tile, then filling and spreading 6 yards of gravel. Yuma has already surpassed their year average of 5" of rain causing puddles in the driveway which at one time had a thin layer of pavement which didn't allow water to soak in. Dan lives in a bricked wall area where mostly mobile homes and xeriscape landscaping fill the big lots. Fun to walk and see ideas.

I ventured to the Laundromat which was buzzing with activity and friendly snowbirds. Met some folks from Langden,ND/Lewistown,MT (2nd marriage-thus the 2 locations). Went to the grocery store in the strip mall there and found it filled with Chinese food from vegetables and sea creatures I'd never heard of to noodles and rice of many varieties. Barb, Dan's wife- a vegetarian, who's on a trip with her sister, uses a lot of Chinese spices and sauces from this grocery store. We used a Chinese spicy chicken sauce on our barbecued steak that was very good. If anyone wants something from the Chinese grocery store, let me know in the next 10 days. (not perishables - as we aren't going straight home from here.)

Also walked down to the beauty salon that said "walk-ins welcome" so I did, inquiring about a haircut. There were about 8 beauticians working - with the chairs full of waiting gray hair. The receptionist hollered to the staff if anyone had any cancellations today. With no response, the closest beautician to me said she had an opening at 4AM tomorrow. I said, "In the morning?!!" Yes. Well someone else had a 4:30AM so I jumped at the chance to sleep another half hour.

Lo and behold, three beauticians were there the next morning when I arrived at 4:20 in the dark. A grandma came in after me and said her daughter thought she had Alzheimer's when she said her hair appointment was at 4:30AM. When two of the beauticians looked identical, she asked if they were twins. Yes, all three were sisters, but the 2 were identical twins. "Thank God," she said, " I thought I had Alzheimer's."

The beauty shop takes appointments until 4PM daily, but it's so busy this time of year, that's the only way they keep up is starting earlier. Starting in March snowbirds start going home so the beauty shop is closed Monday & Tuesday. The 3 beautician sisters return to Washington in April and play all summer.

Today was actually hot 79. but when the sun is not shining on you, it's cool so about 5PM you want a sweater or jacket.