Home the fast way

Rainy in Mequite after a beautiful Saturday. We're "boondocking" in Lyle & Melissa's yard, that's running on batteries and the generator. We saw thousands on them in thedesert of AZ. How will they be counted in the census?


Lyle takes Dolly & Muffin for their evening walky.

What a great husband. He never reads this so I don't have to say something to butter him up, but he said fly home when weather was bad and I was getting antsy with activities like Makoshika Basketball tournament back home. Flew from St. George,UT to Billings Tuesday where Joyce Fry picked me up, we had dinner at the new Ciao Mambo on MT Ave. and she dropped me at the bus depot for the 6PM-10PM trip to Glendive. Matt picked me up. and delivered me to the house. It's so BIG after the RV! and I guess I don't need all the stuff I've been hording.

Even the snow Wednesday didn't dampen my spirits. Helped Bruce with Leadership Glendive in the morning and caught up on Farm to Table in the afternoon. The best was a hug from grandson Jayden and pizza with Matt, Leisha, Jayden and grandma. Great trip, but good to be back. Mike will be cruising in by Sat. weather permitting. Sure tossed and turned without him.

Weather

Poured rain Sat night and Sunday night. Melissa said they've had more rain in the new months of 2010 than the last 3 years and they are sick of it. Trees are in bloom here and grass looks great. Because Mike doesn't want to travel in snow and ice, we've been studying the weather and road conditions like it was the final exam for law school. Looks like we may not get out of here until Thursday so I'm debating whether to fly from Vegas. Makoshika BB tournament looming. I realize I'm not indispensible but I'm struggling to change gears when that was the original plan. Homesick for Jayden and all. Chris will be home Friday.

Honey Dos and Whist in Mequite

Nephew Blain comes to visit.

Mike did honey dos around the house - Saturday he and Pam cleaned the garage. Sunday he changed filters and light bulbs, both high in the ceiling. We caught up laundry in Melissa's beautiful washer/dryer.

Lyle and Melissa and Mike & I played a rousing game of whist. Mike & I won the first set. The 2nd set isn't complete yet as was interrupted by dinner and academy awards. Sure to be a rematch! We haven't played for years , but so fun.

They paid us each $1 for winning the first night but we gave that $1 right back as they retaliated the next night. Melissa said she was going to frame it.

My nephew Blain came down from Las Vegas for dinner Monday. Lyle quizzed him on investment stategies and Blain shared about the opportunities he is having there as a financial advisor. He is an Alliagiant Air regular. You can buy the cheap tickets when you see them and pay the $8 change fee when you want to change the date. There's your bargain tip for the day.

Movies & Academy Awards

Saw Avatar in Yuma - was awesome. Saw the Hurt Locker in Billings during the February waterwell convention. I didn't know the directors were X-spouses. Avatar got my vote. I took my 3-D GLASSES TO SEE ALICE IN Wonderland as the previews looked so good in 3-D. It wasn't in 3-D in Mequite, even with the magic glasses....but very creative show.

We watched the Academy awards as ate dinner of shortribs, rice, barley bread and tasty salad of beet, bleu cheese and arugala. The Western Trails Loaf of Gold I brought along mixed & kneaded well in the Kitchenaid mixer and was pleased the directions were accurate for conventional cooking.

Mesquite, NV with Mike's family

Pam & Linda both came down for the weekend. Friday night it was deja Vu' of France as we enjoyed Cassoulet with duck comfit (duck meat and fat). It's about a three day process to make the famous peasant dish of white beans, garlic sausage and duck from southern France. (gluten free crumbs - for Pam). Melissa's a "foodie", Linda too and Pam has become quite a resource on gluten free since both she and her daughter Megan have been diagnosed with seliac disease.

In the morning as the gals were already playing Yatzee at 6AM, Mike gave them the dice cup we found at the Yuma swap meet. Melissa had such a noisy plastic cup we always use for dice so I was thrilled to find the leather cup for them. Once I got up an hour later, we had show and tell on the reading glasses, juicy raisins and shoes found at the Yuma flea market. The lemons from Dan & Barb's tree were a big hit here. We may make lemon curd but in the meantime have used them in the water.

The next day Mike & Pam didn't golf with the busy tournaments in town. It was a gorgeous day and all enjoyed the sunshine, and a trip to the "office" casino. Made chocolate Mousse for Mike's early birthday. I didn't realize ovens are contaminated for 24 hours after making or reheating bread. When I went out to ask if the 3 silblings wanted a lick from the bowl, I told them the WIi fit scale story reading 10# heavier. Mike laughed saying "look at this picture" as I licked the batter clean; it didn't look very convincing. Guilt got the best of me and went for an hour walk on this gorgeous day. All of these subdivisions are gated, but have beautiful landscaping of various rocks and cactus. Much prettier and greener than Yuma.

Mike barbequed steaks and Linda made roasted potatoes. Parboil the chunked potatoes 5 minutes, then roll in olive oil, season and bake at 400 till crisp on outside. Yum!

Hoover Dam new road

We unloaded the pickup and went to see the new road going by Hoover Dam. WOW! The pictures show it all. Lyle said the road will be done in 2013 but it looks close to done.

Colorado River Jet Boat cruise

Thursday we were up and on the road early to arrive at Fisher's Landing, an hour from Yuma by 10AM. The jetboat heldup to 30 and we had 27 that day. The entertaining tour guide would be giving a similar tour to 4th graders the next day. He's third generation giving tours. We got to bring our own beer cooler but they did have a generous box lunch for each of us and great coffee nd lemonade. We stopped at an old gold mine as this river was how many miners reached their prospecting opportunities. Also saw Indian petroglifs and got the guide's 4th grader's version of the Indian culture.

Through years of erosion, the Grand Canyon silt came down the Colorado River - too thick to drink, too thin to plow. The silt would equal as much as 8 acres 1 foot deep per hour which filled in the Imperial valley in California. Now that the dams, it's very clear by comparison. On the west side was California and the Chocolate Mountains. On the East the Kofa mountains in AZ. This was the CHIBOLA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. We didn't see bighorn sheep or donkeys ( abandoned by miners).They haul out 1200 a year for adoption.

Fun DAY. LUNCH AT NORTON'S LANDING where the steamboats came up in the 1880 - again bringing people and supplies for mining. It used to be a town of 2500 mining gold on the ca SIDE. NOW IT'S 5 RANGERS.

Mexico

Mexico is only a half hour from Yuma but you must have your passport. Mike didn't have his, but the rest of us -Dan & Barb Uhl, his two sisters Jane & Sue and her husband Rocky all piled into Dan's pick-up after Barb did an 11am swim at the spa.

You have never seen so many dentist signs in your life. Dan said there are 500 dentists in a two block radius. Rates are typically 1/10th the price. Optometrists are plentiful too. Susy ordered glasses BUT SINCE WE WERE late getting there and they wouldn't be ready for 2.5 hours, she will pick up her prescription glasses Friday. The Pharmacies also did a brisk business.

Lots of stained glass and that great hand painted leadfree pottery we saw in San Antonio and Cancun. This time I bought the sink bargained down to $50 and a set of 3 canisters $60--they're beautiful. Susy and Jany also bargained and bought pottery and purses. Thanks to Rocky for helping carry my load. We enjoyed margaritas in the plaza as we enjoyed American 80's music played by Mexicans.

THE LINE to cross thru the border was riddled with young and old Mexicans peddling jewelry, paper flowers Chiclets, turtle trinkets, playing the accordion or just looking forlorn with an empty basket for your change. I got taken to the cleaners on bracelets I got earlier in comparison. Going thru customs they just asked what you bought and said "Have a nice day." No one had any delays in our party.

We went back home for Walleye dinner we'd brought along and the guys watched the hangover on the BAY TV OUTSIDE lined up in their lawn chairs like they were at the outdoor theater, which they were.

Montana Breakfast

In the Yuma Sun newspaper they have an extensive calendar of events. The Montana Breakfast at a local restaurant was listed for Monday morning. ( last week was ND,SD & IA). We went at 8AM and the restaurant was packed. We sat with some folks from Hamilton - He was a pilot/instructor during WWII and had some great stories. She's an avid quilter - there's all sorts of guilds here and shows. The wife of the Swan Lake folks was a Prevost from Sidney. Another Sidney gal with cancer warned us of the dangers of eating foods together like protein with carbs. What are the casserole folks to do? They're doomed.

I missed yoga but just used the machines. Mike went golfing with Lawrence. We will pick up Dan & Barb from the airport at 11PM, back from Calgary - his 88 year-old-dad died of a stomach anurism after just passing his health test for driver's license last week..

Flea Market Business Opportunity.

After a peach wine and OJ Mimosa, stuffed mushrooms and fruit salad with fresh strawberries from a street vendor, Carol, Sheryl and I went to the Yuma Swap Meet or flea market that runs every weekend. Acres of booths are under white plastic tents. You pay 50 cents to enter. A great entrepreneurial opportunity awaits anyone who would make a map of the vendors in each of the rows A-G. You would easily make $500 to $1000 A DAY charging $1/ map. There's booths of clothes, RV stuff, food, flags, $1 stuff, art and on and on- including miracle cleaners and Dakota Barbecue which had quite a following. An entertainer croons out music on a stage in the center of the tents and tempting smells from food booths permeate the air.

My mother-in-law wanted 10 pair of reading glasses and California raisins so that gave me a mission to shop for. When I bought the wrong strength, Mike and I went back the next day to swap. That's when I would have paid dearly for a map.

Apparently a Mexican flea market that also runs on weekends, is the next best thing to going to Mexico - Hope I get to do one or the other before leaving here Friday. Mike didn't bring his passport so he won't be going to Mexico. People go for haircuts -$7 and dental work which is about 1/10 of the US price. Dan went to his Dentist back in Claresholm, Alberta who was quite inpressed with his crowns and dental work. Dan didn't tell him it was done in Mexico.

KARAOKE

After the flea market, we met the guys and went to Parrish's Bar & Grill for Fish & Chips. We had fish & Chipos for $5.95 there the first day we arrived too. It was Margarita 2 for 1 time...only to be followed by Karaoke. Turns out Carol is quite a singer when she isn't an LPN and Leonard plays the piano by ear and croons out a good tune too. So we stayed until 8 and then some. The waitress could be on American Idol. Went home in the pouring rain at 10 after a fun evening. He had a great preshow of videoclips and there was a lot of talent - Karaoke rule-no song can be repeated.

Marine Drum & Bugle Corps

Talk about awesome~! The Washington DC Marine Drum & Bugle Corps comes to Yuma to practice for 3 weeks before doing a west coast tour. We watched "The Commandant's Own" free performance for the public at a local football field. Matt would have loved it since he was a drum major for the MSU Marching band.

The Marine Corps silent drill platoon is hand picked as they are all the same height and size as they spin rifles with such exact precision, it is awesome. Afterwords we went down of the field to shake their hands and thank them for service. I asked if any knew Nathan Farber as he is serving in DC as a Marine Corps ceremonial guard, selected for his height and size.

There is a military base right near here so we get to see some pretty amazing planes like the harrier - that can hover. http://www.yumaairshow.com/

Make you proud to be an American.

Yuma Territorial Prison

Have you seen the movie 3:10 to Yuma? They are trying to catch the 3:10 train to this prison. It was an isolated hilltop overlooking the Colorado River and housed over 3000 prisoners in its history 1876 - 1909- - six prisoners to a cell that was 7 x 9'. The Dark Cell if you acted up held up to 14 and had no urinary facilities. They cleaned it out every 3 months whether it needed it or not.

The prisoners built most of the prison and made horsehair braidwork, just like they do in Glendive. I have some pictures to share with Sheriff Craig. Actually they say it was quite ahead of its time with electricity, a library and hospital. Inmates cut a haircut every week. The prison housed 14 poligamist and 29 women over the years for crimes like adultery and larceny.

After it closed, the school used some buildings for classrooms. To this day, the Yuma High School sports team is the Yuma Criminals. Iwonder if they have striped uniforms.

Speaking of uniforms, Levi Stauss Co. supplied the striped fabric for prison uniforms until local folks protested and wanted them to "Buy Arizona". So "buy local" has been going on for years.

A number of movies have been filmed here. Worth the trip.