Routine

We are slipping into the routine again. Walking in the morning and afternoon. 

Regularly visit to the dump station and shopping tours to Yuma, AZ. 

If you wonder why Yuma, which is about 37 miles (59 km) away, this is easy to explain. Everything is cheaper in Arizona. Example: the gas prices. Regular gas in California is about $4.52/gal and the same amount in Arizona is $3.19. So when we need to fill our tank we drive to Yuma and combine this trip with a visit to Walmart and the Laundromat. 

Today was shopping/laundry day again. 

On the way I took some photos, always the same. The big Imperial Sand Dunes, 

Imperial Sand Dunes and All American Canal

that attracts a lot of people form San Diego on all long weekends.

Motorhomes and toy haulers
 They love to show off their skills with their buggies in the sand. 

a sandbuggy speeding up the dunes

The streets in Yuma were rather empty today, it was a long weekend: Veterans Day. 

First 45 min at the Laundromat. They had renovated the place and it looked totally different. 

inside Jo-Anne's Laundromat

Where last year there were a row of old white top loaders they had installed shiny new front loaders. 

The prices had gone up a little too and the washing time down. There has been severe drought down here in the South and water conservation inevitable and expensive. 

Then a visit to the gas station and after that grocery shopping. 

JP checking out the beer and wine variety

Most of the people seemed to be at Walmart. 

lots of fresh produce

There was definitely no sign of a recession. The place was packed.

many were out shopping today

We were home again for lunch. 

While crossing the irrigation canal 

Irrigation canal near Hotsprings LTVA 

I realized the vast solar field in the background. 

background: a field of solar panels

Some people told us last year already that our winter spot in the desert most likely will 

vanish in the future to accommodate more photovoltaic fields. 

Coffee time with German Stollen from Aldi

That would be a shame. But change is inevitable, it would not surprise me.

Life is good.

___________________________

German translation

Wir sind wieder in unserer Routine. Morgens und nachmittags spazieren, regelmäßig die Sani-station besuchen um die Tanks zu entleeren und Wasser aufzufüllen oder die Einkaufsfahrten nach Yuma in Arizona. Es sind ca 60 km dorthin aber da die Preise dort viel günstiger sind fahren wir jedesmal hin wenn wir sowieso tanken müssen. Dann gehen wir gleichzeitig Waschen und Einkaufen. Heute waren die Straßen ziemlich leer, aber bei Walmart war der Bär los. Es sieht dort jedenfalls nicht nach Rezession aus. Zum Mittag waren wir dann wieder zurück auf unserem Platz. Während wir den Bewässerungskanal überquerten konnte man in der Ferne die Photovoltaic Felder sehen die sie in den letzten 3 Jahren installiert haben. Einige Leute haben uns auch schon gewarnt daß der Campingplatz in der Wüste in den nächsten Jahren verschwinden wird und dem Solarzellen zum Opfer fallen werden. Das wäre schade, aber wundern würde es mich nicht. Den Fortschritt kann man nicht aufhalten. Wir haben jedenfalls die Zeit hier sehr genossen. 

Finally!!!

 Finally, finally!

At ten this morning we got the call we had been waiting for for many days! The van was ready for pick up.

Yves drove Peter to the repair shop and I started to make everything ready for travel inside the trailer.

Church in Ajo,AZ

Nonetheless, it took quite a while until they were back. 

Peter had to go the bank to get cash and fill up one propane bottle before he returned. 

Next we had to pack everything, that we had taken out before towing, back into the van. 

After that we had a quick lunch, and after taking down our solar panels and hugging our dear friends we were finally ready to go. 

First  stop was the nearby campground where we emptied our tanks, got rid of the garbage and filled up freshwater.

Landscape near Ajo AZ

By then the clock was already 1:30pm. 

We calculated that with 3.5 to 4 hours to drive

we might just make it around sunset 

to reach our destination.

Welcome sign to California near Yuma, AZ

Vegetable fields near Yuma, AZ

Sand dunes near Yuma, AZ

And we did. 

With the sun sinking below the distant mountains 

"Riding into the sinking sun"

we entered the designated desert area 

and readily found “our” spot. 

In anticipation friends had set up a chair to prevent others from occupying it. 

Chair to occupy "our spot",
(sign in memory of a cake Peter baked last winter.)

While darkness fell around us 

we quickly sat up our camp. 

Finally backed in on our spot

It did not take long before 

the first friend and neighbours showed up, 

Gerald, and then Darlene and Ron, 

giving us warm welcome hugs.

Setting up before it gets dark

How nice to finally being back at our “home in the desert” (since 2005). 

But now I am ready for bed! 

Translation for my German readers

Endlich, endlich! Um zehn Uhr heute morgens kam der lang ersehnte Anruf: eurer Auto ist fertig! 

Yves fuhr JPeter auch gleich in die Kleinstadt.

Währenddessen bereitete ich im Inneren des Campers 

alles für die Fahrt vor. 

Es dauerte allerdings eine ganze Weile 

bevor J-Peter wieder zurück kam.

Er hatte noch Propangas aufgefüllt und Geld abgehoben. 

Alles was wir aus dem Auto ausgeräumt hatte, bevor es abgeschleppt wurde, mußte nun wieder eingepackt werden. 

Auf die Schnelle noch etwas essen, die PV module runter legen, unsere Freunde herzlich zu umarmen, aber dann waren wir endlich bereit zur Abfahrt. 

Der nächste Stop war ein nahegelegener Campingplatz wo wir unsere Abwassertanks entleerten, 

Müll entsorgten und Frischwasser auffüllten. 

Zu dem Zeitpunkt war es schon 13:30 Uhr. 

Wir rechneten mit etwa 4 Stunden Fahrt, und das hieß wir würden unser Ziel gerade noch 

bei Sonnenuntergang erreichen. 

Und so war es dann auch. 

Ein paar Minuten nach Sonnenuntergang erreichten wir “unseren Platz” (seit 2005). 

Freunde hatten heute in Erwartung unserer Ankunft 

einen Stuhl aufgestellt damit ihn niemand in letzter Minute noch besetzen konnte. 

Soll man nicht machen, aber es macht jeder 

(wenn es kurzfristig ist). 

Während die Dunkelheit einbrach stellten wir schnell unseren Wohnwagen auf. 

Dabei kamen dann auch schon die ersten Freunde vorbei, Gerald, Darleen und Ron, 

um uns ganz herzlichen willkommen zu heissen. 

Wie schön ist es doch wieder “zuhause in der Wüste” zu sein!

Aber jetzt bin ich reif für´s Bett!

A Start With lots of Hurdles

 It is this time of the year. We are again bound for California. 

We left home on Friday, November 3 and had no trouble reaching our first spot where we had planned to stay over night.

Ready to move 

A relatively calm place behind a liquor store close to the border of New Hampshire. After an uneventful night we started out early at sunrise. 

But then things started to happen. On our lunch stop Peter found the coffee machine on the floor in shards. I had forgotten to stow it away before we started out this morning. 

Some of the glass was pulled into the slideout and we were afraid it would damage the tracks. But it was just a fuse that blew when the slide was pulled out.

Trying to fix the problem

After lunch, the next thing occurred: the van would not go into gear. The shift stick was moving loosely without snapping into R, N or D. Peter called our mechanic and then crawled under the van to wriggle some connections. That did the trick. The gear stick started to work again and we went on.

Our goal for the next night was a Walmart in Freehold, New Jersey. So far, so good. Upon reaching Frehold we pulled into a gas station to fill the tank. Suddenly the dashboard light came on with a warning:

 “motor overheating” and the motor stuttered. What now? We sat at the pump for a while, Peter got coolant. After the motor had cooled a little we decided to go on. Walmart was just a mile away. 

Again: the gear stick was free moving. Ugh. Back under the van and wriggle the cables. Luckily it worked and a few minutes later we limped onto the parking lot for the night. The motor was hot again.

Bubbles coming up from the cooler system

Sunday morning, of course no repair shop open, Peter tried to fix the problem. More coolant was filled in, and this time a lot of air bubbled out of the filling neck until the liquid suddenly disappeared into the system. He drove the van for a while around the area and the temperature stayed in the normal range. 

Parked on Walmart parking lot, checking the engine

Then he tried to fixe the problem with the gear shift stick. Not a chance.

We had to wait until Monday morning. Luckily, all this happened here and not along a busy highway or interstate. The parking lot was very quiet during the night and a safe place to be.

Today, Monday, Peter drove the van to a Chevrolet dealer/repair shop. We had found out it was just over a mile away. They were extremely helpful there after he told them our problems. A part was picked up 30 miles away and repair was done quickly. They changed the whole connecting cables and a plate attached to the automatic transmission where the cable was attached to. That plate was totally worn off and the reason for the reoccurring glitches.

Finally, after a day and a half, we were back on the road again and headed towards Cape May to catch the 6 pm ferry to Port Lewes in Delaware. 

Getting the very last spot on the ferry to Lewes, DE

This time we had luck with us. The 3:30 pm ferry had not departed yet, and lo-and-behold they had one open spot left. After a quick sniffer dog check for drugs and explosives we were waved onboard and the ramp went up. We were on our way. 

Now we are parked on the ferry’s parking area in Lewes, DE until tomorrow morning. A friendly guard told us that we should not be surprised: there were “ghosts” observed around here. The parking lot is a former graveyard where sailors were laid to rest. 

Oh well, we will survive that too, I guess. 

Marker telling about the cemetery 

Tomorrow we will be heading on to somewhere in South Carolina, trying to reach the I-20 that will lead us westward. 

Dixie walking around and checking out the area.

***

Translation for my German readers:

Wir sind mal wieder auf dem Weg nach Kalifornien. Der erste Tag verlief ohne Zwischenfälle. Nicht so der zweite Reisetag. Zuerst zerbrach eine Kaffeemaschine, die ich vergessen hatte zu verstauen, dann ließ sich der Schalthebel vom Automatikgetriebe nicht mehr in Position bringen. Er bewegte sich ohne einzurasten auf und nieder. Doch nach Anleitung von unserem Mechaniker konnte J. P. die Verbindung wieder herstellen. Am Tagesziel angekommen, als wir in eine Tankstelle einbogen, fing der Motor an zu stottern und das Warnlicht “Motor überhitzt” leuchtete auf. 

Da standen wir nun eine Weile bis der Motor abgekühlt war und J. P Kühlflüssigkeit nachgefüllt hatte. Aber der Ganghebel auch schon wieder ausgerastet. Also wieder unter den Wagen kriechen und rumfummeln. 

Das Ende vom Lied: wir humpelten noch 1.5 km zum Parkplatz bei Walmart, den wir als Übernachtungsplatz ausgesucht hatten. Es war natürlich Wochenende und alle Werkstätten geschlossen.

Den Sonntag verbrachte J.P damit die Fehler selbst zu beheben. Es stellte sich heraus daß Luft in der Leitung gewesen war. Danach lief der Motor wieder einwandfrei. Das Problem mit dem Ganghebel ließ sich aber nicht beheben. Heute morgen, Montag, fuhr J.P mit dem Van zur Chevroletwerkstatt, die glücklicherweise auch nur ca 2 km entfernt war. Dort reparierte man die ausgeschlagenen Teile und wir konnten endlich weiterfahren. Glück hatten wir auch mit der Fähre nach Delaware. Auf einem früheren Abgang war gerade noch ein Platz frei und wir brauchten nicht drei Stunden länger auf die Nächste warten. Nun sind wir wohlbehalten in Port Lewes angekommen und stehen dort auf dem Parkplatz am Fährenkai. Morgen früh geht es weiter nach South Carolina bis wir die Interstate 20 erreichen, die uns westwärts führen wird.

Auf dem Platz hier, auf dem wir übernachten, soll es übrigens spuken. ^O^

Desert In Bloom

Before we left California for home we wanted to experience 

the "desert in bloom". 

That was the main reason why we went to visit Borrego Springs today. 

Gloomy clouds over the mountains were hinting about the ongoing coastal rainstorms. While we were visiting it was dry and warm.

 Most of the desert flowers will be visible later in April and May. 

But with help of a map that Peter got at the Anza Borrego State Park's visitors centre... 

Common Raven

Barrel Cactus and wild Heliothrope

...we were able to find some areas where the flowers already were showing.

It It was amazing! The air was heavy with the fragrance of the 

Purple Desert Verbena.

Imagine holding an open perfume bottle right under your nose and inhale.

There you go! Just so overpowering and heady!

Desert Verbena (Abronia villosa)

Verbena and yellow Hairy Desert Sunflowers

Desert Verbena and white Dune Evening Primrose
(Oenothera deltoids)

Hairy Desert Sunflower and Desert Verbena

Sunflower up close
(Geraea canescens)

 Purple Verbena, white Primrose, yellow Sunflowers

What an experience!

February - coldest in 35 years

February lays behind us and it was the coldest in 35 years,
according to the weather service. Many people agreed with that. Heavy snowfalls in the coastal mountains and rain in the lowland with strong winds.

Snow in the mountains along the coast, visible with tele lens

We got some sprinkles and some of the days the trailer was rocking in the gusts like a boat on the sea. 

During some of the colder weeks propane supply was sold out at our favourite place in Holtville. 

Etnic costumes

Luckily the weather was great when we went to look at the annual Carrot Festival Parade and Fairgrounds

Float with vegetable display 

Enrique from "Silverado Ranch"

On the Fairground

Despite bad weather we participated in a big Birthday Party.

Birthday party in rain and wind

Three participants got each their big cake.

Three Birthday Cakes

By the second week of February our new trailer axels arrive in Yuma and we went to get them mounted on.

Waiting for the axles to be mounted in the morning

While that was under way we took a drive to Mittry Lake. As last year, it was far from the idyllic place it used to be. 

Mittry Lake, AZ

 Lots of 4-wheelers, motor bikes and trucks racing along the gravel roads trailing big dust clouds after them. 

Clark's Grebe courting

Great Blue Heron

Western Grebe

We had our lunch sandwiches with a view over the water, 

watching the birds for a while before we.

There was a moment of panic after we picked up the trailer and when we found out that our keys had gone lost, either while shopping or while at the lake, and the spare key was locked inside.  But with help of a friendly locksmith, and a hefty bill, we got back inside and now we have two new sets of spares. 

The puppies have grown up a little more and by the end of the month they were all gone to new owners. It was about time, because the guy who cared for mother and puppies, got overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work and sleep deprivation. 8 puppies make a lot of noise during the nights. All the women smiled and said: "Welcome to motherhood. WE know all about that!"

Puppies in their new lager pen

In the end several neighbours pooled together, one built a bigger pen, and helped looking after the pups during daytime for about a week ans until they got old enough to go to their respective new families. 

JP did not take the one he had singled out for himself and I am glad about it. One big Dixie is dog enough for me.

Dixe and Emma visiting

By the end of the month the big migration started. Several friends were packing up and got ready to move out either to go home or to visit other places on their way north. Some of those friends, who had stayed here during the winter for nearly 30 years, we will never see again. This season was their final in the desert. Old age, illness and higher insurance costs are the reasons for keeping them at home in the future. 

It is always bittersweet to say goodbye. Their places look now empty and desolate. We surely will miss them very much.

On the last day of February our good neighbours from Saskatoon left too. No more morning coffees and good company. No more exercises and shopping sprees. 

Hopefully they will have a good trip home and we might even see them again in the fall. One never knows.

Later in the afternoon another couple, coming back from their stay on the Baja in Mexico, took up the vacant spot for a couple of days, until a better place came available. Better place means: more open to the breeze that keeps the bugs and critters (snakes, scorpions) away when the weather warms up. 

Jupiter and 3 moons in line with Venus

seen with tele lens