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OMG – We really didn’t need this!
Believe it or not, this photo was taken April 14th from our deck and this was the second snow storm – the third is supposed to start tomorrow.
Enough of that – I do sympathize with all those who put up with this all winter – and they say it was a bad weather winter here.
Think about it, when we left the temperature in Yuma was 91 degrees F (30ish degrees C). Today, here, it may get to 40 degrees F (5 degrees C). My body is in denial and to say the least, I am NOT going to go outside.
Back to the original log – we left Gunsite (Why) and checked into the Escapees Park in Casa Grande (Rovers Roost) to rejuvenate and regenerate. The Park is a great place, as is the community. The people are great – energy, involved and friendly.
Casa Grande is a nice size and has pretty much anything you might want. The only draw-back is the sometimes smell. It seems the surrounding area supports a number of feeder lots that hold over 2000 cows each. They generate A LOT of manure and produce a very pungent odour. But we like the community and there is no question that Rovers Roost has the best Laundry I have had the pleasure to use.
Somehow, we were both starting to get restless – it felt like it was time to start heading home.
We may have felt that way but the weather was not going to co-operate and the last thing we wanted to do was travel or arrive home in the cold, wind and snow so off to Quartzsite again.
Visit with old friends; revisit our favourite vendors; try out our new hummingbird feeder after a couple of big birds at Gunsite managed to mangle the old one; and just hang out for a few days.
Off to Laughlin and Bullhead City to spend time at the casinos; consume too many buffets; get those final treasures to take home; spruce up with a hair cut and a pedicure; and explore places we hadn’t visited for a long time.
The Davis Dam has been closed to vehicles for years but allows foot traffic. It sits in the Colorado River and the reservoir forms Lake Mohave.
A much vandalized sign explains how the dwelling place of the Native Gods - Spirit Mountain - (Avikwaame) watches over the waters and all who frequent them.
We found one plant neither of us had noticed before – the Desert Dodder. It has fine hair-like branches that seem to grow in and amongst other plants and produces small white flowers. Apparently it has little wart-like bumps called 'haustoria' that are pushed into the stems to gather nutrients from the host plants. Other names for the dodder are devil guts, witch's shoelaces, witch's hair, angel hair and hairweed.
Hm-m-m, we had almost made it to Lake Mead a few times and considering how much time we had and the northern weather was not very inviting, we decided that this was would be the Lake Mead year.
We stayed at a very nice campground at Callville Bay and took off by car. The first stop was to see and travel the new bridge at the Hoover Dam.
Bridge under construction last year
Bridge this year
Did you know that Lake Mead is a man-made lake? Me neither. As the reservoir for the Hoover Dam, it’s huge BUT is running into a lot of water problems – too much water being used; not enough snow melt; and excessive evaporation. We saw closed and deserted marinas and water-lines metres above the level of the lake. They are talking about piping water in to keep the Power and Recreation systems going.
You have to wonder at the incredible Red Stone outcroppings that permeate the area along the road through the whole Recreational Area.
We left Lake Mead with over a week to make our way across the border – yeh, sure – it took us two nights. Great Falls was our last stop in the USA. Fred woke up at 4:30 am and decided to boogie on through.
We were home and I was having a long hot shower by 9:30 am – adrenalin flowing; roads good; no wait-line at the border.
Mail sorted and put away; Income Tax done and sent in; Laundry well underway.
We’re just waiting for the next snow – oh, joy!
