Month: December 2022

We have a “really want to must see” list.  This is on it 🙂

“The Colorado River State Historic Park is located on a portion of the grounds of the old U.S. Army Quartermaster Depot (QMD) established in 1864. For nearly 20 years, all the military posts in the Southwest traced their lifelines to the Yuma Quartermaster Depot. On the high ground above the Colorado River, the U.S. Army’s warehouses held a six-month supply of clothing, food, ammunition and other goods for forts in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas – and were surrounded by as many as 900 mules and their teamsters. This beautiful 10-acre park includes five buildings dating back to the Depot’s earliest days – among the oldest and best-preserved buildings in the state of Arizona.”

Cause you always need more cowbell, even back then

We walk the trail on the other side of this structure.  Allan wondered what it is, I told him it was where they burned the bodies.  I may have been a little wrong,  but in my defence it does look like it from the other side. This building looks like this on all four sides, no windowsNot sure why I never wondered how pomegranits came to be…

Inside the chef honchos digs

What’s smack dab in the middle of the park??An authentic Italian restaurant.  The owner, Mario, says it’s the best Italian anywhere but don’t take his word for it, try it ourselves.  We were too full but we will be back!  Who would have thought it was a good idea to put an Italian restaurant in a state historic park?  We thought we’d go on New Year’s Day but the park is closed so you can’t get to the restaurant

In the restaurant which used to be… see map above is this massive safe

Hanging out with Teddy!

Would not catch either of us in thisStand clear, train is comingAnyone looking for a new book? 

One of my favourite views

My parents were Austrian, we always celebrated on Christmas Eve.  Did a few Christmas mornings when Kyle was young but that never felt right. Open the evening of the 24th!

24th last of the advent calendar.  We look at it as it was fun while it lasted VS sad that it’s over. We are both amazed there where only 4 beers Allan dumped!  There were some that sounded way out thereToday’s tasks are the Yuma Farmers Market, smaller than we thought it would be but great prices on farm fresh produce!  We grabbed a yummy street taco..  $3/ea 2 for $5

Main mission!  Pick up our ready to heat Christmas dinner at Sprouts 🙂

Guess what Allan is hoping for? 

It’s that time! 

Love my bangles! Thanks K&M

From these to these!  May be a bit warm for these here

Gifts from the kids 

What are they?

Don’t walk around the kitchen with powerful magnets!  Stuck!!!Allan’s old one is wearing out, that can never be!!

Hope to get here soon!  Big story behind this t-shirt.  I’ll pass telling it for now

This is to remember how we thought we’d die!  A hike for the not meek at heart,  Only made it because our friends Doris & Kevin did, if not for them I would have quit while I was still alive,  Thanks to this t-shirt I will remember forever LOL

Can’t see my Christmas bling on my person,,here it is.  I  am very spoiled!

Christmas morning 

Allan got his driver’s car for Christmas, the yellow loser one! The second coin is K&M sent, “Joint Taskforce Ukraine, Operation Unifier” was Kyle’s Ukraine deploymentAllan loves his new 🍺mug

Dinner!  The park’s Christmas dinner was potluck, they donate a ham (not turkey) to each table.   Each table has a host who gets to bake the ham, everyone else brings a pot luck dish.  We are way too germaphobia for this.      Thank you Sprouts!

Just missing K&M, next year!!

Last year in Nanaimo it was “Frosty Bucket” in the cold, today it’s “ROCKing Around” in Yuma under bright sunshine!

First breakfast 🥣

Jerry our ex-neighbour headed back to Manitoba yesterday so left us with their condiments and other stuff, including potatoes.  We haven’t had potatoes in the house since going Keto.  We’re now more low carb so indulged and had fries in the air fryer last.  Love our air fryer!

The hit, however, are the tostadas, never had those shells, they will now be added to our staples.  Allan whipped them into a breakfast tostadas.  Simply yummy

Today’s adventure begins at,,,Get your map here! 

Nanaimo’s Frosty Bucket was open to all, today’s was all but more kids.  We were going to pass but then thought “what the heck! we’re here, we’re in”  We’ll not enter to win the prizes just have fun finding the rocks

We’re off!       

The search!!

   

​The ROCKS!

Love birds watching over us, but not helping! 

We’ve done a few loops, looking here & there then here & there again.  Simply can not find the last rock.  “Joy” is not very joyful for us. Allan said we can either 1) proudly say we found 13 out of 14 or 2) say we are losers cause we didn’t find all 14

Here’s option 3:  Allan asks for a hint 🙂

An “elf” walks Allan over to the shelter, we searched in it 2 different times but never looked up.  Survivor would be disappointed in us!

We’re feeling the Joy now!  Glad we got the tip cause we wouldn’t have looked in there again.

Back at Bailey, we play 2 games of Pickleball.  We’re having fun learning to play better.

It’s bevvy time!  Allan did like hisIn closing I’m sharing Kyle photo of their deck  This is what Victoria looks like, pretty but so wrong!  

We’ve never had a tamale!  Eager to try one, today is the day!

What is a tamale?    “Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made with a corn based dough mixture that is filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating.”

There are many booths selling tamales, this is one of the cuter ones.  All tamales cost $3.00/ea or a meal for $10.  Meals include 2 tamales and a side of macaroni saladThe first entertainers, Yuma Jazz Company 

Some of the lineups are crazy long.  For our first tamale we choose a not so long line up

Allan gets “Elote con queso y chile”   I went with chicken, mine was much better

Because people like crowds our next tamale comes from a popular booth that has a long line.

We get in line @12:15     

12:37 we’re at the front of the line

Shrimp for me, pork for Allan.  Both are a hit!  All our tamales were wrapped in corn husks.                                                              We like  🫔🫔🫔🫔

Hard at work!!

Side Hustle Band  We thought they would be better but fun nonetheless

Chuckled at this tent!“Established before it was legal”

Bullrider!  The kid at the desk controls how much bucking goes on

You’ll never guess what we did next!!!

We got our Covid vacs & boosters in BC but left too soon to get the annual flu shots.  We tried Walgreen’s they, they have tons of forms to fill out and a $35 copay.  We passed, glad we did as at the Tamale Festival it was a quick sign up, only one form and the shot was FREE!

Next up, dancers.  It was a fun festival 🙂

From downtown Somerton to downtown Yuma

First a walk-about then dinner at Da Boyz

When we got back to the park our neighbour, Jerry, excitedly pointed at the sky to show us “Sundogs”.   Never heard of them before!  A day of learning first tamales then sundogs!  Not my photo of the one we saw, by the time I thought of taking a photo it was gone.

Official explanation: “Sundogs are colored spots of light that develop due to the refraction of light through ice crystals. They are located approximately 22 degrees either left, right, or both, from the sun, depending on where the ice crystals are present.  They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but are not always obvious or bright.”

Advent time!  Enjoyed by us both

We had errands to run in the Foothills so being in that neck of the woods we decided to explore the lights 55th St.   I get it’s daylight but thought we’d get an idea on whether it is worthwhile to return at night

We’ve never seen such a  subdivision, it has brick & sticks homes, RV hooks ups, mix & match.This is Allan’s type of subdivision, many homes are more garage than house

Some are friendlier than others.

This section has the most lights 

The most elaborate navity scene we’ve seen in a front yard

Another cute front yard

Another house of Allan’s dreams.  Garages!!All who know Allan will know what he thought of today’s brew!Allan still has a few surprises under his belt!  He didn’t love it but liked it.  To recap so far, 15 days in there were only 2 losers!

Not much excitement except:

1) our pickleball paddles & balls arrived in a back pack

2) after several days & attempts we got the new TV installed. We went through 2 mounts, I would have given up, happy now that Allan’s determination won!  It has a great picture.

We decided burritos for dinner but no sour cream so off we walk to Walmart, Today is the worst weather day since we’ve been in Yuma. “As the Sunniest Place in the World, Yuma has an average of 308 sunny days per year… that’s 4,000 hours of pure Vitamin D!”  This is one of the 57 non-sunny days.

This is the cart that won first place in the “Golf Cart Parade”  Well deserved  My new tagline…. “Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle!”

This is the first brew neither one of us wanted to drink! Oatmeal brew, who thinks up this stuff?

Burritos!  As I am writing this on the 13th I am going to include our advent #13.

After waiting all these days Allan gets an amber.  Should have guessed this as Omi was all about the 13ths and Allan!  Taste test: Declared it good but not as good as Shiner BockDinner wine, Berlinger Merlot but in a clear bottle.  What’s up with that, Clear bottles are used primarily for wines that are meant to be consumed young. Coloured g

lass is essential for age-worthy wines because they limit exposure to sunlight and fluorescent light rays that can change the colour, aroma and taste of the wine.Watching Shark Tank then off to the hot tub.

Here we go   

We have the best seats in the first car, the engineer is right in front of us.                        $3/ride lasts about 10m.

They ask you do not take photos on the ride cause the leaning to take photos may tilt the train.  I followed instructions and did not take any photos. We did walk the route after our trip…

Then on to our walk on the Yuma East Wetlands.  Spot the 3 white birds in photo 2?

“Rewards” in the Survivor shelter.  Next photo is the shelter as seen from the trail

Full disclosure!  We did not drink our rewards in the above photo.  Just thought it made a cool photo.

Here we are midway and truly “REWARD” time, spot them?Back on the trail, we see this train making its roundsCan you make out the words on the bridge?Ocean to Ocean Highway

There, in the distance a boat cometh, get a wave from the Captain

Day 11, calendars are getting a little light!  Allan likes his cerveza, I’m a wine fan so ya like mine

Yuma appears to be all about craft shows.  Today’s is in our park, it’s being coupled with a car show.

“Kokopelli”  they are everywhere, we didn’t know what they represented as we couldn’t figure out what they were called.  We now know! We got one for a screen, hoping the luck is real!

Kokopelli is a Native American Deity, revered by certain Native American groups in the Southwestern region of the United States. It’s a highly symbolic figure and is associated with fertility, music, merrymaking and good luck.

Today’s highlight!  A walk to Walmart, 30m each way!

Advent #10 We didn’t know what “Wit Ale” is, turns out it’s one of the better ones.  I enjoyed my red blend,. For those keeping count, Allan has 2 yucks, 1 for me

I’m missing tumble weeds, haven’t seen one yet.  Chandler does it right, too bad it’s about a 3h drive.  Tumblewood Christmas Tree

Heading to the hot tub, good night all

We start the day at the Yuma Artisans and Crafter’s Show.  Everything in the show must be handmade, very talented peeps in this room!

I scored!   Earrings and a screen magnet

Advent Day 09This rose is my least favourite, Allan liked his Golden Ale

Earlier dinner of air fryer wings and cucumber salad,  then it’s off to see Elvis at the neighbouring resort.We’re here 😁

Elvis is now in the 🏛️

It was good fun!  Visit my FB page for videos.   Our next show will be at our resort

But first yesterday’s advent calendar, can’t believe I forgot it in yesterday’s post.  Allan, strongly disliked Peanut Butter Porter, but Allan doesn’t like PB anything!  I traded my Reisling

We are “out” early, before 9, a rarity for us. The reason?  We’d like to learn to play the fastest growing sport in America.  Guess what it is, click here to learn.  They have lessons Tues & Thurs at 9am.

The lesson went as well as could be expected.   Scoring takes a bit to get used to. We had fun and now have our own paddles on order.

Pick some oranges on the way back, the park is full of orange, grapefruit & lemon trees.

We went to the library that has computers & printers.  We printed out our Sun Peak show tickets

There are several tables with puzzles in vaious state of doneness.  Anyone can sit down and contribute to the completion.

It’s repair the outdoor light time with yet another RV tech.  You may remember the horror with the last crew “Pirate Mobile RV”

There are so many mobile RV techs it’s difficult to know who to select.  We saw Jamie in the Walmart parking lot on Saturday.  Allan had a chat with him, fingers crossed!

Jamie arrived at the scheduled time and had the outdoor light short repaired within one hour.  He didn’t charge any travel time, got the job done.  He is the fairest tech we’ve had.  We will not hesitate to recommend him. Our 🎄 arrives!     

Advent Day 8 to enjoy while decorating

Allan is kind of liking this one.  Not amber but he’s drinking it:)

Allan in action!

The wall 

    The tree

Coffee!
Bailey Tree 2022                                                             Woodland Tree 2013

Such a big change of lifestyle over the years!

Our first night here, walking back from the hot tub we say “what’s with all the lit penises?”  Turns out the woodworking shop, years ago, made a different theme for every street.  There are our penises, howling at the moon, snowflakes, snowmen, on and on.

At the ” Raising Frosty” get together, one of the neighbours, Rob, says he has an extra penis.  Lucky us, we are now the displayers of our very own “on loan” penis!

Our street, “Penis Lane” with Frosty looking on