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Ted, John B., Don and John H. waiting for the next demonstration. It was great to have MCAS Yuma invite the community to the Base and provide us with such an amazing demonstration of old and new military aircraft.
The United States Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II was the hit of the show for us. According to the airshow brochure, it is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing ground-attack aircraft which simply means it can hover over the ground just like a helicopter which is just amazing. These aircraft have seen action in the Gulf War, the Iraq War, Afghanistan and Libya.
March 26 – We spent the day at the MCAS Yuma Airshow. We saw skydivers, marching bands, model air planes, flybys, WWII bombers, WWII dogfights, search and rescue demonstrations, a USO jetcar, fuelling in flight, airplane displays and much, much more. Here you can see a WWII Vintage Warbirds pass and review flyby. I’m not familiar with airplanes, but the ones in this picture include a Mitsubishi A6M Zero, F8F Bearcat and others I can’t identify.
The full moon rising over Fortuna Peak. Ted’s cake was brighter!
It was the weekend before Ted’s birthday so Cathy brought a cake to celebrate his big 6-0. Quite a fire on top of that cake! That’s what happens when you need so many candles!! On his actual birthday we went to San Luis, Mexico for Chinese food with Don, Lynn and Daryl. I know it sounds weird but they have scrumptious Chinese food there.
It was the night of the full moon so fourteen of us went up to our usual spot on the west side of Fortuna for a weiner roast and to watch the moon rise over Fortuna Peak. Sitting around the fire pit are Don, Gail, Audie, Pete, John and Linda.
Gord and Sher are resting before making the trip down. What an incredible view behind them!
March 19 – Several of our friends had indicated they would like us to guide them up to the airplane crash site so eight of us made our way up the side of the mountain. We only went to the first cross although a few of our party went as far as the second, third and fourth. Junior, Janet, Pete and John (hiding behind the debris) are celebrating their success at making it to the first cross!
Here you can see an ocotillo in bloom and the winding trail we followed through the foothills of the Gila Mountains to get to the petroglyph rock.
March 16 – Today our hike with John and Linda took us to the North Fortuna Petroglyphs. Here you can see a split rock with petroglyphs (rock drawings) on its face. The circle with lines inside may represent either the sun or the moon, The jagged line with the circle near its middle is likely the winding canyon and the rows of triangles on the bottom half of the rock could be a symbol of the tribe’s location. You can also see the image of a person and a dog. The lower portion of the rock broke away during the 2002 earthquake.
A short side trail leads to the Picacho Jail, a hillside cave used by the sheriff to incarcerate the local bad guys and by the miners to store explosives. Looks like Ralph and Irene ran afoul of the law.
March 9 - On our way out to Picacho Mills with John, Linda, Pete, Ralph and Irene, we saw several wild burros on the side of the road.
March 5 - I thought this was so appropriate. Since I am now writing this in 2012 when gas prices are as high as $4.00/gallon, I think it should read “WTF” for regular, plus and supreme. There should be a special WTF category for diesel!
March 4 – Junior and Janet hosted a fish fry for over forty people. They served several different kinds of fish deep fried in various types of batter. Guests provided appetizers, salads and desserts. It was an incredible feast! Junior, our host, is the man on the left holding the plate of fish.
We were lucky to see two desert bighorn sheep on top of a peak across from where we were. In the third arch we were able to see where animals such as these sheep have probably bedded.
March 3 – This time John and Linda accompanied us up to Indian Pass Arches.
February 24 – Back in Yuma, we resumed our hiking by making the trek up to Indian Pass Arches with Gord and Sher. There are actually three arches; this is the largest one. The views from here are spectacular.
February 22 – Our last morning in San Diego. After breakfast we saw this ship loaded with troops, helicopters and military equipment bound for Iraq. Earlier that morning on the local news, we saw spouses, children and parents saying tearful good-bye to their loved ones before they boarded the ship.
We took a drive up to Carlsbad State Park to show them where we camped last winter and then stopped to admire the sunset at Torrey Pines. Then it was off to Joe’s Crab Shack for supper in Pacific Beach.
We walked down to the shoreline to check out the tidepools. Diane and I found a natural bridge over the water and once we were there decided we needed Ted and Steve to come rescue us. Of course they didn’t, even though we begged!! They were encouraging us to jump!!
The best known landmark on Point Loma is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. The small, two story lighthouse standing 422 feet above sea level was completed in 1854 and first lit on November 15, 1855. It proved to be a poor choice as fog and cloud often covered the light and ships could not see it. A new lighthouse was built nearer sea level and the old lighthouse ceased operations in March, 1891.
February 21 – We started our day at Cabrillo National Monument which honours the arrival of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States in 1542. It also gave us an amazing view of downtown San Diego.
We went on a trolley tour of the city and visited Seaside Village, Gas Lamp Quarter, Coronado, Balboa Park and Old Town. We finished our day by dining at the Café Coyote y Cantina.
San Diego Airport is right on the edge of San Diego Bay. For planes arriving from the east, San Diego's only runway is located at the base of a hill lined with several obstructions, including Interstate 5 and trees in Balboa Park. Here you can see how close to the top of buildings the planes seem to descend. I would certainly hate to live near that airport.
February 20 – After breakfast, we walked down Harbour Drive to enjoy the 30 sculptures that make up the Urban Tree exhibit.
The mail car.
February 19 – Diane and Steve were flying in to San Diego for a week so we thought we’d join them for a few days. Instead of taking I10 to San Diego, we took the more scenic Highway 94. We stopped off at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo. It has 6 steam and 12 diesel locomotives and many railroad cars and artifacts on their yard. A Southern Pacific passenger train was open for visitors to walk through. They also have excursions to Division, Miller Creek and even to Tecate, Mexico several times a year.
Obviously we took the wrong path. We all ended up scrabbling down the side of a hill on loose volcanic tuff. We never did reach our destination, but the journey was definitely interesting. I’m just glad no one got hurt!
We walked past this huge open pit, the remains of the gold mining operation. The colours were phenomenal. This picture does not do justice to the depth or the colours.
February 18 – Denis and Irene agreed to go on a hike with us to Picacho Peak. We followed the instructions in our Yuma Hikes book but they were a little vague. As per the directions, we started out at the old Picacho Mine which resumed operation in 1984 and shut down again in 2002.
February 12 – Our friends, Gord and Sher, were not experienced hikers so we started them out with the Painted Desert Trail earlier in the week and then took them up to Pilot Knob. We didn’t go all the way to the cross but Sher made it to one of the peaks. We rewarded ourselves with the seafood smorg at the Quechan Casino. For one of the first times in my life, I actually won some money on the slots - $110!!! Of course I seldom win because I seldom play!
February 11 – After a hike up to Indian Pass Arches we took a drive with Denis and Irene to Glamis to show them the sand dunes. They are so incredible!
Open the bag, slip it onto your plate, add some biscuits and gravy, hash browns, a mimosa and Voila – the best breakfast ever!!!
Make sure the bag is sealed and your name is on it and then place it into a turkey cooker full of boiling water. Boil for about 13-15 minutes (depending on how many bags are being cooked).
February 7 – Twenty-one of us gathered at Don & Cathy’s for “breakfast in a bag”. What a wonderful way to make an omelette. Just put all your favourite omelette ingredients – ham, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, sausage, cheese, mushrooms, bacon, shrimp, etc – into a ziplock bag with a ½ cup of an egg/milk mixture. Ted, Linda, Jim and Susan are choosing their ingredients.
The view of the Foothills of Yuma, the area in which we live. Maybe if we looked close enough, we could pick out our home.
February 5 – Our fourth trip up to the airplane crash site, this time with Denis and Irene. This time we all made it to the top!!!
It was weird to be at the same height as the helicopters flying by.
From the top of Pilot Knob you can see the Quechan Casino, Algodones, Mexico, the sand dunes, boondockers, Pilot Knob Campground and the town of Felicity. Here is a view of Algodones.
We made it to the top! A cross marks the spot.
February 3 – Denis and Irene joined us on a hike to the summit of Pilot Knob, an elevation gain of about 580 feet. A stone quarry was located the north side of the mountain so we followed the trail up the right side of the quarry and then across the top to the summit.
Our next stop was Signature Hill and then we stopped for lunch in one of the nearby washes.
February 1 – Eleven of us piled into 4 4x4s for a desert run to Picacho State Park. We’ve been to the Narrows several times before but always backed our way out as we didn’t think we could make it all the way through the narrow canyon walls. This time we decided to go for it and we all made it. Don V.H. manoeuvred his Jimmy through the narrow opening like a pro. Good thing he pulled his mirrors in!
January 22 – The Big Tent opened on Saturday and it was BIG! Vendors in over 225 booths hawked everything you could imagine - jewellry, cleaning products, flagpoles, golf equipment, generators, resorts, food, RV parts, health care products, dog accessories, cosmetics, travel insurance and clothing to name just a few. Of course the RV dealers were selling every make and model of trailers, 5th wheels and motorhomes that you could possibly want. It was camper heaven!
January 18 – We arrived back in Yuma on the 8th and after a week of settling back in, we joined several of our friends at Quartzite for its annual giant RV show. We circled the RVs out on Las Paz Road – 11 RVs, 24 campers – for a few days of boondocking. It was a fun week filled with checking out the giant flea markets in Tyson Wells, sharing potluck suppers and eating out at some of the great restaurants in Quartzite. Some of the vendors will do anything to draw the shoppers to their booths and displays. This vendor used quite a bit of imagination when setting up his stall.
January 2, 2011 – We spent New Year’s Eve with Joyce, Murray, Teresa and Dayna. First we went out for supper and then spent the rest of the evening at the Living Skies Casino where I saw friends I hadn’t seen in years. My nephew, Matthew, works there so we had a short visit with him, too. Unfortunately we did not start the new year on a winning note. On the 2nd, our friends Kim and Elvin and their granddaughter, Joni, met us in Swift Current for lunch while they were on their way home after spending Christmas with their daughter and family in Calgary.
December 25 – Christmas morning. Gifts are opened, wrapping paper has been collected and Hunter’s playing with one of his gifts. You’re never too young for a computer!
Christmas Eve Service at church. Hunter is one of the youngest children in the congregation so he was asked to play baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant. Of course that meant that Clayton played Joseph and Melanie was Mary. Hunter was so cute (of course, I’m extremely prejudiced).
Perfect tree and lots of presents; I think everyone is going to be very spoiled.
December 24 – We spent Christmas at Melanie and Clayton’s. The two grandfathers and Clayton took Hunter for a sleigh ride before supper.
December 11 – We arrived back in Alberta on December 6th and our first weekend home was spent at Joyce’s for our annual Chinese Christmas gift exchange. Chris, Melanie and Hunter were able to be with us. Look at all those presents to choose from! Poor Brian ended up with fuzzy red Santa slippers. He really has no luck when choosing his gift and of course no one wants to steal from him either!
December 4 – Finally the concrete had hardened enough so we could park the 5th wheel and the vehicles on it. As you can see we won’t have weeds on that side of the house either.
November 30 – After a stressful weekend where Rusty (our dog) ran away and spent the night at a neighbour’s while we frantically searched for him and Montreal beat Saskatchewan in the Grey Cup (at least we didn’t have 13 men on the field this time), we had several of our friends from Washington over for happy hour. It was a very chilly evening so we had to bundle up. We ended the evening with Don K. entertaining us on his dulcimer. Ted and Chris B. had to try and I ended up laughing until tears rolled down my cheeks. They won’t be auditioning for “America’s Got Talent” anytime soon (I hope), but the video I took may end up on YouTube someday.
We continued on to the fourth cross and Ted actually went all the way to the top. Even Eric and Grace’s dog, Juno, made it this far. This was our third time up to the crash site and each time we try to go a little further. After we made the difficult descent (lots of loose rock), we went to the RV Park where Eric and Grace were staying for supper and a swim in the Park’s salt water pool and a soak in the hot tub. Now that made all the sore muscles feel much, much better.
November 23 – Our next hike with Eric and Grace was up to the site where a B-17 Bomber crashed into the north east face of Fortuna Mountain while on a training mission in 1944. Here you can see remains of the fuselage and the view of Dome valley below. The wreckage starts to appear at about the 1450 foot level.
November 20 – We were up very, very early to watch the Colorado River Crossing Hot Air Balloon mass ascension at 7:15 a.m. with Eric and Grace. Then it was off to Denny’s for a well-deserved breakfast.
After we left the lower stamp mill, we continued on through Ice Cream Wash and down the Railroad Canyon Jeep Road around Rojo Grande (aka Big Red), a 710 foot mountain, for a total of 4.5 miles. Up on the side of the hill, we saw 3 wild burros watching us.
The Upper Stamping Mill closed in 1914 after processing 13 million dollars worth of gold when gold was only $20 an ounce. Declining ore quality and mill accidents ended most of the organized mining efforts by around 1910.
As we hiked towards what remains of the California King Gold Mine Company’s Upper and Lower stamp mills, we encountered this furry little creature, the dreaded tarantula. I know they are harmless to humans except for a painful bite, but they give me the creeps.
November 18 – Eric and Grace hiked the Picacho Mills Historic Trail with us. Picacho was a bustling boomtown in the 1890s and early 1900s. Over 700 men worked in the mines and the population of the town exceeded 2500 at one point. The filling of the lake behind Imperial Dam flooded what was left of the town site in 1938. Here lie the remains of Picacho town site.
November 13- Our friends, Eric and Grace, spent several weeks in Yuma so we went hiking with them as often as possible. Grace’s sister and brother-in-law were visiting them so we went for a hike on the Painted Desert Trail. L to R: Eric, Grace, Ted, Don, Joyce
November 2, 2010 – Our first order of business when we arrived in Yuma was to have a driveway poured. Rudy, the man we hired to pour the concrete was over 70 years old. His hired help drifted away and he ended up doing most of the work himself. I’m sitting in the shade with a cold drink in my hand trying to stay cool and he’s out in the hot sun levelling concrete. Oh, the guilt!
