Christmas Present - Almost

Mittry Lake - near Yuma, Arizona

Slept pretty good last night and actually woke up in time to catch the sunrise.

I was also excited because I was heading into Yuma this morning in the rain to buy a new camera for Christmas for me.  For some reason my Canon Power Shot SX60 decided to quit on me Christmas Day.

Had to shoot last night's sunset with my cell phone.  It probably happened because of sand in the zoom or  just dropped it one time too many.  Doesn't matter, it just won't take pictures anymore.

I'm not a great photographer so I'm not going to buy anything over $500 as a replacement.  I liked that Canon camera so much that after viewing many other similar cameras online I decided to buy the same camera but a newer model.

So after breakfast, Yuma and I headed South into Yuma in a sprinkle that added mud to my already dirty Jeep.  Oh well.  They both wash off.

I had checked and Walmart had it for $456, but when I got there they didn't have any; but it is available online.  I even looked for something similar but everything was sold out.  

I went out to the Jeep and was going to order it, but all three stores indicated that I couldn't pick it up.  I would have to have it sent to my address.  I have no address and I didn't feel like trying to set one up, so Walmart is out.

I was confident that Best Buy would save me so I headed across town to their store.  Now mind you, at this time of year in Yuma you don't just walk up to the counter and start talking.  No!!  There are lines for everything, and I hate lines.  I hate shopping!!!

All sold out!  Of almost all cameras.  Would you know that cameras were a hot item this Christmas in Yuma.  The nice clerk said they would have it in and available for pick-up on January 1, 2020.  Too long.  

I went out to the Jeep exasperated!  A simple camera purchase made so difficult.  I was sitting in the Best Buy parking lot trying to find anyone in town with a Canon Power Shot SX70 and all I find was online order stores.

Yuma was getting tired of this and pawing at my hand as I tried to Google so reluctantly, I walked back into Best Buy and after waiting in line again, I ordered it for pickup on the first.   I checked and they are open on New Year's Day.  I guess I will be getting a New Year's present instead of a Christmas present.

When I got back to camp, it was cold and wet with a good amount of breeze.  Not Arizona weather at all.  During my drive into the lake area, I saw a place much further off the road than my present location and it is within walking distance.

Pulled in the slides and unhooked all the TV antennas and moved the MH and then walked back for the Jeep.  All done quickly and efficiently. :))

As I was doing this the sun came out, the wind died down and Arizona was back in a flash.  It was even warm again.  I was dreading the thought of five days using a cell phone as a camera, when I remembered seeing a camera bag in the closet when I packed to leave.

Looking inside I found my original camera I used when I first started coming to the Southwest.  It is a small point and shoot Sony Cyber-Shot with a decent zoom.

Pulled it out and everything still worked and I even had the charger.  The reason I had replaced it with the one I have now is because I dropped it and broke the viewer.  Still works, just can't see what you're aiming at.

I ended my day by shooting a few pictures with it before darkness fell.

My new camp.

View from my front door looking West.

Sunset

Had an excellent dinner.  Trying to eat twice as much at dinner.  For some reason I'm losing weight and don't need to be doing that.  I'll play around with my diet to see what works best.

That was my day.  Merry Christmas!  Ah, humbug!

See you later.

Christmas Day - 2019

Mittry Lake near Yuma, Arizona

Woke up this morning and told Dolly Merry Christmas and my day started.  It was around 8:30 and it was a beautiful clear Christmas day.  Calling for rain all day tomorrow, but not today.

Had a huge breakfast of three scrambled eggs, three slices of bacon and a glass of milk and ready to relax for the day.

Around noon, Yuma and I walked down to the boat landing nearby and I took some pictures of Mittry Lake.  It is much larger than this, but the reeds hide much of it.  As we got close to the ramp, Yuma spotted Jeb at one of the trailers and just had to say a quick hello.  He didn't like the leash slowing him down.

 Had to tie Yuma to the dock to get his picture.  He didn't like the moving dock and would follow me each time.

There's my place up near the road.

Headed back to camp and

did this for the rest of my Christmas day.

Had myself a steak dinner to celebrate the occasion and hope everyone has had as relaxing and enjoyable Christmas day as I have had.

Merry Christmas everyone and see you later.

Mittry Lake

Yuma, Arizona

Yuma was bothered by something last night.  He slept most of the night on the floor.  He does that when he is scared.  May have been noises from the Yuma Proving Ground close by that bothered him.

We got up at 8:30 and decided to go into Yuma early to the Walmart to do our shopping.  Yuma came along too.  He didn't want to stay here by himself.

Got to Walmart around 9:30 and the place was still very crowded but manageable.  Did my shopping as quickly as I could and I was surprised I found everything I needed.  

I overdid the meat buying.  I've never bought meat, Dolly always had that job, so probably made a few mistakes in that department.  Oh well, Yuma is not particular.  We were back to our lakeside villa by 11:30 and ready for breakfast.

Today was a day of rest and just walking around our new surroundings.  Hopefully, Yuma becomes accustomed to our new home.  

Looking from our door to the South towards Yuma.

  Told Yuma it was steep going down to the canal but,

 he went down to inspect anyway.  He actually walked in the water, but I didn't catch that before he bounded back up.  The canal runs North/South and separates the Mittry Lake area from Yuma Proving Grounds.

Looking to the Northwest.

 
While I was sitting outside under a blanket reading blogs, I heard noises and when I looked up, Yuma was gone.  He had met a new friend walking down the road.  His name is Jeb and was four years old and as sweet as could be.  

Another shot to the South with less zoom.

Yuma checking out the lake looking for coyotes.

And the wash down below the RV.

Mittry Lake must not be well known in the Yuma area.  Elva commented this morning she has lived in Yuma all her life and has not heard of this lake.

I see a palm tree in the distance.

 We had a nice day.  The skies were blue and in the 60s.  Can't ask for more than that on Christmas Eve.

Have a Merry Christmas tomorrow everyone, wherever you may be.

See you later.

Mittry Lake near Yuma, Arizona

Yuma, Arizona

Today is move day.  The rains that have hit Yuma to the West is heading this way and wanted to get off Darby Well Road before the dust turns to mud.  Hate to leave, but it is time to go.  Hope I make it back here again sometime.

I got up around 8:30 and spent way too long going through my breakfast routine as it turned out.  We had packed the night before so all I had to do was hook up the Jeep. 

We headed into Ajo around 12:30 and I had forgotten how long it takes to dump and take on propane and water.  By the time we left Ajo, it was 1:30.  I had planned on getting into Yuma around 3 o'clock, but it is a two and a half hour drive, so it looks more like 4 o'clock now.

Took highway 85 North through an Immigration  check point to Gila Bend.  Last one for awhile.

Then took I-8 West.  The road was flat and straight all the way across the desert until just outside Yuma when we hit Fortuna Hills.  It was then the rain started.  Not much but enough to turn on the wipers.

I had planned on stocking up with supplies at Walmart before finding a place to stay for the night, but it was already near 5 o'clock by the time I arrived.  I decided to just pick up a few items and do the majority of the shopping tomorrow morning.  It was a madhouse at Walmart.  I walked in and saw the huge lines and walked back out again.

We filled the MH with gas and headed North on highway 95 towards the Yuma Proving Grounds.  It was getting dark and raining just a little.

Made a left and headed towards the North entrance to Mittry Lake about six miles West.  As I turned left into the entrance, it was still sprinkling but the sun was trying to break as it was setting.

The road is like a wash board most of the way, so didn't go too far and pulled into the first place that was big enough to get me off the road.  Took a few shots of the dying sun over Lake Mittry.

Quickly set up camp and got the Dish working so I could watch the Green Bay and Minnesota game while fixing dinner.  If GB wins tonight I will win the family pool for the first time this season.  My son Ben has hogged the wins with six this season.

Long day.  See you later.

Pipeline Road

Ajo, Arizona

This morning was warm but cloudy when I woke got up at 8:30.  Calls for 74 degrees but no sun today.  

We had breakfast and walked around the area a number of times today, but just didn't have the interest to go anywhere, so we stayed in and watched football play-offs most of the day.

Yesterday, Yuma and I did take a 25 mile Jeep ride late in the day.  It was 3 o'clock when we started, so I knew we couldn't go far before the sun set.

I hate it when I see Pipeline Road, because it means exactly that.  A maintenance road that runs along a gas pipeline in a straight line forever. 

The road is located at the site of the cemetery marker I talked about the other day, so it is only about three miles from our camp.

I had heard there was a corral or ranch on this road, so we went to find it.  Ended up going about 12 miles East and then retracing our tracks coming back.  We made it back just as the sun set but there were clouds by that time in the West so no pictures of the sunset.

I was sure it would be a maintained road and would be easy to follow, but I was wrong.  This was the roughest road I have been on this winter so far.

The mountains directly East of Ajo are the Poso Redondo Mountains and the Pipeline Road headed directly towards that pass in the middle.  It does appear to go forever.

 The road started out bad from the gitgo, if you want to call it a road.

We finally found the corral and it was in a valley inside the pass we saw at the beginning.  Again, it was the wind mill that identified it.  It was off the road and if it had not been for that we would have gone on by.

 Again, there was no wind wheel at the top,

 because it had fallen to the ground sometime in years past.

Took pictures of the mountains around us and headed home.

 Yuma says "I don't want to go any further, Dad."

And we didn't.  See you later.