Day 23 Friday January 31

new yuma library - who knew

Organ Pipe 1

Organ Pipe 2

Bouncing back to Yuma for the mentioned watch band, we spied the Quechan fry bread woman and chased her around for a bit but found she hadn't started frying yet. Found vast new library we had not known existed and vast areas of new Yuma not seen before. Shopped the Target, posted the post, returned to Big Auntie for the fry bread and shot east on interstate 8 and right on hwy 85 to Ajo, Why, through 2 border patrol chechpoints to Organ Pipe National Monument where we occupied #170. Hood up to discourage varmits.

Day 22 Thursday January 30

the land around here

winning the mad max award again this year

second site senator wash - just getting ready to leave in the 9 o'clock hour

trouble at the city on the hill

crossing the colorado into yuma

evening at second site with john gresham on the phones

     After a day sitting still mostly with a few hours circling through the badlands on the bikes we have felt the edge of the long wavelength life of the desert. Flash floods and wind storms happen but mostly it is bright and clear and warm during the day and then chill and clear at night over and over. There is a city on the hill of rvs but we are in our own little tuck with only a few showing across the nearby bay of the reservoir, but you can hear some times a clear rendering of a conversation over there if the atmosphere is just right. No wind tonight. Lots of mesquite logs about after a culling by the government; incredibly hard and heavy. Ridiculously heavy. Dense.

     Small fire, snacking, g and t’s. Tomorrow Yuma Target to get a apple watch band replacement so all important life coach can keep coaching.

     Credit were it is due - S had a nice swim, but I could only stand a quick dunk. Water pretty but very cold.

Day 21 Wednesday January 29

First site Senator Wash Reservoir 

Irrigated Dates

     Wind blew in at about 9 am as we were leaving Mike and Palm Springs although we didn’t actually leave the vicinity until 11 due to Target and Trader Joes and Albertsons visits. S got a few things like a swim suit and I got an Hawaiian shirt in black and white plus I forgot about the trip to the thrift store, Angel View, yesterday at which S and I got long sleeve light colored shirts, mine was linen and about the size of a pup tent, for to keep the sun at bay on the hike.

So we left Rancho Mirage at 11 and the dust was blowing hard but mostly from the rear so no problem. Rolled past the Salton Sea, Bombay Beach, Niland, Brawley, and mile upon mile of industrial lettuce, broccoli and such to arrive at Yuma and not too long thereafter at the Senator Wash Reservior in the late afternoon. Slipped into the spot occupied last year by the three Sprinters group so now with just our nuclear family it was a bit lonely seeming. S says Mark and Lisbet of that trio are in Kentucky working the Amazon warehouse and E is figuring out life after F passed this past Christmas. B was happy however standing in the water drinking and peeing simultaneously. S whipped up a stir fry to die for and we settled into a cup of box wine as darkness flowed in and the wind eased. 

     Spending so much time in public toilets these days was thinking of maybe a photo essay, but not tonight because there are no toilets around here, maybe tomorrow, maybe not.