The Great 2008/09 Winter MisAdventure

Our Son Marcus comes to visit

January 23 through 26, 2009

We are very excited to have our youngest visit. Anticipation has us on edge as we drive to the Phoenix airport to pick up the traveler. Marcus has come for a visit during the crazy time of January, the Big Tent show and the QIA Pow-Wow Gem and Mineral show are in full swing. Thousands of extra RV'er jam the desert scene with gatherings, campfires, shopping and camaraderie.

The three of us visit the QIA show in a slight rain, and also toured the Desert Gardens Rock and Gem Show, one of many vendor areas set up in this crazy place. Marcus buys a box of rock crystals to take home, beautiful pieces of natural art. We also get to spend time out in the desert looking for the golden metal, doing some digging and detectoring as well. David and Marc manage to take an ATV ride through the wilds of Arizona crossing mountains and valleys around the area. The visit was all too short, and made shorter by JoEllen's Doctor appointment in Pheonix on Monday, before taking him to the airport for the return to the cold and snow of Denver.

The Big Tent Show draws the crowds in January. This is a giant tent with various vendors selling to a mostly eager crowd, and I do mean crowd! Vendors hawk all varieties of goods, pots and pan, slicers and dicers, satellite TV and internet, RV goodies, and of course food! One vendor was selling hand cranked ice cream using single cylinder engines to crank the ice cream makers.

David and JoEllen braved the crowds only to visit with the various potential employers in attendance. We had previously signed up for Workampers, an electronic newsletter with jobs available for gypsies like us and visited with many that were at the show. Chuck, from Hoodoo Recreation had a position in Oregon (pronounced OR-AH-GUN) as campground attendants taking care of 6 campgrounds in the Willamette National Forest. We accepted the position, and our home will be at the Delta Campground, starting May 15th. Terwilliger Hot Springs will be close as well. A new chapter in the Great MisAdventures.

Traffic and crowds are reasons to hate Q in January. This is the daily jam up on Highway 95 going into and out of Q on any show day. The numbers of campers in the desert swells to amazing numbers, with long lines at the water and dump stations as well. Oh well, it is just a short time till things return to "normal Quartzsite".

Super Bowl Sunday at the In-laws place. Burgers, beer and football. We all just had to watch the 3-D comercials and make fun of the glasses.

Our friend Cindy comes to visit

February 10, 2009

Our Westcliffe neighbor and friend Cindy Hamand was in Phoenix for business and spent some time with us Tuesday. The sun was out, but it was slightly chilly. JoEllen took her around the area on the ATV's, then we feasted on BBQ chicken and fixings. After visiting with Bill and Stella, and recovering from dinner stuffing, she returned to Phoenix, a much too short visit. Sorry that Rose couldn't come as well. These two ladies are great friends and neighbors.

Our Son Marcus comes to visit again

February 27 through March 2, 2009

Marcus suprized us with a second visit this winter. We spent the weekend riding the ATV's around the area, did some gold prospecting, and spent the evenings around the campfire. We were having so much fun, we forgot to take pictures. The pic above is David and Marcus searching a pile of rocks for crystals, many were picked up and brought back to camp. We also had dinner at the Prospector here in Q. We tried to go to the all you can eat on friday evening, but the crowds pushed us into going Saturday evening instead. We ordered the combo plate, a huge platter filled with deep fried fish and french fries. So much for eating healthy.

The desert is very green, and the flowers are in bloom. The picture here is of a fairy duster, a very delicate looking flowering bush. The picture below is of the giant baby playing with tractors in a field west of Phoenix.