2004 – 05 . . . Journal Entry #2 - Circumstances Determine Activities . . . New Experiences

It's now almost the middle of February and if I don't get this done and uploaded soon . . . it's going to go on and on!! I've put updates in boxes instead of doing a whole new page.

Where Should We Stay??

The Deming Escapee Park experience was so good, we decided to try THE PARK experience a second time and stayed at the Escapee Co-op park in Casa Grande, Arizona. Wow, another good experience! We dry camped ($2.50 per night) in both places. We did not feel we were expected to partake in all their activities but still felt welcomed.

Unfortunately, the bad often comes along with the good. They ain't all the same!! The Co-op Escapee park at Benson and again at the one in Yuma, the attitudes were certainly different. It seemed if you weren't a long-term visitor, you weren't worth the investment of a conversation. So much for good RV park experiences. So our choice again was to go out to the desert where we can have our space, our independence and others who want to get to know their neighbours, no matter how long the relationship is going to last.

We've actually been here in the desert for almost three months . . . probably the longest we have ever stayed in one spot. It's been interesting . . . having the generator, a good system to get water, a good waste disposal system and access to the internet through a WiFi system has made such a big difference.

Health, Systems and Insurance

Our first experience with the American medical system and our medical travel insurance happened in Yuma, Arizona where Fred developed a horrendous infection and we were exposed to the costs of the American health care and drugs!! The trip to Emergency cost $150.00 for the hospital AND another $300.00 for the doctor INCLUDING a $79.00 surcharge because it was on a Sunday, $163.00 USD for 15 antibiotic pills - holy cow!! Then we went down to Mexico with the prescription and it cost $46 USD for 14 pills!! . No wonder the Americans are so upset about the cost of their health care and drugs. Dealing with our Medical Travel was another learning experience!!

The good was being able to set up the fifth-wheel on some friends' (Sallee and John) lot in the Foothills (Yuma) while Fred lazed around trying to get better - he just hated it!! John took on the task of teaching me a lot of things I really didn't want to know about how to deal with all the ins and outs of surviving in the fifth wheel. With John and Salee's gentle persuasion, we decided that if we were going to continue in the non-park environment we enjoyed so much, we were going to do things to make our lives easier. We invested in a Honda generator (2000) and a power mechanism to set up the fifth-wheel. This was, if the sun didn't shine, we would still have power, we could use the microwave and above all, we could make toast in the morning and I could do the 5th wheel jacks without needing a muscle building course.

BUT THEN Fred also managed to pinch a nerve in his back and we ended up Chiropractoring it for a while and finally found a terrific doctor in Algodones (Mexico) and a cortisone shot . . . that cost us $40.00 . . . so we'll see what happens. This whole experience has deeply effected what we do. We've set up rather permanently . . . we're not travelling much and certainly not walking much.

Fred is getting better and better and we've actually been doing a lot more exploring . . . the Bar in the Desert . . . the greening of the desert . . . etc.

The Bar in the Desert is called the "Nellie E Saloon" and sits on an old mine camp site north of Parker, Arizona and about 5 miles in on "Primitive Road". The place is powered strictly through solar and only opens on the weekends and holidays from Labor Day to Memorial Day. The fellow who built the place has gathered junk and treasurers from here and there to construct an outside cafe, a bridge across the wash, cooling towers, his house and a small church chapel and the bar. The bar and chapel have stamped steel ceilings from a factory in Missouri.

Makes for an fun day and, of course, a new experience!

The Rains

The rains . . . a new experience!! In the past four seasons it seldom rained (We called it the 6 inch rain . . . one rain drop every six inches). This year the rains keep coming and coming and coming . . . there is so much humidity that in the morning the ground sparkles with the dew and everything is wet.

We've managed to see our first real flash flood. We have always wondered about the signs along the highways warning drivers about FLASH FLOOD AREA and DO NOT ENTER WHEN FLOODED . . . now we know. As we stood at the edge of the wash ( a creek to us) the water began whooshing down the wash. The roar woke us in the middle of the night and by the time the sun came up, the wash was dry again. Just amazing!!

The Greening of the Desert

The Sanoran Desert is certainly not what we always thought the desert would be. Instead of rolling dunes of fine sand, the desert around here is what remains when all the fine sand blows away. It is primarily course sand and fine gravel. At fairly regular intervals creosote bushes dot the landscape almost as if they had been planted. Most of the creosote bushes sit on a mound of vegetation (some are desert wild flowers and some are just wild desert grasses).

Actually the creosote bush is a very interesting plant. One plant can live for hundreds of years. Apparently to ensure the plant will have enough water and nutrients, the roots give off a toxic substance that prevents vegetation from growing nearby. Heavy rains wash away the toxins and allow other plants to grow but the toxins return when the creosote plant needs them again. Creosote has a very pungent odour that is especially strong when it rains, or there is a heavy dew. It's also reputed to have a number of medicinal properties.

We are parked very close to the Kokopelli again this year and you can see just how the vegetation has taken over. A creosote bush is in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

They are actually concerned about desert fires when the grasses dry.

Time to Move on

We've been here long enough and it's time to move on. We plan to leave this week and expect to stay around Yuma for a short while and then move into California - probably Holtville (where the hot springs are) so we can explore more of the area.

We will be at the Escapee Escapade in El Centro, California on March 20th to the 25th and then head north.

Supposedly, I will have another article published in the RV Times in their #104 March/April, 2005 issue.