One of the flag vendors in the Arizona Marketplace. They have dozens of flags to choose from, and there are 4 or 5 other vendors that sell nothing but flags out here. There are 8 huge buildings, each with double rows in them, and each about 2 long blocks long. Hundreds of vendors.
Couple days ago at the Arizona Market Place. This lady had a stroller full of dogs. 3 Chihuahuas and a Poodle.
Christmas Day, 2009. Pat and I went for a 85 mile ride. Imperial Gardens is one of the planned stops on the Lettuce Ride for
VROC the 3rd weekend in March. Of course, they were closed today.
We rode up the California side of the Colorado River, crossing it near Imperial Dam, then through the US Army Proving Grounds, then out here to Dome Valley. This is a farm sign that I like. The bare tree like thing to the right of the tractor is a Saguaro skeleton. I don't know if it grew here, or was planted, but since there are a few others in the area, I'm thinking it grew there.
Pat has had this riding outfit for a couple of years, but it's been too warm to wear it down here. Was 65 degrees when we left today, so she needed it to stay warm.
Joe Rocket stuff. Pat saw Barb
Foree wearing a coat like this, and fell in love with it.
Santa gets a tractor ride. He's probably on his way back to the North Pole by now.
"Half a
Busa", with lots of vegetable fields in the background.
My neighbor, Redd, surprised me with this walking stick he made. He knew
turquoise is my birthstone, so he used 3 different kinds, plus some Apache Tears and a Kokopelli silver ring embedded in the head.
A very nice gift, and something I'll always keep. I was very touched by all the time and work he put into this.
December 16, 2009. Our porch in Yuma. This picture will go on our family Christmas letter.
My "Birthday Lunch". A nice shredded beef Tamale from a street vendor in
Aglodones, Mexico.
In line waiting to cross back into the USA. It took 1 hour, 43 minutes to get back to the USA. The border guards are very slow.
A Guard Frog on a house in town.
This guy is selling Rice milk and Coconut milk to people waiting in line.
A Bar and Grill. There was live music in there, entertained us as we passed. They sounded very good.
Osha would have fun in Mexico.
One of several vendors in the street going back to the USA.
Just a few of hundreds of ceramic, metal, wood, and cement figures.
More things for the returning tourists.
For 6 pesos or 50 cents you can use the bathroom.
Seafood, Tacos and Tamales. 7 inch fresh shrimp was $16 for a kilo.
Here you can sleep and get your teeth fixed. There are over 300 dentist in
Algodones.
Colorful buildings.
When we got back to Yuma, Pat went to get her nails done, and I rode down to the Border town of San Luis. It's on both sides of the border. this nice little tractor was in a yard just before I entered town. I had a nice ride, just rode around town some and headed back home.
Put up some Mexican ceramics that we've been collecting over the years. Pat planted come flowers in them.
The tree will be on the porch this year.
More plates. We still have plans for a couple other things to add.
Mrs. Rudolph is there to greet you.
And Brother Coyote howls over the
Celoshia and Begonia.
Jerry, one of our Canadian Neighbors. He's a singer and plays the guitar, and organized the "Jams" in the park. We're blessed with good neighbors!
Redd picked up a couple of these Palms to add to the Beach scene. Here's one.
The "rolling stock" and Fred the hanging Flamingo. I just got back from a 30 mile loop. Took the "
Thumper" today.
The Lizard protects the Flamingos!
There is always a lot of static electricity in the house. This is Electric Julie. All 2.9 pounds of her.
Pat's normal breakfast, with some toast or cereal. We have a huge crop of large Tangelos this year on our tree. This is the juice of only 3 of them. We pick them fresh every morning.
My Shrimp taco, and a large Tamale to take home to Pat. This was in Mexico today. I picked up a little Mariachi Band (7 small figures), a large bottle of Glucosamine/Chondroitin (only 3.99), and did a lot of browsing.
Redd went over to get some medications, he knows a lot of the storekeepers and street vendors in Algodones.
"One Arm Charlie" started this pet cemetary back in the 1940's. There are hundreds of pet graves in here, some with very nice headstones and monuments. Interesting place.
I liked this one. There were some real cute names and sayings on some of the graves.
Nest to the cemetary, there are rock walls, little houses, places to sit and meditate, a few Palms, some Salt cedars, Palo Verde, and Ironwood. Charley spent 30 some years turning this piece of desert, right on the border, into a beautiful place to visit. You could camp there for free too. He had a well, with good water. In the mid 60's the Government made him fill it up, because they said it was taking ground water from a large canal that came off the Colorado River, and was a supply that we send down to Mexico. With the well closed he had to move. He died soon after, and is buried there on the property. It's had no care since then, too bad.
Some of the old trails and walls that One Arm Charley built. Redd remembers coming out here as a young boy. He said it was very beautiful then. Not many people know about this place.
A natural chair, Charley planed this Palm tree near it.
The lobby of the Best Western Coronado, the Kaw Pasture for the rally in March. Here's a link.
http://bwcoronado.com
The pool at the Best Western. This was built in 1943, and was one of the first motels in a group of 10 that became the Best Western chain in the early 1950's. Very nice place for a VROC gathering.
A picture of the motel from the 50's.
Through the wall is the Garden Cafe and Spice Company. Nice place for Breakfast or lunch, in Old Town Yuma
A little alley going back to the Garden Cafe
All the tables are out side. They had just opened so there weren't many people there
There are a few of these Gazebos you can eat in too.
A little Coffee and gift shop in the same area.
Anyone for Brats? A German Restaurant in Old Town.
One of several popular Bars in Old Town. this one has a lot of history.
This is out at the Mexican Swap meet. I went to look far a small vise. And found one. There are a lot of food booths, Menudo, tacos, burritos, tamales, etc. and lot of unrecognizable things too. Since I'm on Nutrisystems, about the only thing I could have was some fruit. She's cutting up a fresh Papaya and a Mango for me. Filled to the top that clear plastic cup there on her right. Sprinkled on some chili/salt powder, and poured on a little real Mexican picante...Excellent!!!!
This is my view every morning as I drink coffee and wait for the sun to come up. In a few weeks, the sun will be getting up before me. That will be good.
January 31, 2009. A Blue Moon over Yuma.
January 1st, 2010. New Year, New Decade....looks like this would be a bad place to park your motorhome for very long! :-). One of my stops on my New Year's Day ride.
An antique shop for Pat. And, a groomer I hadn't seen before. I'm on some back roads, not far from the house. We found we don't like the "Dog and Cat House", so may try this place next time.
They were harvesting this field when we got here on November 1st. It will be about ready to harvest again in time for The Lettuce Ride. I like the mountains in the background. They are in Mexico.
This is the sign for our little park. It was a nice day. Going for a longer ride tomorrow. Maybe have some better pictures for January 2nd.
Almost a "Blue Moon" over the Lynda Vista in Yuma. Note Fred the Flamingo, a gift from DD and Romy. He's our weathervane. :-) The trailer with the lantern is my neighbor Redd's.
On one of my favorite rides. 12/27/09. Took the Savage out today, Pat's first time to ride on it. I have a good story about this little store, but won't bother sharing it here, sort of long. It's a beautiful day!
Drive thru Tacos, Groceries, and Liquer store. Out in the agricultural fields close to the Mexican border.
Followed a dirt road to this canal. If you click on the picture, you can see a low fence close to the canal on the other side. That's the Mexican border. Running along the fence, but out of sight, is the Colorado River. Probably about a hundred yards or so from where we are. This pretty Austrailian Sheppard came up to visit us when we stopped. Glad he was friendly :-) Where we are here, the border runs North and South. Where we live in West Yuma, we're actually South of the Border where it runs in California. It jogs down here along the river.
Lots of harvesting going on today along our route. This is a Sunday, and some of the machinery is shut down. Some still working, depends on who owns the property I guess. This machine, with people on the folded up stands, picks and processes lettuce, it goes from this machine down a conveyor belt into boxes and right one to trucks to haul it to markets.
