Kofa National Refuge

We took a drive into the desert but apparently didn't go far enough. After travelling 10 miles on a gravel road and seeing nothing but sand and cactus, we turned around. In this picture we believe it is Ocotillo and Pipe Organ cactus in the background. Don and Pat said we should have continued to the mines where it begins to get much more beautiful. Next year. We left the desert and travelled north to Quartzsite. Enjoyed seeing the rv's in the desert, the flea market and the hustle and bustle of a desert city. On the way home we stopped at Paradise Casino for an hour to gamble. Candy won $16 and I won $8. Big win for us so we blew it on fish and chips at Parrish's Pub. Busy and interesting day.

Quartzsite or bust

Our neighbours and friends have left us and headed to the desert for a few days. They will park together surrounded by thousands of campers who survive the sand storms just to enjoy the rv show, gem show and huge flea market. Waving goodbye to Wally and Connie, Don and Pat, Marv and Donna and Don and Marge. Terry left earlier as needed propane. We would love to have gone but John is in the process of joining the Elks Lodge here and has two meetings this week. So that will remain on our bucket list until next year. Just gotta say 'been there, done it'. We will, however, drive there in the car for one day with Candy and then again to meet with our friends, Tony and Barb.

Farm Smart Program University of California

We spent the day at the Farm Smart Program, El Centro and had the most interesting time. We toured the gardens on wagons in the morning learning about alfalfa infested with white flies and trees you squeeze for fuel for your car along with much more and then spent the afternoon in a classroom. Did you know that asparagus continues to grow after it is cut ? It is packed and shipped in boxes that allow enough height for as much as 3 inches of growth. Asparagus can be cut twice a day and each time it is cut it is 6 inches tall. The website for our tour info is desertrec.ucdavis.edu. We were very impressed with how well organized, fun and informative our day was. We were given saks to pick all the fresh produce we wanted. No doubt we will be eating veggie plates and salads for the next two weeks. John and I have a whole new respect for the work done by our nephew, Jamie, in Guelph, Ont. Canada. His research station is just north of El Centro in Brawley CA.

Tournament of Roses Parade January 1, 2009

We were so fortunate to have our friends, Tony and Barb, invite us to join them for front row seats at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. We drove their rv to a driveway along the parade route, backed it into the driveway and then placed our chairs out front along the road. The street was beginning to get full with chairs, make shift beds, bbqs, heaters and a lot of people. And it was only 4 pm Dec. 31st. Most slept in their spots in spite of the cold air so as not to risk losing the space. We partied into the wee hours and managed to get a few hours sleep before getting up early New Years Day to get ready for the parade. Tony spoiled us with tasty breakfast burritos and coffee. The Rose Bowl parade lived up to our expectations plus we had the added bonus of a warm sunny day. We had an awesome time.