The Journey South

Mid-January we left St. George for Quartsite, Yuma and Phoenix.  We are traveling with Steve and Jackie who made lots of new travel buddies at the Heber Girls Camp (HVC), so we are tagging along with them and making new friends.  Well, low and behold, one of their friends is Richard and Wendy Poll.  Richard and I went to school together from kindergarten to graduating from high school.  I haven't seen him in almost 50 years (as 2018 will be our 50th reunion year).  What fun to get reacquainted and get to know him better - he was one of the best basketball and football players and I was, well, just a class member.  No, really he was a a very kind person then and is an even kinder now.

Our first stop was Lake Havasu City, Arizona.  The HVC group likes to dry camp so we find ourselves in some desert wilderness camp area where it's an ATV drive to everywhere.  We are now traveling with Brett and Lori Simonson and Mike and Kathryn Monfredi.  After a week in cold and rain; as the desert is getting blasted with a cold front and rainy weather, we travel further south to Quartzite.

I love the cactus!

Now this is the first time I've ever been to Quartzite - the old people camping site of the world.  I've heard stories from Grandpa Schaefermeyer and my parents, but now is the time for me to experience it.  I am not disappointed.  There are literally miles and miles of motorhomes, travel trailers, 5th wheels, campers and everything in between populated by "old" couples - you know the 70s and higher set, not us young people still in our 60s.  Even though it was further south, the weather did not change - cold and rain.  How far south do we have to go?

 The line of ATVs, note we are all in winter clothes still.

After a only 6 days of Quartzite, we have seen everything, done everything and frozen everything.  South young travelers, south!  On to Yuma.  We now find ourselves on the north side of Yuma, Arizona, again dry camping - Steve and Jackie had a family problem so they needed to go back to Utah; we gave up our RV park reservation and followed the HVC people to the desert for more dry camping.  Theron is in heaven; I'm okay as long as the water and potty hold out.

There is a hope of warmer weather and as of today, January 31, we have finally found it - 70 degrees.  Friends of our new friends have been taking us on ATV rides and the sites are really beautiful - not Samoa beautiful, but desert beautiful.

 This is a slot canyon we drove down; not much of a challenge but reminded us of Lake Powell slot canyons.

This was a great hike.

Tonight we just found out that we will not be going to Phoenix, we will stay in Yuma a few more days and go back to St. George.  We don't want to be alone in Phoenix; the new friends are excited to keep us.  Theron has been actively playing McGyver and fixing things.  Warmest thoughts of you all back in Utah.

The beginning of 2017

All the best years begin January 1.  The year of 2017 has now begun and we have entered it with our hearts and souls.  We left the snow in South Jordan (and there have been lots of it this year) and moved to St. George.  We started the new year with a dinner party with Woods, Christensens and Duerdens.  Going south was a good idea to get away from the snow, but not away from the cold and rain.  The grandkids celebrated with hats and noise, also

Well, that's the first week of January.  It's now the end of January when I finally get around to writing again and we are now as far as Yuma, Arizona, and it's still cold.  This has been the longest January and the coldest one in a long time.  Now, let's turn things around and I'm now going to be happier and more positive because traveling and enjoying our time right now is a fun time.

Back home, the snow is piling up.  It's a good water year.  Mason is so hungry that he's even eating the snowman's nose!  Todd and Taylor keep shoveling and will soon have to walk up hill to get to the front door.

The saga of the pickup truck:
We bought a new 2016 Chevy pickup because we knew we would be traveling a lot and wanted the comfort and dependability of a new truck.  Well, the park brake destroyed itself and that was a week in the shop.  Just before Christmas we had a steering problem and took the truck to Murdock.  After having the truck for a week, they told us it was a major steering part and they could not get another part very soon.  By January 11, we had, had enough and talked to the general manager and now are driving a new 2017 Chevy truck that was manufactured after the steering line problems.  Enough said about the pickup.

Curt is now 39:
Happy Birthday Curt.  What a great son, husband, and father he has really grown into his own and is making a great dad - the chocolate pudding tells it all.  It worked out great for us that it was the 11th that we had to travel up north.  It was a fun time to be there for Curt's birthday and his smoked pork.  Yup, he's smoking the meat with his new smoker!  Poor Mel, she has four kids!

We know this is going to be a bad winter so we have decided to join the ranks of the snowbirds!  We are going south.  Continue reading as we adventure our winter travels.  As we leave this blog, just a few pictures to preserve our memories.  The triplets bid us goodbye and then immediately strip down for some stair streaking.

 The new stairs leading to the playroom, Kacy is still being blocked.

 Kacy is shaking the grate telling us she wants to go with us.  Or, maybe she just wants to get Brittney's attention.

Here's our sign.