Another Glorious Sunrise!!!

I’m still at Slab city deep in the desert of Southern California. I love spending my Summers in the beautiful State of Washington, but with all the magnificent Evergreen Trees in the way you usually do not get to see a sight such as this. As always you may click upon a photo to see an enlarged view then click on it once again to see an even larger view…

Here’s a panorama starting in the East and looking to the right to the South and to the West…

If you enjoy photos like these, you may want to look at my other recent Blog entry at this link…

http://wp.me/pDCku-3i4

In other news…

Mary is scheduled to fly into Yuma, Arizona on January 18th so that we can continue on our almost two-year circumnavigation trip around the united States. If you want to read more information about that upcoming adventure, click this link…

http://wp.me/pDCku-2W9

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Why Would I Back-Track 85 Miles???

In just one word…TRUST!

Yesterday I back-tracked 85 miles from Winterhaven (across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona) to Slab City at Niland California. My solar power system is not getting the job done and I’ve returned to Solar Mike to fix my problems…because I trust him.

Here’s a Google Earth view showing my back-track. Yuma is identified with a Y and Slab City with an S. You can click on the image to enlarge it and click on it once again to make it even larger…

Yes, I could have bought new solar stuff from someone I do not know in Yuma. I used to work with Solar Mike’s father before I met Mike for the first time in January, 1996. Here’s the link to the Blog entry when I had our current solar panel and inverter installed on our current motorhome in December, 2009…

http://wp.me/pDCku-6Q

He is the only person I have ever bought solar items from for my three different rigs in my 17 years as a full-time RVer. I trust him not to try to sell me expensive and un-needed solar components. I know he will do right by me for both the right equipment and prices.

When I had the one solar panel put on in 2009, I knew at that time it was marginal. But we figured we try it and see how it worked out. Solar items can be pricey and we could always add more. In the last two years we’ve been plugged into electrical shore-power a lot and have managed to get by when on solar power.

However…now to my problem. In the next two years we will see very little time plugged into shore-power as we begin an almost two-year circumnavigation around the United States. Click this link to read about that upcoming adventure…
http://wp.me/pDCku-2W9

In addition to little plugged-in time…our storage batteries from which we get all of our living electrical power are approaching the end of their useful life span. I had Mike test them about a month ago and for their age were just okay. So I decided to test them. I’ve not had shore power in the last month…which mean I’ve been operating just on our coach storage batteries.

Low night-time temperatures have a negative effect on battery power and I’ve finally decided this problem needs to be rectified before heading out on our circumnavigation. So yesterday I drove back to Slab City to have Solar Mike fix our problem. I have an 8:30 AM appointment with Solar Mike for tomorrow morning. Like most RVer’s problems…it will be fixed by a little bit of time and a some $$$’s.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Sunny Yuma, Arizona!

I’m still parked at the Paradise Casino in Winterhaven, California…just across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. You may click upon the photo to see an enlarged view…then click on it once again for an even larger view.

15 minutes before sunrise…

Here’s why the snowbirds come here…

Sun character courtesy of…

http://vectips.com/tutorials/create-a-happy-sun-character/

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Yuma. AZ is the sunniest place on earth!

http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/sunniest-places-countries-world.php

Yesterday was bright sun and 75 degrees and I’m here. It’s a lousy job, but somebody’s got to do it!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Over And Around Indian Hill…

In yesterday’s blog entry I showed some photos of Indian Hill which overlooks the Colorado River across from Yuma, Arizona. In case you missed that entry, here’s the link…
http://wp.me/pDCku-3fg

Yesterday after my Blog entry we took another two-hour walk…this time over and around to the other side of Indian Hill. As always you can click on the photo to enlarge it and then click on it once again to make it even larger.

In the first photo…to the left is the Old Yuma Territorial Prison…then the railroad bridge and finally…the one-lane (even today) vehicle bridge that completed the Coast To Coast Highway in 1914…

Next left to right…Old Fort Yuma Barracks…the old railroad station and St. Thomas Indian Mission…

The old railroad station waiting area apparently did not have any exterior walls for most of the building…

My walking companions Anne and Randy pose near a salt cedar tree…

A side view of the St. Thomas Indian Mission and the old railroad station…

A big old palm tree…

Interstate Highway 8 crosses the Colorado River heading north…

The Colorado River looking south…

A very old dried-up tree trunk…

A very old brick made in Mexico…

Another side view of St. Thomas Indian Mission and railroad cars…

Looking north at first the Coast To Coast Bridge in the foreground and the railroad bridge in the background…

Looking south at Interstate Highway 8…

A front view of the St. Thomas Indian Mission…

And a closer view…

The Colorado River heading north…

Finally about 15 minutes after sunset…

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the photos!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

A Walk To Indian Hill…

A short distance from my current parking spot at the Paradise Casino in Winterhaven, California is a very famous small rise of land known as Indian Hill. Atop of this hill sits the St. Thomas Indian Mission.This is a very famous hill for on the other side of the mission and not seen in these below photos is the site of Old Fort Yuma which guarded the Yuma River Crossing many years ago. Back in those days this location was the only place to cross the then mighty Colorado River for hundreds of miles. as always you can click a photo to see an enlarged view…click it again for an even larger view.

Here’s the view from my dining room window…

Even though We’ve both been there a number of times, two days ago my friend Randy and I went for a walk to the top of the hill. I brought my camera along to show you the views. Along the way I took this shot overlooking a small park. In the distance to the left you can see the visitors center for the remains of the Old Yuma Territorial Prison which is located on the banks of the Colorado River. To the right of the prison you can see the old railroad bridge first built in 1877. The river has taken away the bridge a number of times. the current bridge was built in 1923…

If you are interested in the history of the railroad bridge, you can click this link…
http://www.yumasun.com/articles/bridge-74638-railroad-river.html

Once atop the hill…looking back to the left you can see the Paradise Casino and parking lot…

In the next zoom photo you can see the motorhome and Bronco. It’s the rig furthest in the back on the right…

Next a 180 degree panorama shot with the Colorado River on the left…

Finally a shot looking over the Colorado River at the City of Yuma, Arizona…the sunniest spot in the United States…

Yesterday we took another walk through the marshes and along the river. Here are four more photos. First two lower views of Indian Hill and the mission…

Then looking across the Colorado into Arizona and the old Yuma Territorial Prison…

And finally the Colorado River under the railroad bridge…

I hope you enjoyed the views!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.panamaorbust

Happy New Year – 2012!

(Sparkling glasses courtesy of glittergraphicsnow.com)

Here’s wishing you a very happy and prosperous new year!

As we begin another new year, I frequently like to reflect on what a lucky guy I am! I’m blessed with a great family, wonderfully good health, many good friends, being a full-time RVer of 17 years and have a delightful life-partner. I’m not a particular believer in astrology. However when Mary and I met in 2008, I was curious what the stars had to say about our (at that time) potential relationship.

Here’s what it had to say. I’m most pleased to tell you that it very accurately describes our current relationship. How lucky we are! She’s a Libra and I’m a Sagittarius.
——————————————————————————————————————-
Compatibility Tools

Monday, October 20, 2008 | Provided by Astrology.com

Libra & Sagittarius

The merging of Libra and Sagittarius can be paradise found for both Signs; this combination is a harmonious one, to say the least. Signs that are two positions apart in the Zodiac tend to have a very deep, special connection and understanding of one another. Sagittarius, the journeyer, is constantly in search of wisdom. Libra has a mind keen for art, beauty and aesthetics; Libra makes a stimulating companion for Sagittarius on their travels and adds much to Sagittarius’s experience. The relationship always feels new because these two keep it exciting — and yet their natural understanding of one another makes them feel like intimates from the beginning. Together they will reach new horizons in love and in life.

Libra and Sagittarius make great friends as well as lovers. They share a certain fresh-faced optimism in the world; they’re both enthusiastic about finding truth and beauty in their experiences. Problems rarely occur. Occasionally Sagittarius may hurt sensitive Libra’s feelings by speaking without thinking; conversely, Libra can sometimes be a bit too emotionally controlling for Sagittarius. Since Libra is a born diplomat who abhors conflict, they’ll be able to smooth over any ruffled feathers. These two have the gift of forgiving and forgetting quickly.

Libra is ruled by Venus (Love) and Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter (Luck and Philosophy). Venus’s femininity and Jupiter’s masculinity make these Signs compatible and balanced. Sagittarius is constantly on a quest for knowledge of the big things — the truth, the meaning of life and death — and whenever Libra comes up with a new idea (as they are wont to do) Sagittarius is eager to go along with their partner and become familiar with this new concept.

Libra is an Air Sign and Sagittarius is a Fire Sign. This partnership is full of kinetic energy. As air spreads fire and makes it grow exponentially, this relationship is heated and arduous. Sagittarius thinks they’re steering the rudder, but Libra controls the flow of events with a quieter hand. These two are energetic in the extreme and can run together far and wide. The relationship runs most smoothly when Sagittarius can feel they have plenty of freedom and independence within the relationship.

Libra is a Cardinal Sign and Sagittarius is a Mutable Sign. Libra is an initiator; they think up new ideas and new places to go — but can change their minds at a moment’s notice. Sagittarius is flexible and adaptable, amenable to any changes Libra wants to make in plans.

What’s the best aspect of an Libra-Sagittarius relationship? Their mutual interest in cultivating knowledge and utilizing intellect. They are well-matched and will go far together, both emotionally and geographically!
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And here we are, now in our fourth year together…the lucky couple!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, SWEETHEART!

In other news…

Did you stay up and party hearty and welcome in the New Year? Not me. I could have went to my local VFW with lots of noise and smoke. Instead I watched a movie called El Notre (The North…in Spanish) about a young brother and sister who flee from an impoverished Guatemala through Mexico into the United States. Much to their sadness they find the streets are not paved in gold and how difficult life is as an illegal alien. A sad but true movie and another reminder of because of an accident of birth how lucky we are.

I hit the sack around my normal usual time…8:30 PM. When I awoke at 12:23 AM for a pee…all was quiet. I feel great this morning!

The weather here continues to be great. Here’s a photo taken this morning off of my computer…

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.panamaorbus

A Techie And His Lady…

Yesterday I wrote about my current location here in Yuma, Arizona. Among the first friends I got to visit were Bob Parker and Donna Huffer whom I’ve known for a number of years…

They travel in this rig…total length is 66 feet…

Click to enlarge the photo…then click it again…and look at the doodads on their roof! If you do not know what they are…I’ll tell you. To create electricity there’s a whole bunch of solar panels and a wind generator. In addition there’s an Internet satellite dish as well as an anemometer to measure the wind speed. Don’t miss the kyack atop the roof of the trailer.

Speaking of the trailer…what do you suppose they have in there? Another RV?…nope! An airplane?…nope! A boat?…nope! Extra paper towels?…nope! None of the above!

It’s a mobile garage! Just like you have attached to your house. And what do you have in your garage? Well…so do they. Alongside of the motohome you can see their SUV…well that’s in the garage as they go down the highway. In addition, Bob has his workshop in there.

Bob is a retired die and tool-maker having worked for General Motors for 28 years. This also makes him a very creative person. If you think the outside of their RV is something…you should see the inside. Bob has installed all sorts of doodads to make their interior life more comfortable and convenient. Here’s a recent Blog he wrote about his solar panel installation…

http://parkerrver.blogspot.com/2011/11/solar-panel-upate.html

It truth I think he’s a borderline mad scientist!  Actually he’s a real nice guy who just enjoys being creative. Need a problem solved? Bob’s your guy!

I  think he’s just about out of ideas on what more he can do to their rig. So he helps other folks do things with their rigs. He ended up giving me a couple of ideas which I can use in my rig. When I get them done…I’ll tell you about them.

Bob and Donna are full-timers and very active Geo-cashers…which requires a GPS device…naturally! They go everywhere! Here’s some further information about them that comes from their Blog…

Donna has been on the road since 1998 and Bob since 2004. We are both from Salem, Ohio and met December 2005 on the desert below Quartzsite AZ, having not met previously in Ohio. We joined together and are traveling in a motorhome we purchased together in 2007. We are discovering the country together and even though Donna has been to 49 states she is enjoying seeing new sites with Bob that she hasn’t seen before and he is enjoying seeing everything for the first time. Follow us in our journey across this great land and let us know of places we shouldn’t miss along the way Donna & Bob

You might enjoy following their travels on their Blog at
http://parkerrver.blogspot.com/

That’s another thing I love about the full-timing RV lifestyle…you get to meet so any neat and unusual folks!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

A View From The East…

Yesterdays Blog
http://wp.me/pDCku-35U
presented views of my current location about 12 miles north of Yuma, Arizona.

Yesterday I also took two walks towards the hills to the East…which means I’m actually looking towards the West in the below two photos. As always…you can click on the photos and then click on the photo once again to see the enlarged views.

First at about 8:30 AM you can see a good view of the RV’s on the BLM land. From about one mile away I used the zoom lens for this photo. The yellow line marks my rig…

This photo was taken at about 6:15 PM. However the string of lights you see are not from the RV’s…they’re from along the shore of the Colorado River which lies about five miles west of our RV’s location…

The weather…the reason we are all here…has finally come around. The next 15 days forecast is essentially…sunny with temps about 75 degrees and night temps about 50 degrees. Oh Yeah!!!  The Weather Wimp is a happy camper!. 

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

My Current Location Near Yuma, Arizona…

About 12 miles north of Yuma, Arizona is a small parcel…about 5 acres…of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land where RVers can park for free while visiting the Yuma area. Yuma has dozens of RV parks where one can stay for 35+ dollars a day…but free is good.

My ex-Singles RV group has parked here for a number of years during the Christmas/New Year’s Day period. They are here now so I’ve had a chance to see some old friends even though I’ve elected not to join their gathering. Another reason RVers like this spot is because, daily, the VFW has a band from 2 to 6 PM, that plays good old country and western music that draws a good crowd. In addition, on Christmas Day, the VFW hosted a great meal of ham and all the fixings for only a $5 donation or for free if you brought a dish. I paid the $5 because I do not like to cook. They also have a similar meal on New Year’s Day.

The weather this year has been a little cool…in the 60′s. But, starting today, the long-range forecast is in the 70′s. New Year’s Day current forecast is for sunny and 75 degrees. Right on!…says the Weather Wimp…that’s me according to my life-partner Mary. She’s currently at home enjoying the holidays with her family. She’s scheduled to join me once again in about three weeks.

Here’s what the place looks like…

First a Google Earth view looking from above. This image was taken on September 30, 2006 so the lot appears empty but for three RV’s. The little round spots with a dot in the middle are creosote bushes…found everywhere in the desert southwest.

I’ve identified the adjacent VFW location. I stay a lot at VFW’s but I’m told county regulations do not allow it at this location. I’ve also identified my location with an “x”. Also identified  are where I took below photo’s 1,2 and 3. In these photos I’ve highlighted my location with a yellow marker. You can see enlarged views by clicking on the photos and an even larger view by clicking on the photo once again…

In photo #1, the entrance is just to the left of the stop sign. I’m located along the southerly fence line…tends to be quieter here…

Photos #2 and 3 were taken from atop a small rise…probably about 25 feet above the site elevation which is about 288 feet above sea level…

Here’s a panorama shot…

Like many places I travel these days…the number of RV’s is less. A few years back…this site would be crammed with more than twice as many as there is now. You’d be lucky to find a spot if you came in today, years ago. A long-time friend from the singles group told me 10 years ago they would draw about 150 RV’s. This year they have 58 registered. Quite a difference.

I’ve never particularly liked this location. It tends to be crowded, windy, dusty and noisy because of the vehicle traffic on Highway 95 and the railroad on the other side of the highway. The BLM regulations allow a 14 day stay before one has to move along. At 35+ dollars a day in an RV park…that comes to around $500. Despite the negatives here as identified above…free is good!

Here’s a photo from my location about one hour before sunrise…

and the same shot about five minutes after the sun dipped below the horizon with the VFW in the foreground…

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

I Walk To Mexico…

Well…okay…actually I drove to the border and walked into Mexico for my annual visit with my dentist. He’s located in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico…about 20 miles south of Yuma, Arizona. I parked the Bronco in a small city park and within a two minute walk I’m crossing into Mexico.As always you may click on the photos to see them in an enlarged view.

Here’s looking at the entry into Mexico…

Only about 1/2 small city block and I arrive at his office…

I arrived at just 9:00 AM so I’m first in line…no waiting…no appointment necessary. For only $20 I get an oral examination and a thorough cleaning.

The below photo shows Dr. Sergio Bernal who is a dental surgeon with his assistant…

I’ve been going to Dr. Bernal now for several years and have been most pleased with his services. He advised me all my teeth are looking just fine. See you next time Sergio…Mucho Gracias!

Oh…I almost forgot to show you this beautiful sunrise from two morning’s ago.

This photo is about 45 minutes before sunrise…

This photo is about five minutes before the sun comes over the horizon…

Yesterday was a delightful 71 degrees…a clear sky with a gentle breeze. Now you know why I’m here. As I’ve said a number of times in the past…it’s a lousy job, but someone’s got to do it!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust