Slowly heading to San Diego for Christmas

Not much going on to blog about right now, but here's the latest on where we are.

Katie and I are traveling to San Diego for Christmas.  My son is hosting this year - Tom and Trish moved to a new home this week so we'll get to see them and the grandkids and the new house, too.  My daughter Kristy and SIL Matt and kids will be here after Christmas, so I'll get to see everyone.  I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year!

Quartzsite went from warm to cool very quickly last week, and we had rain Thursday night and all day Friday.

It was windy and cold, too.

I brought in all the chairs, my little table, feeders, wind chimes, outdoor mat and solar lights and stowed them in The Palms before the rain started.

Then on Saturday morning when I woke up it was still cold and rainy and I needed to dump tanks and get fresh water and propane...  so I thought, if I'm completely packed up inside and out, I'm heading south today!  I was going to leave soon, anyway, and the weather forecast for the Imperial Dam LTVA was warmer than Quartzsite.

These are the rigs in La Posa West visible from the highway - as you can see more and more people are coming every day. (You may have to click on the photo to see them all.  Most are a little further back from the highway.)

I got fresh water, dumped the trash and tanks and then I made a quick trip into Quartzsite to get propane, gas and a few things at the grocery store, and we were on our way.

I wanted to visit Imperial Dam LTVA where the wild burros are.  I loved having them nearby when I was here in the spring.

I stayed at Imperial Dam LTVA for six weeks in March and April this year - late in the season when most of the RVers were gone.  It was blazing hot by then and only a few RVs were left.  I wanted to see what it looked like during the season, to see if I want to spend more time here from now on, and less in Quartzsite.

When we got here last time, I was only two months post-surgery and still recovering.  I wasn't feeling great yet,  so between my low stamina and the heat, we didn't explore the area much.

We are up high overlooking the road and the water and fields and mountains across the road.

In the afternoon, there is the softest light across the way as the sun is setting.

This is a small campground on a rise overlooking the road to the main LTVA with the fresh water and dump. This area only has trash collection available, and you have to travel up the road a bit to get water and dump tanks.

Yesterday Katie and I took a walk down to the canal and walked along it a little, then later in the afternoon we walked along a road paralleling the main road to the Christian Center, which is nearby.  It was a beautiful day.

I liked this sign - they should be posted wherever fishing is allowed.  Some of the places I've been that have fishing are full of broken bottles, cans, pop tabs, fishing lines, hooks.  A real mess and dangerous, especially in sand where the stuff might be right under the sand to be stepped on, or in the shallow water.

I used to love to fish, it's really fun, got me outdoors, and most times provided a good dinner.  But if fishermen can't keep the area clean and picked up, they shouldn't have the pleasure of fishing there.

American Coot swimming in the canal.

A small flock of American Coots fishing on the way up to the dam.

I think we'll stay here for a week, and head toward Hot Springs LTVA which is on the way to San Diego.  I e-mailed the ranger for that area about the bridge, which was out last time I was there. It was a royal pain to drive along the dirt washboard road along the canal, and then back to the camp area when a simple 3 seconds over the bridge would have been soooo much easier.  He e-mailed back that the bridge had been repaired and was open for travel, so I want to see for myself what it looks like now.

When we leave San Diego I'm not sure where we'll head, probably stop at Hot Springs and then come back to Imperial Dam until the weather in southern New Mexico is warming up.  I plan to spend the summer in New Mexico again, using my Annual State Park Pass.

That's about it for now.  If, hopefully, I get to see the wild burros before we leave, you can be sure I'll be posting that day.  I heard them, very loud braying, yesterday afternoon.  They were in a small canyon at the other edge of the campground and I couldn't see them.  I was out walking with Katie when I heard them, but I didn't have my camera and it was too far from The Palms to put her inside.

I'm still worried about having the burros near Katie after all the horror stories I heard last time about burrows killing small dogs. The other day my neighbor, who said he's been coming here since the early 60's, said he has never heard of the burrows hurting any dogs, so I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances.  I kept looking over in the direction the braying came from, but never saw the burros.  This morning there were tracks. :)

Can you see the burro tracks?

From me and Katie, have a great Tuesday, everyone!  :)