Dental work done - and moved to new camping spot. Tiring day!

This morning I again woke up early - what's with this early morning thing???  It was dark and cold and I finally got up and made a cup of coffee and some hot oatmeal.  My dental appointment wasn't until 2:00 pm, but I finished my morning routine things and headed off to the border parking lot so I'd be there.  On the way there were some Pelicans in the American Girl Canal and I parked to get a shot of them.  When I walked across the street they took off and I got a great shot of them:

Here's the fourth one:


No weapons or ammo allowed in Mexico. 


Around 1:30 I left the parking lot and headed off to cross into Mexico.  I decided to walk to the office since I was early and had a nice short walk there, checking out the vendors along the way.  I was checked in, shown back to Dr. Rafael's dental chair's office, and he popped out the temporary crowns.  The bridge fit almost perfectly, but was a little high, so he took some time to make sure it was perfect and then it was permanently fixed.   Done and Done. Dr. Rafael thanked me, shook my hand, I thanked him, and he walked me to the accounting office to pay the final bill.

Total cost for the three visits - one surgical tooth extraction with bone graft, bridge prep and two temporary crowns, and a new three crown Zirconia bridge - was $1,875.  I don't know what it would have cost in the states, but I'm sure it would have been more. NOTE:  I just checked my notes from my phone call to my dentist in San Diego.  I was quoted $1,400 for one crown replacement ONLY - and it wasn't a Zirconia crown.  It was metal under with porcelain over.  As it turned out I didn't need a root canal, as he diagnosed, but I'm sure he would have figured that out once he took off my old crown and saw the size and depth of the cavity.  But by then, the endodontist would have already drilled through the crown to do the root canal as diagnosed, so I would have had that cost also.  In addition to an un-needed root canal, WHO KNOWS what the extraction, bone graft and 3-crown bridge would have cost!  I would have needed a "fund me" page. 

I'm very happy with the end result and would highly recommend Dr. Rafael with the Rubio Dental Group in Los Algodones.  :)

I walked back through Los Algodones and stopped at the Purple Pharmacy for another OTC med and then walked across the street for the bottle of Jamison's Irish Whisky that I was too early for yesterday.  I make the BEST Irish Coffees, if I do say so myself.  It's all about the cream.  :)

When I left the parking lot, I still wasn't sure where I was going, but I needed to head toward Yuma to get to any of the camping spots I was thinking about.  There was a detour because of all the road work and the exit to Highway 8 was closed, so I took the detour toward Winterhaven.  This is the great road we traveled on for the detour:

I was undecided on whether to go to Mittry Lake, the VFW for one night, Imperial Dam LTVA, or just head back to Quartzsite.  I decided to pass Mittry Lake, and while driving along Highway 95 a cop car with lights and sirens passed me.  A bit later I saw why:

A big rig was across the highway, blocking both lanes.

This Arizona State Patrol officer came by and let each of us know it would take up to 30 minutes for the tow truck to arrive.  Some cars turned around and went back toward Yuma, but a few of us waited.  

This school bus might have been involved in the incident.  He backed up a way, then was out of sight.

Tow truck to the rescue!  At least I think this was the tow truck - it looks pretty short.  But soon after he arrived, the scene was cleared.

I don't think anyone was hurt, because once the truck was out of the way, traffic started moving and everything was back to normal.  

Before I got to the VFW, the highway sign for Imperial Dam said it was pretty close by, 7 miles I think.  Instead of doing the VFW for one night, I thought I'd rather drive to where we could camp longer in a prettier setting.  It was windy, and Quartzsite is lots colder than the Yuma area, so Imperial Dam was the final choice.

To get to Imperial Dam LTVA, you go into the entrance road for the Yuma Proving Grounds.  Here are a couple of photos of the entrance hardware.  There's one big gun on each side of the road:

I always feel very patriotic when I drive down this road.  They have lots of military equipment, tanks and things, in one place as you drive down, and you can stop and park and get up close to them.  There's also a helicopter at one of the entrances.

So here we are, at the Imperial Dam LTVA at the Quail Hill Campground.  We are over the road with a nice view of the canals and one of the dams.  It's such a pretty view, I always try to get a site with this overlook view.  Here is one of the dams:

And more views out the window:

And finally, the sunset on our first night at Quail Hill. 

I don't know how long we'll stay here.  I'd like to get back to Quartzsite, but the difference in temperatures between there and here can be as much as 7 degrees, especially during the night.  So...  I think I'll camp here for at least a few days and relax.  I'm hoping the burros will come by this year.  There is evidence of past visits on the ground in my campsite, so fingers crossed they will be back while we're here!

The last week has been a bear for me, and I need to chill.  Now that my annual medical and vision tests and dental work are finished for the next 12 months, I can put that behind me and look ahead to some fun in Quartzsite.  I'm planning to camp near Brian and Sue in the area I always seem to end up.  I guess I just like La Posa South.  And I like camping near Brian and Sue.  I told them the other night, "Even if I don't see you guys every day, I know you're there."  It's good to have friends nearby.  And no matter where I start out, or where I go to change camps or visit other people, I always end up back there, it seems.  

From me and Katie, have a great weekend, everyone!   😊💓😊

Dental appointments - 2 down and 1 to go - TOMORROW!

Well, the second appointment is done and all is well.  I woke up early to my phone alarm after a restless night's sleep and saw a beautiful sunrise just starting.

 You can see all the motorhomes parked in the Quechan Casino RV Parking Lot:

 Here's another view of the parking lot with Dale's rig at the far right front and The Palms to the left in the photo:

Neither of us has a car (Dale has a motorcycle, but ... ) so I drove The Palms to the parking lot next to the border crossing.  We were there early and it was almost empty.  We crossed the border and walked to Rubio Dental Group and I checked in.  That's Dale standing there looking like he's invisible, LOL. :)

Here's my dentist, Dr. Rafael:

And here he is with his Dental Degree:

Dr. Rafael made me feel very comfortable again.  He's really polite, "Open wider, please.  Thank you."  "Close a bit, please.  Thank you."  All requests and directions had a please and thank you.  He prepped the two teeth that will anchor the bridge, did impressions, placed two temporary crowns, and we were on our way in an hour.

I thought I was going to have to wait 3 to 4 weeks for the bridge, but that must have been part of the explanation for the implant, if I had chosen that way to go.  As it turns out, I have an appointment for tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. to have the permanent bridge placed.

We left the dental office and walked to the liquor store, where I was going to get another bottle of Jamison's Irish Whisky, but even though it was 10:00, the same time we purchased liquor last time, we are now in Daylight Savings Time and would have had to wait until 11:00 am.  They don't sell liquor before 10:00 a.m. California time and it was just 9:00 a.m. there.  So, no booze this visit.  I'll get my bottle tomorrow.  :)

Here's a shot from one of the sidewalks showing one vendor's items and some of the businesses across the street.  It's a small area, just four or so blocks square, I think, but it's really crowded with vendors and dental and optical offices and restaurants.  

Then we drove back to the Quechan Casino where Dale's rig was parked.  I dropped him off to head to another BLM camping spot.  I'm staying another night here so I'll be close again tomorrow to cross the border for my third and final dental appointment in Mexico.

When we got back, Miguel's RV Wash and Wax & Carpet Cleaning van was in the parking lot, as they were yesterday.  I walked over to get a quote.

He said $30 for just a wash, and I decided to do it.  The Palms was filthy, and a wash was way past due.  She looks pretty nice now.

Katie wasn't very happy with all the commotion going on outside and on the roof, and especially when they washed the cab window next to her car seat.  Here she is telling them what she thinks of them messing with our house:

And here we are.  Waiting one more day - it sure will be nice to get this dental work behind me, and really nice that I'll be done tomorrow.

Dale and I discussed my issue with the brake pads hanging up, and we decided that it wasn't a problem.  I had made an appointment for tomorrow morning to get them looked at, but cancelled it for now.  Remember when I was driving from Cottonwood to Sedona and thought my rear tire had been shredded?  I saw the rubber flying out from the tire and stopped, etc.?  I had the tires checked at the Cottonwood Discount Tire Store and they said everything looked okay.  When I was in San Diego, I still smelled burning rubber when I stopped and went to another Discount tire, where the actually removed the tires and examined them thoroughly.  They were both okay.

I haven't smelled that burning rubber odor since then, and now I'm thinking there might have been a piece of that tire that I picked up that didn't get thrown off onto the road, and maybe was stuck somewhere in the brake area.  Does that make sense?

I'm going to watch (and smell) closely for a while, but hopefully if something was stuck, it was removed or fell out when the San Diego Discount Tire guy removed the dualies from the rig.  That's what I'm hoping!

I'm thinking I'll head back to Quartzsite tomorrow after my appointment - possibly Imperial Dam.  We'll see tomorrow. 

From me and Katie, have a great December 1, everyone!   💓😊💓

Our walk around the Q Casino

Katie and I took a final walk this morning with Nancy and her dog Dolly.  We walked up to the dumpsters, tossed our trash, walked back to our rigs, and then Katie and I left Quartzsite, heading to Yuma.

We stopped at one of the three Walmarts in Yuma and spent over $150 - Yikes!  That wasn't good, right?  But I got myself a couple of things I wanted besides food, so it was okay.  :)

Then we drove down to the Quechan Casino Resort in Winterhaven, CA.  It was only 9.3 miles from the Sam's Club on Pacific Avenue in Yuma to the Casino. Very easy to find.

So now we are right near the border and I'm ready for my Thursday morning dental appointment.  I called the office to confirm the appointment, yes, it's confirmed.  The 8:00 time is ARIZONA time, even though that area is in the California time zone.  I confirmed that, too.  She said we could again get the "escort" car to drive us to the dental office.  And the visit would take an hour and a half.  So I have all the info I need.

My friend Dale was planning on a trip to Las Algodones and he offered to join me - of course I gladly accepted.  He'll be here tomorrow afternoon and we will drive to the border and walk over together the next morning.  He has also offered to stay at the dentist's office in case I need an opinion, etc., like last time, and if he doesn't mind waiting until the work starts, I'd appreciate having someone else there with me.  (It's hard to act like an adult all the time, ya know?)

Katie and I took a walk around the casino. It's windy today and the surrounding landscape is pretty arid and barren, but it was still a nice walk.  This is what we saw:

Along one of the walls we had some Bougainvillea espalier training going on.  This was one of the prettier plants below.  I love Bougainvillea, the house I grew up in had a chimney on the side of the house that was covered with it. 

Behind the casino I saw a bunch of slot machines.  I wondered if they were new arrivals or headed to the boneyard.  I guessed they were new, because they sure were shiny.

Coming attractions - the Tony Orlando Christmas Show:

Katie has been walking really well since all her romps with Steve the dog.  The seroma on her right rear ankle is almost gone and doesn't seem to be swelling up when she walks a lot.  I'm hoping it's finally going away.  We've taken some pretty long walks in the last few days and she's done fine, just like her old self.  Fingers crossed that it keeps up.

And that's about it for today.  I'll let you know how it goes on Thursday.

Oh, yeah - a quick question - does anyone out there have a recommendation for a brake shop in Yuma?  My rear dual tires smell like burning rubber when I stop and I've had the tires checked twice.  They are fine.  I've been told it's probably the brake pads hanging up.  I'd love a recommendation from you! 

From me and Katie, have a great Tuesday, everyone! 💓😊💓

Tyson Wash campsite

Yesterday Nancy and I moved AGAIN.  Can't seem to get settled this year, but we are here in Tyson Wash on the west side for the duration - which is only a few days.  We have nice views all around. 

Great mountains right out my front windshield,

and nice large bushes out the kitchen windows.  From time to time I hear birds rustling around in the bushes, but haven't gotten a good look at them yet.

I was awake early yesterday morning and took this shot right before sunrise:

Then the clouds seemed to float in and we had cloud cover all day.  I never did see the sun.  Lots of wind during the night last night that was hard enough to wake me up a few times.   Rocking and rolling The Palms.  Today dawned clear and sunny, but still with some cold winds. 

Here's our new campsite:

There's no one nearby, but there is one camper down the road a bit and some others up the road toward the trash dumpsters.  Yesterday Katie and I walked with Nancy and her dog, Dolly a couple of times.  Katie seems to be walking better lately; I'm going to try to keep her moving more, which is supposed to be good for arthritis, right?

I went up on the roof this morning to check things out - and boy were my solar panels dirty!  I don't know how much difference that makes, but they are clean and shiny now.  :) 

I've gotten my plan together for Los Algodones on Thursday.  I'll leave Quartzsite Tuesday morning and stop in Yuma to fill the fridge and cupboards.  I'm out of EVERYTHING - milk, butter, bread, eggs, the list is endless! - and I'd rather hit the Walmart in Yuma than spend more $$$ in the Quartzsite stores since I'm heading south anyway in a few days.  Then I'll head over to the Quechan ("Q") Casino 🎰 to relax and spend Tuesday and Wednesday night, then head to the border Thursday morning.  My son asked me to call him to let him know when I'm going across, and then again when I return so he'll know I've made it safely.  I think I'll do that for my own peace of mind, too, but I'm sure I'll be fine.

After that, I'm not sure.  The colder weather in Quartzsite makes me think about staying in the Yuma area for a while, until more friends arrive in Q for the big tent.  We'll see...  

From me and Katie, have a great Sunday, everyone! 😏

Some Quartzsite shots

We've had some beautiful weather here in Quartzsite.   It's starting to get cold at night, but the daytime temps are still pretty warm and nice.

I'm in my third campsite here and thinking about moving again tomorrow.  I was in La Posa South, then Tyson Wash, now La Posa West.  Thinking about moving back to La Posa South.  Sometimes it's hard to settle, you know?  And it's nice to have SO many choices! 😎

Here are some recent photos taken from our campsite.

Sunrise in Quartzsite:

We had a gorgeous Harvest moon and luckily I remembered to get some photos.  It's hard to resist a full moon:

Here's The Palms under a huge double rainbow.  That's my friend Nancy's rig on the right.  😊

And finally, one of Arizona's sunsets - I've never been anywhere that had so many beautiful sunsets.

That's all the photos I have - geez, I've got to start taking more pictures or I'll have nothing to blog about. 

I'm planning my drive south for my dental visit in Los Algodones next Thursday morning.  This time I'm going alone, but now that I know what to expect it should okay.  Not looking forward to it, of course, but it will be good to get that visit behind me.  Then just one more final visit and I'll be done.

From me and Katie, have a great weekend, everyone!  ❤😊❤