January 5, 2012

Thursday, January 5, 2012

We slipped from California into Arizona today.  It’s hard to believe that we had been in CA for almost three weeks.  They certainly have been wonderful, fun filled days and evenings in that beautiful state.  I must tell you though, if we thought we’d seen barrenness before, we were not at all prepared for what we saw this morning as we traveled down 86 from Oasis to El Centro before merging onto I-8.  Whether winds across the land has been “sown” by salt from the Salton Sea, or whether the property was purchased with the idea of building a huge resort and then abandoned, there are miles and miles of sand without even any scrub brush vegetation anywhere.  It is frightening and sad how stark and flat everything is on both sides of the road.  Even the medians were devoid of vegetation, just miles and miles of dirt!

The mist hovering over the sea broke the monotony of the landscape and then we caught occasional glimpses of the Chocolate Mountains on the east side of the sea.  They were back lit, so I don’t know what color they really are.   Since they’re named Chocolate, my imagination says they look like milk, maybe even dark, and with some rivulets of white (perhaps), Chocolate.  Yum!

Soon the bleakness began to give way to fields of feed for livestock.  Next came emerald green groves of avocado trees and fields with workers harvesting heads of cabbage.  It’s really the first time we’ve seen large irrigation rivers with swift running water and ponds beside the road which have been vertically grooved.  Dan says they make the grooves to cut back on tires slipping when the roads are wet.  I suppose that rain is so scares,  road dirt and oil, before they are washed clean by the rain, could become a problem for cars.

We began seeing signs telling us we were driving through the Imperial Valley.  The valley is the exact opposite of the scenery we had passed through getting here.  We passed Speckles Sugar mill.  Dollars to doughnuts those dark green, short things and the tall green thingies I saw yesterday were sugar beets.  There were fields and fields of the same dark green thingies today with workers harvesting the rows.  Broccoli and cauliflower grow everywhere along this area, too.  There was even a business called “Rain for Rent”…a portable irrigation system.  On the east side of the highway were fields of FEMA trailers waiting to be put to use.  Hopefully they will not be needed soon.

I talked with my brother-in-law around noon today, and he said my sister is doing much better.  My niece had called him around lunch time saying Neva did not like what they served her for lunch and she wanted  a  “Gene made” grilled cheese sandwich and some of Becky’s potato soup.  Gene said he fixed it for her and carried it over to the hospital, so she is getting back to her feisty self (so says he!).  He also relayed that she may be released sometime next week and he’s already reserved a room for her at a convalescent center near Bermuda Run.  Both he and I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue.  She’ll have a long way to go.  Her M.S. will be an extra challenge for her to overcome with this illness.  She’s quite a trooper, but as with all  of us, we can never get enough prayers sent our way.  I have M.D., she has M.S.  Go figure!

On I-8 along the Mexican border, were fields of cotton, cabbage, broccoli, tan straw/hay? and green bundles along the road waiting for what will happen next.  Some under tin roofs, and some under tarps with the ends open so they don’t mold.  Crop dusters were flying overhead and to the south of us, and we held our breath while they rapidly descended to the earth, yet thankfully missed it.  The fields had lots of hoe-ers working and we passed our second border patrol check point of the day on the opposite side of the road from us.  We’ve only been stopped once on this trip, so far.  From the windows we could see Mexico and the huge sand berms along the border.   As we approached Arizona, the berm turned into huge walls.  We stopped at a grocery store because we needed more salad fixings.  We’d eaten all I’d gotten for us.   I took over driving.  I had read the camping book a couple of times last night  trying to be sure about camping places, so when I was exit 21 I took it.  Dan was checking things on the GPS and it said to take exit 31.  We had a little discussion and he was able to find (Atlas, etc.) we could get there from the exit I had taken and I must say it was great to have no one else on the road with us.  The views through the mountains were spectacular.  Dan was trying to read the Atlas, follow on the GPS, listen to Streets and Trips and I’m telling him to take pictures of the scenery.  Turnabout IS fair play.  It was wonderful having a chance to drive, and I know  Dan loves and enjoys telling me where to go and how to get there!

This campground is next to citrus trees, too, and so far a train has come by 6 times in the last four hours.  Junnie does not like trains, especially when they shake the ground.  It seems he thinks they’re coming to get him.  We don’t have to worry about his getting out the door here.  He went into his “kitty cave”and has been staying there.  I’m so glad I have a deaf ear.   Dan thinks I think he is deaf, anyway, so maybe they won’t disturb him during the night.  Hopefully Junnie will stay in his cubby and not freak out.  It promises to be an interesting night!

We have friends near Phoenix and they’ve invited us to have breakfast with them Saturday morning.  What a treat it will be to see them and have a really good breakfast.   We tend to grab breakfast bars and coffee as we hit the road.  Those peanut butter and oat Fiber One bars are good.  Can’t miss with PB, in my opinion.

Blessings to you,

Three Thinking Trailer-ers