Filling the Larder, which Seemed Sparse

Yuma, Arizona

On Wednesday, Oct. 28th we are tiptoeing to the end of another month. The ghosts and goblins are just around the corner. I do miss the children on Hallowe'en but ever since we started this journey, we don't get the 'trick or treating' at our door. Next year will be different, maybe!

Good morning!
(across a dusty field or a dirty lens)

I wanted to thank my commenters who responded yesterday to my post. I wasn't sure how it would be received by readers but on an otherwise boring day, I didn't want to pul y'all to sleep! Interesting, how many others are in the same boat.....well, pool or ocean. 🤭 So, thank YOU!

Lots of action in the sky overhead.
We are in a flightpath from the Yuma airport
and have seen ospreys, passenger jets and a variety
of Marine Corps aircraft.
Yuma MCAS handles roughly 80%
of the US MC air to ground aviation training due
to its favorable weather and 2.8 million acres
of nearby restricted airspace and ranges.

I was up just before 7 and slipped out the door a few minutes later. Now that I've started walking, I didn't want to skip a day and lost track - again. Hopefully at the blm in Quartzsite, I can continue. I think I can, I think I can. Remember that little steam engine?

The field west of the park has been plowed
and planted. This type of irrigation system is seen
in many farmer locals around the city.

It was a nice walk to the opposite (west) end of the park, so I cut through the fence to the road along the field and came up into the entrance the way we arrived on Saturday. I've walked it before, years ago when we first began coming to this park. Then, I was curious, now, I just wanted to go further.

Walking from the west, back into the park
entrance, I went up onto an area for this view.
That is an unnamed privately stocked pond
and I've often seen fisherman casting lines here
on my walks.,

I can't say enough about the agriculture farms here, you're probably tired of hearing it. They are neat, organized, very attentive and seem to have it all worked out. There is always something growing in various stages. Plow, harrow, seed, water, harvest, over and over. It's wonderful to see the healthy vegetables along the roadsides.

This just might be my favourite
picture of the day.

Things to remember about the park.
The decor is very well thought out.

Bill and I had decided to go into town today and do some shopping. First, I messaged Lion Brian back home asking him to get our C the A tickets for Friday. He will be taking care of that for us all winter..........'until we win' he says. 😂 Then we got ready to head out.

Right down to the naturally
formed horses that linger around the
fence lines.
Donna, this one reminds me of Tonka,
even though your stick horse had a paper
bag head and human legs! 💕

It is 'government pension payday' and we were getting low on a number of things. Meat, being one thing, since we pushed hard before we left to eat up a lot of it. We left Gibbs in charge in a nice cool Suite and started by fueling up.

Our Mudflap app worked ✅, and we filled up for $6.09/gallon. As our friends from B.C. say, it's pretty sad that we think that is a good deal! Oh well, we need it and take any discounts we can find. With prices so high this year in particular, every penny saved, helps. (what is a penny anyway?) Oh! Something to play Pokeno with, right.

Of course, Harbor Freight.
We both enjoyed the walk through
and the purchases!

From there we went to Harbor Freight, Bill was looking for a couple of things and they will actually serve as his Christmas gift this year. I also found a few things for my stocking. That's just how we do things in our family. 🤣

Target to the Allpoints ATM machine. We can withdraw from our US account without paying a fee. We each w/d some funds and in case you're interested, Bill paid $1.43.68 for every dollar he transferred across border at 7 am and I paid $1.43.48 for what I transferred at 8 am. It dropped that quickly. 🥴🤔

We discussed our options. Did I need to go Marshall's? Hmm, it has taken preference over Ross's over the last couple of winters. It is neater and I seem to find nicer items there. I don't need to spend anything so we went to Michael's instead. 

Even driving in and out of the city,
businesses on one side here and fields
of agriculture on the other.

Bill didn't find anything but I found a couple of wooden 'project-to-be' items. Again, maybe Christmas gifts. Lastly, we drove to Walmart and spent a good bit of money. When we got home, around 1, we had lunch and proceeded to relax (and doze off) in our chairs.

Bill is starting a J.A. Jance book and I will read the 3rd Degree by James Patterson that he just finished. Around 2:45, I walked up to the pool and met the same lady who was there yesterday. She lives here full time and goes everyday so I just missed her the first day I went.

The pool felt a bit cooler today but
refreshing for a couple of dips after the
heat of sun.

More swimming back and forth, more floating and just enjoying it all while we're here. I read a few chapters before saying goodbye to her and walked back home. Bill was deep into his book and Gibbs had been sleeping beside him in my chair. 

After my pool time, I separated the meat
and found room in the freezer.
That's about 20 meals for $40 US.
We can't grumble about that.
I've never seen 'Extra Meaty' ribs back home!
and for only $13.42......3 meals.

I played my afternoon games and separated the ribs, sausages and chicken thighs into meal size freezer packs. At 5:30, Bill grilled supper. Bacon cheeseburgers on the menu tonight. They were very good, cooked perfectly. I never have that success so many times in a row! 

It was another hot day in the neighbourhood, 88F/31.1C and heading for a drop to mid 70's/20's for next week. That will be quite nice in the desert with no a/c. 🥰 Our overnights have been in the 60's/high teens so great for sleeping too.

Bill's burger is still gre--ea---t!

Because of the time change, Survivor starts at 5 pm rather than 8 pm and we are never ready to watch it that early. So, we'll catch up with our books and watch tv tomorrow night. This was a great day.

Good night!

Thank you for your visit!

Like Riding a Bike?

Yuma, Arizona

Tuesday, Oct. 27th started out about the same as the previous 2 days. I didn't get up until 6:45 with another nice easy day on the menu. So, because it is about the same as any other day, hot and lazy, I'm going to vere off into a story. Just because. 

Good morning!

I did get out at 7 for my walk, trying at least to get a mile in before my cup of tea. That's not much at all but by the end of the day I was leaning towards the 1 1/2 mile marker. I don't like repeating my steps, on the same walk, so once I covered the whole park, I returned home.

The moon took its time setting
this morning. It's just hanging there.

My story title today is about my afternoon. I went to the pool and for the first 45 minutes, I was alone. Let's go back to my teen years. I was fearful of lakes and pools yet when I grew up with my siblings, we used to float crazily on rubber tire tubes in the little creek down from our country home. No fear because we could touch bottom.

Interesting little
Saguaro. I think it's a rebirth.

As a teenager though, when we'd all go to the beach on a weekend, or during summer vacation, things would get rowdy (even without alcohol) and my friends would climb up on their boyfriend's shoulders and jump into the 'unknown' (to me). I feared getting pulled into water as a joke and threatened to never go again if anyone did it. 🤷‍♀️

From across the park,
I watched as the sun came up.

I remember going only a couple of times to the Lucan Community pool with friends. While they all had lessons, something my parents could never afford, they were jumping into the deep end and I was even afraid for them to try and teach me. Once, I jumped in and it felt like forever coming to the surface. Never again. Honestly, never again.

This metal sculpture
is new to the park since April.
It reminded us of the
sculptures in Borrego Springs.

Somewhere in my older years, in my 20's? 30's? I don't recall, I taught myself to swim from watching others. At least now I know I could probably save myself, for a short term, and don't have fear (in a pool) swimming across the deep end. In a lake, nope, I need to touch bottom and waves frighten me. 

I wasn't walking alone this
morning. My tall friend was ahead.

Bill and I went to Barbados on a 10 day vacation in 2002. It was one of the best holidays I'd had but we both had a scare in the undertow while swimming innocently in the Caribbean. At least I think that is the water we were near. It was beautiful, until then. We just had to be very careful. 

Birds on a wire.
Must be a meeting.

I tried numerous times to swim underwater, even though I wasn't fond of putting my head under. I'd even open my eyes but I could never figure how to go to the bottom of the pool. So, back to today. Alone at the pool, instead of just floating on a noodle, I did my swim back and forth using a couple of strokes I'd learned over the years. 

Gibbs finds a shady spot
as usual.

Then, I did it again. Then, floating on my back, I thought I would attempt my stomach, face underwater. I didn't open my eyes, a bit afraid of the chlorine, but I did it! Then I went under again. It felt good, and part of that was pride. There are some advantages to being alone at the pool after all! 

We had our a/c on and our
awnings out.

I know for you swimmers out there, it's not a big deal but, for me, it kind of is like riding a bike. You don't forget how to do it, but if you don't use it, you lose it. Obviously, I'm not riding bikes anymore! I wasn't sure I'd have nerve to try braving 'underwater' in the pool again but I did. 

Sunset

I returned home before 4, made myself a celebratory cup of tea and finished my book. Bill had finished his earlier, what bookworms! for supper, we had barbecued pork chops, with a rice dish and vegetables. After the pots were washed, we watched tonight's episode of NCIS Origins.

This was a good day. I hope you didn't mind my story, there wasn't much else to write about today. Tomorrow, we'll be shopping in Yuma, that will switch things up for us and stock us up. I hope you've had a good day too.

Supper was good, even the
chops were pretty good.
Good night!

Thank you for your visit.