Welcome 2017 and Happy New Year!

Saturday, Dec. 31^st, 2016 started out to be a mostly cloudy, partially sunny day here at Pilot Knob RV Resort, Winterhaven, CA. 

Pre-sunrise

Sunrise over Pilot Knob Mountain

The temperature was hovering around 52F by the time we got up and wandered up to the laundromat to do our two loads at 7:30.

When the sun disappeared outside, I moved indoors to read

Only 4 washers but it seems to work for the park
$1.25 per load

Dryers $1.25 per 45 min.
Perfect drying time for our stuff

Forgoing a walk this morning was no hardship, priorities take over and sometimes I just like to skip a day. There will be enough walking throughout the day anyway.

Laundry was almost done when Bill joined me for the final folding of the last and largest load of darks. I had taken my book and was actually sitting on the bench outside reading in the warmth of the sun while waiting. Unbelievable how that sun warmed me even though you could see my breath from the cool air.

After the clothes were put away Bill had some cereal and I fried up a couple of eggs for breakfast. We hopped in the truck with Clemson and went for a drive in the area. Crossing Highway 8 we ventured into new territory with our cameras.

Directly across from our rv park is the ‘town’ of Felicity. 

Don’t blink or you will miss it, but it houses a wee church on a hill, 

CHP offices and a museum 

                             you can go through for a small fee. If there was more to this town, we sure didn't see it. We chose not to stop other than for photos and kept on driving towards Olgiby Road.

It is amazing what you find down these back paved and dirt roads

Mountains shrouded in fog

and we had been told of a few neat things worth checking out. I love the sights around these parts, yes, desert mostly but you also see the ruins of old abandoned homesteads, dilapidated vehicles and unusual cemetery plots.

Unusual arrangement with no signs so we don't
know for sure what this is a dedication to

Well, it does lead somewhere.
The end of the world, apparently!!
And I didn't even pack a bag!

Back roads leading to nowhere fast?

Bill getting a close up of this George C. Patton monument

 There are historical monuments everywhere you look and we have photographed a few here. Following the bumpy dirt road, laden with washes, we came upon Gold Rock Ranch. These roads reminded us of the 38 miles back to Alamo State Park and the ranch put us in mind of Wayside.

Found this signage so followed it

Gold Rock Ranch 

An interesting read

Coming back, we saw a familiar coach parked in the free area. It didn’t look like anyone was around and we wouldn’t have stopped anyway since we were on a mission. Perhaps another time.

Howdy!

After touring the area north of the highway we turned back towards Pilot Knob to look up friends of my sisters who are from Edmonton and are parked in the Pilot Knob free area southwest of the park. We’d never met them but knew they would be nice people. We found them easily enough although there was no pirates flag that I could see. That was Gayle’s hint to find them.

Gary and Judy

We met Gary, Judy and Little Jack who was not anywhere near little but a beautiful gentle black lab. Clemson got out to do his business and teased L.J. by trekking through his area and then aptly dodging out of his way. Our pooch doesn’t like being overly sniffed, well, who does!?

Bill and Gary soon got lost in the man’s world of rc model airplanes so obviously hit it off. We met Max and Shirley (?, I hope I have his wife’s name correct) and they invited us back for a fire to celebrate Judy’s birthday if we were looking for something to do later.

The sun burst through the clouds and we came back home for lunch. It is getting to be a habit but I knew the pool was waiting for me so off I went. The water is so nice and warm but when I first got out the cool air gave me goosebumps. That didn’t last long, as soon the droplets dried on my skin, I was in heaven on a lounge chair with my book open.

I made a final decision regarding the book I was reading, “Snow Falling on the Cedars”, that even though a supposed courtroom-type mystery, it wasn’t enough to grab me. My time is more valuable than that so 1/3 of the way through, when I left the pool an hour and a half later, it went back on the library shelf. I have better ones waiting back at the Suite for me to read.

The sun was glorious on our site so we offered to host the last Happy Hour of 2016. 

Everyone arrived promptly at 3, with the exception of Melinda who arrived later to the sound of Bill’s laughter. We were all in great spirits and toasted to New Year’s Eve with a drink of some sort before calling it a day at 5 pm.

And Pat says she doesn't look good in hats!!!
Don't believe it, it's beautiful!

A few had agreed to go to the clubhouse for social hour/karaoke night but Bill and I opted to stay home and invite our Durham friends over for a drink. It worked out well, we all had someone to usher 2016 out with and welcome 2017.

Pat, Rob, Patsy, Bill, Clemson
brought 2017 in with a couple of glasses of wine, a lot of laughs
and good stories, getting to know each other

Because we are in a park and we are 90% seniors here, they celebrate the new year at 10 pm. We are too old to stay up until midnight Arizona time, I guess! It was a great evening and Gerry and Melinda stopped in to give us a howl or two for 2017 as well.

I hope you enjoyed some good times last night and that the new year brings you all good things. 

Thank you for reading, comments are a joy to receive.