Making New Friends - With And Without Clothing!

One thing we love about this lifestyle—we meet the greatest folks!  Never would have bonded with our traveling buddies Mike and Claudia in our “other lives”, nor any of the RV Dreamers group. 

We invited new friends and fellow RV Dreamers, Kelly and Bill (former Jerseyites like us!) and Bert for dinner last week, along with Claudia and Mike.  Turns out all of us are Amazonians as well!  So lots in common and plenty of conversation topics.

 

Kelly and Bill hosted a delectable Chowder Night, and we were introduced to yet another RV Dreams couple, Eileen and Gene.

 

 

We all got together at the Nelly E Saloon, a solar-powered bar in the middle of the Buckskin Mountains.  This is  a “must see” in the Southern Arizona desert (See my blog of January 23, 2015 for more on the Nelly Bar).

 

 

 

So our circle of friends and acquaintances keeps growing!  Good food, fun, and camaraderie—the perfect mix!

 

The camaraderie is not just among fellow RVers either.  We have met lots of folks who live in Quartzsite and neighboring desert towns year round.  They are all very welcoming to the desert “invasion” by snowbirds, and actually enjoy the transition of their towns during the winter months.

 

 

For instance, we recently attended March Madness, an all-day line dancing soiree with folks from as far away as Sun City, AZ.  Organized by our dance instructor, Bernine and her assistant, Maggie, my parents and I put on our boogie shoes and showcased our talents (or should I say our lack thereof).

 

These ladies are the best!  Excellent dancers and terrific teachers, they exhibit unlimited kindness and patience matching that of Mother Theresa!  It was a fun-filled boot scooting boogie day!

 

Yours truly in my cowboy gear, kicking it up!

 



We also attended the Annual Garden Party at Celia’s Rainbow Garden, a loving tribute by Paul and JoAnne Winer, with the support of the entire Quartzsite community (both full timers and seasonal) in memory of their daughter Celia.  (You can see my blog of January 27, 2015 for more about this desert memorial garden).  We chatted with the cashier from the General Store, the waitress from a local eatery, and other folks who make Quartzsite their home 12 months a year.

 

 

Paul is quite a character!  Quirky, yet quite spiritual, we were impressed with his talents as musician, songwriter, and storyteller.

 

 

Paul Winer (on piano), specializing in boogie woogie blues

 

 

He is also well known in Quartzsite as the bare-bottomed Oasis Book Store owner.  Yep, he is a certified nudist.  He does, however, don a floral ding-dong holder while working at the store.   

 



Rambling RV Rat and Paul Winer with matching banana sacks, and Dad wearing way too many layers of clothing!

 

 

 

And more exciting news:  We saw a diamond back rattle snake!   We were taking a different trail than usual and were apprised by a fellow hiker that he saw a snake up ahead!  So we ventured further than our typical 4 mile trek just to catch a glimpse!  I felt like Sherlock Holmes—I was on a mission to locate this snake.  Eureka!  There is was!  It was a juvenile, only about a 1/2 foot long at most, which we are told are more venomous than adults!  But alas, it was not among the living—apparent death by a hit and run all-terrain vehicle.  Everywhere this snake could be where there are no humans, and he decides to slink along the trail when an ATV passes!

 

 

 

That reminds me:  time for me to slink to the refrigerator and get my favorite bedtime snack:  cheese and crackers!

 

 

Talk to you soon!