Rambling RV Rat: Reunions, Rainbows, and Raids--Courtesy of Quartzsite, AZ

Hi, everyone. Long time no speak with! It was a super busy but fun-filled January for us.

January is “reunion” time in the Sonoran Desert. Many in the RVing world come together annually in Quirky Quartzsite to renew friendships, and my family is no exception. Each year we get together with our buddies from our Montana Owners Club. Although we normally don’t park in their circle, we always pop in for the meet and greet and break bread with good friends Stephanie and Curtis.

Similarly, this is the third year we have participated in events at Xscapers Annual Bash. We have watched this group grow from 14 rigs to more than 125! While more of a party atmosphere, we did enjoy reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Not to mention, I learned some great cell phone picture-taking tips through a presentation by Bill Trinkle, professional photographer.

For the first time, the founder of RVillage hosted a reunion at the Quartzsite Yacht Club. This was great fun, as we met folks in person whom we had only known on-line previously.

It was a great turnout!

No January in Quartzsite would be complete without attending the Escapees Happy Hour. Food, music, and camaraderie, it is said we had nearly 500 people in attendance this year!

We are participating in both Level I and Level II Line Dancing, and even had the fun of attending a fund-raiser line dancing party for the local food bank. Whether you are a seasonal snowbird or one of the few year-round residents, this is a tight-knit community. It epitomizes the concept of a moral obligation to be our brother’s keeper, giving a hand up when they are down and out. It is what we so love and admire about small-town America—they take care of their own!

Of course, most of the month was taken up working the Escapees Booth at the Big Tent RV Show. It is tiring, and lots of paperwork for Mom, but loads of fun. I especially like the task of giving out “hugs” to new as well as life-long Escapees members. We had a banner year with a great team, welcoming more than 200 new members to the club!

As a way to express thanks to the sales team, my family hosts a get together at our humble desert abode. Mom whips up one of her tried and true Italian dishes. Along with her killer cookies for dessert, she is successful in saying “I love ya” to our teammates—from her heart to their stomachs!

We had a bit of excitement here in LaPosa South, one of the Bureau of Land Management’s Long Term Visitor Areas. First, we had rain earlier in the month, something that happens quite infrequently this time of year in Southwest Arizona. And with the sweet smell of moisture in the air came a colorful rainbow in the sky. Such beauty!

Since it was raining, Mom decided she was going to rest her weary head a few minutes in the bedroom. She thought she fell asleep, but was hearing muffled voices, like Charlie Brown’s teacher scolding her students. She looked out the window and saw flashing lights near another rig in our area. She asked Dad what was going on, but he hadn’t a clue. With Mom now up and focused, she was able to decipher what was being said: “Come out with your hands up—we have a warrant for your arrest!” What the heck! Long story short, there was a wanted felon from Ohio (according to a follow-up news article, he was a child abuser) in the RV behind us. There was a standoff for several hours, with Federal Marshals, County Police/Sheriff, SWAT teams, you name it, trying to coax this guy out. Apparently, rather than face the consequences of his actions, Mr. Felon opted instead to blow his brains out with his gun. There is now a “gently used” RV with a “for sale” sign on it. I guess this is a good case of buyer beware. You just NEVER know what you may get when you buy something used.

Dad got one photo before multiple other law enforcement units arrived and before Mom barricaded us into the rig for safety!

We attended another impromptu happy hours hosted by Steve/Dianne among members of the RV Dreams group.

And now that the RV Show was over, we were able to host our own reciprocal dinner party. We all had a great time—it was good to get a chance to relax. As usual, Mom cooked up a storm. She may not be the best, but her claim to fame is that she has never poisoned anyone yet!

PoPo loves his peeps! And Mom's cookies. Notice how well I positioned myself to the desert table!

An Italian chicken dish, pasta, salad, bread, and artichoke/spinach appetizer.

Buddies from Amazon, Rick and Gloria, were in town for a few days. They worked within the Grand Tetons last year, so we were able to pick their brains about the area since we will be spending the summer there. Additionally, they are interested in working next year at Grand Canyon, so we imparted our experience with them. We are all fountains of knowledge, a treasure trove of information to share!

The spectacular sunrises and sensational sunsets in Arizona never cease to amaze! The Creator uses such colorful strokes to paint our skies!

Sunrise

Sunset

We had the good fortune to see not one, but THREE coyotes when doing our 6-mile hike on a recent morning. One lass was watching our every move. Me thinks she had visions of eating one very generous-sized rat for breakfast! Mom thinks she had pups snuggled up nearby and was trying to lead us away from them.

This female coyote posed for us!

January wasn’t all fun and games, though. Our medium duty truck, Big Boomer, suffered from a leaky water pump. We nursed it for a week, waiting for International to ship the parts to Boss Shops in Ehrenberg. Boss did a good job, and saved us having to go to Phoenix in the midst of the busiest time of the month for us. And Rat Patrol, our new ATV, was a godsend to have. We even did some night-riding! Would have never been able to attend all the fun times without this handy-dandy mode of transportation, especially with Boomer sick in the truck hospital! In case you missed it, here is a link to my youtube video of how we actually get Rat Patrol on top of the truck!

https://youtu.be/uOqqRtzlRjY

And, of course, the government shut down caused a bit of havoc here on the BLM lands. They shut down the water, dump station, and trash collection area. Mom displayed some of her New Jersey attitude when a Ranger refused to let her leave her refuse at the trash bins. After all, we paid a fee to be here. The garbage was piled high and wasn’t going anywhere anyway. What difference would one bag make? Yada, Yada, Yada... Suffice to say, Mom left the garbage area without returning home with her garbage bag! Never mess with a New Jersey woman--there is no way you come out a winner!

Well, time for me to go. I’m helping Mom prepare a plant-based lunch for friends Kathy and Allen, our co-workers last summer at Grand Canyon! Looking so forward to seeing them again. Talk to you soon!