From Marfa Mystery Lights and Big Boomer’s Plight to Quartzsite Camel Delight

Yipee!  After being stationary for 14 months at home base in Livingston, TX, we were super excited to return to our nomadic lifestyle!  We began our trek to our winter “home” – the desert lands of Quartzsite, AZ.  Mom was apprehensive that she would forget all the travel preparation processes, but we departed Livingston without a hitch (a little play on words there!).

 

It was a damp, overcast day, and as luck would have it, we hit some rain (Mom was thankful it was not during her driving shift).  We took our usual route, utilizing the less stressful US-90 than I-10 outside of San Antonio.  We overnighted for $5 in the boondocking section of the Alamo Area Lone Star Corral, an Escapee co-op in Hondo, TX.  We chatted with a friend or two during our brief stay and headed back down US-90 the next morning.

 

I was so glad to see Dominic the Donkey again!

Bob and Nicky popped over to see us.

There are a multitude of big ranches along this route, which provided me the pleasure of seeing lots of pronghorn deer, sheep, goats, and cattle.  We stopped at Amistad National Recreation Area near Del Rio, TX to purchase our America the Beautiful Pass, peruse the Visitor Center, and enjoy lunch before returning to the road.   

I studied this display so intently, I think I am now an expert in animal poop identification!

We reached our destination for our second night of boondocking, the Mystery Lights Viewing Center in Marfa, TX. The first recorded sightings of these mystery lights were by Robert Reed Ellison in the early 1880s.  No one knows for certain what creates the lights, which can be red, white, or blue, and appear on the horizon above Mitchell Flats.  Some say they are caused by headlights or campfires; others assert that they are atmospheric reflections; some believe they are extra-terrestrials.   I’ve seen the Marfa lights only once on my 3 prior visits, and the conditions then were similar to this visit:  Very chilly with below freezing temps, a mid-week evening with very few people at the Center, and little traffic on US-90.   So, there were no headlights/artificial lights to play games with my eyes.  And lo and behold, I saw them!  They were prolific, much brighter spheres of white than my prior sighting!  Personally, who cares what causes the phenomenon (heck, the Marfa Chamber of Commerce may be out there in the Flats tossing lanterns around to drum up tourism).  It is just an awesome experience!

 

We had a fitful night’s sleep and arose early the next morning to continue with our journey to Quartzsite.  But Big Boomer, our medium duty truck, said, “not so fast!”  The engine started but conked out and would not restart.  And then there was an error light on the dashboard module.  Mom wasted no time calling Coach-net, our emergency road service.  They called every 20 minutes to give us status reports.  After an hour, they called to say they could not find any tow trucks that could handle our set-up, but they were able to reach Skip Wilton, a mobile tech outside of Alpine, TX, about 25 miles away.  What a godsend!  Skip had the computer and program needed to diagnose the problem:  failure of the injection control pressure  sensor.  The only place that had the part was an International Truck dealer in Midland, TX, more than 2 hours away.  Skip drove up the next day to purchase the part and bring it back.  Big Boomer started up immediately after Skip installed the sensor.  Coach-net would only pay for Skip’s attempt to start Big Boomer, but we didn’t care.  He was more than fair in his fee, and we were grateful he went above and beyond for us.  Skip gets a coveted Rambling RV Rat 5-cheese award for excellence!

Mobile tech Skip has one bad-ass set-up!

This puny (but quite expensive) part was the culprit!

With it being too late in the day to reach our next destination, we stayed in Marfa yet again, but we hit the road at daybreak.  As we traveled along US-90, we viewed the roadside attractions near Valentine, TX. 

A tribute to the movie, Giant, starring Rock Hudson, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor et al, which was filmed in the area.

Put your wallets away--there's nothing to buy at this Prada Store.  It is just an art exhibit.  

At Van Horn, TX, we hopped onto I-10, which provided a straight shot to Escapees Dreamcatcher RV Park in Deming, NM, where we would do our laundry, refill our water, dump and tanks and enjoy a stress-free night of sleep. Dreamcatcher RV Park is reasonably priced, has spacious sites, and is offers easy access to the Interstate.

 

By late-afternoon on Sunday, we reached Quartzsite’s Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Tyson Wash Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA), arriving just before the payment booth closed.  Though we will be here only through mid-March, we opted for the $180 seasonal pass, which saves us about $20 over the rate of $40 every 2 weeks.   We selected a boondocking spot not far from where we stayed in 2021 and 2022.

The back yard view.

This LTVA area has changed dramatically since we were here in 2022:  BLM has installed dump/pump stations, water tanks, and stabilization ponds.  No one knows for certain when they will be available to utilize since BLM is having difficulty drilling an abundant water well.  One thing is for certain:  it’s gonna stink over here when the winds start blowing and the body waste (Mom says that is a more polite thing to say than "caca") in those ponds start to ferment!

We all had our chores to keep us busy.  Dad unloaded the motorcycles and buggy, Mom was unpacking and cleaning (again), and I had to create yet another rock art self-portrait to delineate our latest “homestead”.  (You will find my self-portraits in several places within the Quartzsite desert.)     By Monday afternoon, we were all settled in and ready to have some fun.

 

My Rambling RV Rat rock art self portrait.

Over the past 2 weeks, we have attended 4 days of dance lessons at the Quartzsite Improvement Association (QIA) and received a warm welcome back from Vee, our beloved instructor, and all our dancing buddies.  It was SOOO good to reconnect with everyone!  Like our dancing cohorts in Livingston, TX, our group in AZ goes to local dances at various venues to put our lessons to good use.  We were happy to join our Quartzsite crew on 4 occasions already.

 

Classmates all listening attentively to instructor Vee.

We joined fellow line dancer, Charlie, and his group that plays pickleball at the Holiday Palms RV Park on 2 occasions thus far.  Friends Pam/Red, whom we met years ago through the now defunct RV Dreamers group, came in from Brenda, AZ to join us in play one day.  (We had so much fun, though, we forgot to get a photo.  We will be playing with them again soon, so I’ll be sure to get us all to strike a pose). The Holiday Palms RV Park graciously allows non-guests to utilize its facilities for a cost of $3/day/person or $30/month/person.  It also offers 6-month seasonal rates.  It sure felt good to be back on the courts.

 

Speaking of reconnections, we are parked not far from friend Melana, whom we met in Livingston in 2021 and haven’t seen since we were all in Quartzsite together in 2022.  So, we went together to Salome, AZ to view the 9/11 monument, see some petroglyphs, and shop at the Farmer’s market in Brenda, AZ.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Buck-a-roos, a quaint eatery within the Country Store in Brenda.  Though small in size, they have a diverse menu, even a plant-based sandwich option for Dad.  And they make all their French Fries from scratch.  I just love this little café and my family is always happy to support a small local business!  Shortly after we returned home, friends Denis and Vivian, whom we met at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in 2022, stopped by for a visit.

9/11 Memorial in Salome, AZ

Cool petroglyphs near Salome, AZ

Lunch at Buck-a-roos in Brenda, AZ

Mike, a friend from Q dance who just got to town, came for a visit and to enjoy one of Mom’s plant-based meals.  We last got together with him in Pahrump, NV in 2022 since we were unsuccessful in having our schedules jive last year when we were all in various parts of TX.

We are so blessed to have met and remained friends with so many wonderful folks who share the full-time RVing lifestyle.

We attended a parade and an array of other events over the course of a long weekend collectively known as “Camelpalooza” to commemorate the life of Hadji Ali (whose name Americans transformed in pronunciation to “Hi Jolly”).  Ali was the first camel driver to be hired by the US Army in 1856 to explore utilizing camels for cargo transport across the Western desert lands.  From listening to bands, perusing the goods of vendors, and witnessing a historical re-enactment, I enjoyed every minute of this year’s Camelpalooza.  But, the highlight of the event was taking not one, but TWO rides on Freckles the Camel!  It certainly made up for the fact that I missed out on a ride in 2022 because the Camel Corps left town earlier than they initially indicated.

 

Roadrunner Rock and Gem Club won 1st Place in the parade for "Attitude".

Hi Jolly's tombstone in the background.  So fitting it has a camel adorning its peak.

Members of the historical re-enactment.

Members of the Camel Corps

Camelpalooza included music, vendors, food, and Ferris wheel.

Our first Silly Al's pizza of the season, made with Dad's faux cheese.

We have attended the Cowboy Church held at the LaPosa South LTVA pavilion, catching up with folks we’ve met in prior years.

I am thrilled to report that we sold our Polaris RZR side by side a few days ago and have a deposit already in hand from a buyer of our swivel wheel!  So, we can start to research getting a new set of wheels!  We are hoping to purchase a Jeep that can be for on-road as well as off-road use.  I said good-bye to Rat Patrol II and thanked it for the wonderful adventures it provided us with the AZ Sun Riders Off-Roading Group and for the opportunity to discover the hidden treasures within these desert lands.

 

It was quite chilly during our first few days here, but it has since warmed up quite nicely during the day, with comfortable temps of 60-70F degrees (sorry, I just had to rub it in, didn’t I!).

One of the things I love most about AZ is the magnificent sunrises and sunsets!  God sure paints a magnificent canvas!  The mourning doves, sparrows, and humming birds have graced us with their presence each day at the feeders.

 

Sunrise

The stages of...

...Sunset.

These two Hummingbirds were dancing the dance while feeding.

Though we have been here just 2 weeks, we have immersed ourselves quickly into the happenings within this quirky desert town.  We are looking forward to more fun times in the upcoming 2 months.

 

Talk to you again soon!

 

Christmas and The Year 2023 – It’s a Wrap!

We arrived home from our trike trip to Granbury on a Saturday evening and headed right back out early the next morning for the San Jacinto High Rollers Toy Run for Boys and Girls Country in Hockley, TX.  Like she does each year we attend this motorcycle event, Mom moved from the back seat of Maximus the Trike to riding solo on her 2009 Honda Rebel named Yellow Jacket.  (I like when she does this--then I get to sit in Maximus' passenger seat rather than get strapped to the tour pack!)  It was a glorious day for riding, so hundreds of bikes participated.  This annual toy run is unique from others we participated in throughout our years of riding because you get to interact with the children who reside here.  They greet all the bikes as we parade into the grounds and serve us refreshments in the auditorium.  Santa arrived via motorcycle and distributed the gifts that we all purchased.  It warmed my heart to see the surprise and gift satisfaction of those children who received the art sets we donated.

This belongs to our friend Gerry, but I sure would like one of these myself!

It was a long ride for us to participate in the Toy Run (220 miles round trip), and we were pooped from our trip to Granbury.  But that didn’t stop us from going out later that evening to Livingston’s Pedigo Park for the “Bethlehem” reenactment presented by the First Baptist Church.  I was excited to attend because for the first time since COVID struck, “Bethlehem” returned to a walk-through interactive presentation rather than just a 4-scene drive-by.  The Church does a spectacular job of providing a realistic, immersive representation of what the City of David would be like during the mandated Census.  The ”actors” range in age from adults to youngsters, and include lots of animals, from cows to camels.  Attending “Bethlehem” is always a wonderful reminder for me of the true reason for the season.

Re-enacting the many vendors of Bethlehem, from wine makers...

...to basket weavers.

Mother and child in the manger.

After walking through "Bethlehem", we enjoyed the spiritual musical entertainment.

Visiting "Bethlehem" comes with the added feature... 

...of driving through Pedigo Park to see the lighted holiday decorations!

The next day, we completed our final 6-hour shift for 2023 at Mannafest Food Pantry.  We were honored to volunteer with such wonderful people for such a worthy cause.

 

But with us, when one volunteer opportunity ends, another begins.  We commenced our weekly 2-hour shifts of bell ringing outside our local Walmart for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Program.  All money raised in Livingston is used for those in need within our own County, so it is truly neighbor helping neighbor.  And despite folks feeling economic woes and the pain of inflation, generosity prevailed.

We attended a handbell concert at the local Presbyterian Church.  My ears enjoyed the sounds that resonated, and my eyes marveled at the precision and speed exhibited by this solo bell ringer.

 

Our pickleball group hosted a tournament with double elimination.  Names were drawn randomly.  Mom and her partner were out after game 3, but Dad and his partner took second place! It was a fun time and everyone brought their A-game.  We so enjoy our pickleball group!  Some of them are fellow Escapees, some live along Lake Livingston, and some live in neighboring towns.  The camaraderie extends beyond the courts, too!  We had a wonderful luncheon at a local restaurant to celebrate the holidays.

 

We had a birthday girl among us, so she got the full Mexican birthday treatment from the crew at the restaurant.

We popped into Gokey’s Old Town Emporium in Goodrich, TX, which combines an old-fashioned ice cream fountain (serving Texas’s Blue Bell ice cream!) with a gift and antique shop.  Sugarplums were dancing in Mom’s head when she saw all the old-school candies, triggering fond childhood memories.  Meanwhile, I saw stars and fireworks when I laid eyes on Mademoiselle Rochelle Ratatouille, a most refined, ravishing, and rather petite rodent who resided there.  Well, she’s got a new home now—right here with me!  Between my pocket pal Nezumi, Mouse King, Mademoiselle Rochelle, and my new Christmas buddy, Reggie, my Rambling RV Rat Pack is growing! 

 

Mademoiselle Rochelle, my new gal pal.

Another new friend of mine, Reggie the Rodent.  He is as big as I am!

Our Hot Steppers dance troupe Christmas routines were well received when performed at Cold Spring’s Christmas on the Square and at the Bradford at Brookside Nursing Facility in Livingston.  It was a big commitment for my parents to transition from just taking dance lessons to participating in recitals, and we had to forego many other activities/events we normally would attend.  But the fun they derived from dancing and the joy the troupe brought to our lives and the lives of others made it well worth the time investment.  We are so blessed to have met such warm and welcoming fellow dancers and to have such a kind and patient dance instructor/director.  

In the prior 3 years, we decorated Big Boomer, our medium duty truck, and entered Livingston’s Annual Lighted Christmas Parade, part of Livingston’s Hometown Christmas events.  This year, we were only spectators due to time constraints/other commitments.  It was nice to be able to watch the entire parade, but I sure missed handing out candy to the kiddies.

We had our annual visit to Good Golly Miss Molly’s Shoppe to see the Polk County Heritage Society’s train village setup.  It gets more difficult every year for me to complete their treasure hunt.  They are very clever with hiding the figures within the display.  When we came outside from the store, it was "snowing", East Texas style.

 

We rode our motorcycles to Memorial Gardens in Lufkin, TX to participate in Wreaths Across America, a national event focused on remembering the fallen, honoring those serving, and teaching future generations the true meaning of freedom.  We were thankful it was a sunny, dry, temperate day, especially since the prior evening was cold with torrential rain.  We laid about 30 wreaths on the gravesites of veterans.  The following day we joined fellow Patriot Guard Riders and the family of PFC Stuart Moore (our local hero killed in action on Christmas Eve, 2003) in laying a wreath on his burial site within the family's cemetery.

 

We took a ride to The Christmas Ranch in Cleveland, TX to see the home of Bob and Diane Hanley, who have turned their property here into a Winter Wonderland for nearly 3 decades.  Regrettably, Bob passed away in September, so this was the final year to witness the magic of multi-colored lights and unique displays and decorations.  Interestingly, the property was featured in 2018 on the show “Great Christmas Light Fight”.  It is amazing how many people have enjoyed the Hanleys' holiday handiwork over the years.  I sure am grateful I was able to be one of them.

 

We had a blessed Christmas.  It was filled with good eats and sweet treats, abundant decorations new and old, and spiritual nourishment for our soul.

A modified version of the Italian Feast of the 7 Fishes for Christmas Eve.  

Christmas Day's entree was a mushroom/spinach/faux cheese stromboli.  Not pictured is Mom's faux cheese cake and array of cookies!

 

We spent the last weekend of the year with good friends creating fond memories.

The Friday evening pickleball players.

My parents with friends Amy/Mike and Rosemary/Jeff.

Always fun catching up with Lisa/Jim.

Hard to believe it has been a year since Dad’s heart saga!  Sometimes it seems so LONG ago, and other times it feels like yesterday, but we have learned so much from the ordeal.  We know how fragile life can be, that every day is a gift, that we have one life and we should live it to its fullest.  But most importantly, we know how fortunate we are--God has bestowed us with a supportive network of family, friends, and community, for which we are eternally grateful.

We rang in the new year with our tradition:  a shot of Patron’s for Dad, shot of Jaegermeister for Mom, and a pint of root beer for me to make a toast to good health and happiness!

HOOK'EM!  Dad decked out in his "good luck garb".  Unfortunately, it didn't help his team during the Sugar Bowl.

My wish has already come true for my family:  Dad has remained in sinus heart rhythm!  So, we are hitching up to travel again, at least for a few months!  We are so excited to visit Southwest AZ to dry out our bones!

 

All the best to you and yours for 2024!  I hope to see ya down the road!