Time to catch up. It’s been a while since we last blogged, and although 4 months have passed, we’ve been in the same spot in Yuma all this time. This was our 3rd visit to Yuma and 2nd to Del Pueblo RV Resort. A wee bit different this year without the Canadians who weren’t allowed across the border, which left the park 2/3rds empty. We didn’t realize how many people we’d previously met were Canadians until they were missing, it wasn’t the same without them.

We decided this would be a good site, a good distance from the other residents, this was the Canadians side of the resort. That’s the storage area on the other side of the fence so we had entire row to ourselves, which worked out for us as right from the outset we realized that the mask mandate was being ignored by most and we’d need to keep our distance.

So it wasn’t the best time we’ve ever had, but it was sunny and warm every day, we rode our bikes around the park and visited with people from a distance. Having been by ourselves for so many months during the pandemic and having had minimal contact with people,  I think it surprised us how paranoid we both were coming into close contact with people who weren’t taking any precautions and acting as if there was no pandemic at all.  As far as we were concerned we were so close to a vaccine that we weren’t going to succumb to Covid now.

The first night there we made the mistake of playing cards in the recreation hall. We’d been assured everyone would wear a mask and tables of 4 people only. Table of 4 was right  but the mask doesn’t work around your neck, and our fellow player ranted for an hour that she wasn’t going to wear a mask, and oh, she’d been at a party last week with relatives they’d never met before. The following day we went directly for a Covid test. Negative

We went into Mexico a few times for dental work where everyone was masked up, felt safer there than in the US.
At the beginning of the year many people in the park began to get vaccinated as it was rolled out to those over 65. At that point we began to venture out a little and played shuffleboard and bocce ball, still we were the only ones wearing masks, we even wore gloves and played together.

We went out and played golf a couple of times at the local course Desert Hills , the course starter was very considerate of people playing together being sure they were from the same household, which is all very well until at hole 4 a single asks to join you, and then another, suddenly we’re a foursome and not from the same household, but what are you going to say?

One day we went on a trail run with the 4 Wheelers group we belong to who had organized a rally in Yuma. 

There were about 8 Jeeps in our party this particular day and we felt quite comfortable with the group, rock crawling and exploring old mines. 

First part of the trail was in large washes which when dry, which is most of the time, make great roads through the desert. A quick shower though and you have a raging river, mostly this was desolate, rocky desert.

Suddenly out of the blue we came upon the Red Cloud Mine and Roger the caretaker was there to greet us. Definitely pre-planned with our trail leader. It turned out that Roger lived there during the winter months, was mining wulfenite and had a large collection of the gems ready to sell to unsuspecting Jeepers.

 

I believe Roger made a few sales, but it was very expensive.

The open pit, which is about 500’ deep is where the wulfenite is mined

So back to the trails and the return to base.

4 hours into this ride the trail became rocky and one of the Jeeps ahead of us broke an axel and had to be towed. Did I mention that there’d been a little rain and the trails were getting slick?

It was long slow haul back but we made it before it got really dark

While in Yuma we finally had the obligatory name sign made for our front window to announce who we are wherever we’re parked.

Back to the shuffleboard courts armed with masks and gloves

And then finally we got appointments for the vaccine. Of course it came a week before we were due to leave Yuma, but it was well worth extending our stay to get the second Pfizer shot.

Last trip to Mexico, and on the way out stopped for some lunch with entertainment then headed to the usual line to get to back to the US. There are several hawkers mixed in, walking up and down the line trying to peddle a variety of trinkets, just say no thank you.

One evening we went out to dinner, only a handful of restaurants in Yuma are prepared for outside dining. This one, River City Grill, that happens to be Chris’s favorite, has a lovely outside patio. The inside is reminiscent of a small French bistro, the outside is much larger, tastefully decorated and heated for the cold evenings, and the food is fabulous. These bruschetta’s went fast.

Ok time for a black and grey tank enema.

(This is tough to discuss after we’ve just had a delicious meal)

There are sensors in the tanks, which indicate the levels inside the coach. Occasionally something will get stuck on a sensor and give incorrect readings, an enema will fix that.

 

A final farewell flyover from the US Marine Air Force base as we leave.