Yuma, AZ

January 4, 2014
Clear, sunny, 73 degrees
Lat/Lon 32.69N 114.6W

We left Casa Grande on Dec. 26th and headed west toward Yuma.  

There's the White Whale down there by the road.

It's definitely warmer than it was in Casa Grande.  It feels so good to go out and explore the desert in a light sweater, or even a t-shirt!  I LOVE winter sunshine.  

Here's a gnarley ol' saguaro.  

 And here's a gnarly ol' lady with a gnarly ol' saguaro. 

This plant is called ocotillo.  It's not really a cactus, but it is similar.


I am absolutely fascinated by saguaros.  Learning about them has been fun.

It's amazing how much I've come to appreciate the desert (more) after being in it for a while.  The slightest rainfall makes the desert leap to life and turn BRIGHT green.  Seeds that have been been dormant for months make a quick and desperate attempt at life.  

 Even lichens turn lime green after a rain.

But just a few days without water, and all the tiny grasses die, and the hillsides are brown again.  

Life is so fragile here.

We have been looking for a good place to camp & play while Nancy and Andrea are down here next week.  We want to rent a 4 person UTV, like Elmer's buggy, to tooley around on one of the days they are here.  Further exploration will take place on foot.   We made a day trip out to a place called Picacho and did a little exploring there.  Here are a few pics. 

Here is another ocotillo.

The little pink glasses made a showing on a cholla cactus. 

Cholla cacti also called jumping cactus, because they 'seem' to jump out and grab you.  (Basically, the slightest brush against them, and you are full of spines.) 

This is a prickly pear cactus in front of Lazy Peter Rock.  

(Yes, that's the name!)

  

Picacho was great for camping and buggy-ing,  but no saguaros to be seen, and I want Andrea and Nancy to see saguaros.  We also started thinking it's just too far south for them to drive down this far. (All the way to Yuma)

I don't mind telling you, there's something pretty cool about hearing a lawn mower and smelling fresh cut grass in January.  

Out next recon trip we went north to the Kofa Wildlife Refuge.  

These are 'Teddy Bear' chollas, but I don't think they'd be very cuddly. 

Despite the name, it's still one of those nasty jumping cactus!

The little pink glasses went to Kofa too.

You can actually camp on the wildlife refuge, but camping was limited and exposed to wind.  And buggy-ing has to be on specific trails.  Plus, it's still quite a ways south.  

So this morning we left the Yuma area and are heading north in the White Whale up to check out Lake Havasu and Bullshead City areas.  

I'd hoped to go over into Mexico while in Yuma, but that didn't happen.  Charley doesn't have a passport and I just never go around to going by myself. 

Today is Jan. 7th, (I finally found strong enough internet to publish this blog post.) Nancy and Andrea will be here in two days!  I'm so excited.  So my next post will probably be about their visit.

Until then, "Via con dios, Amigos!"