That One Time We Went To Yuma

 That's the story that plays in my head right now

as

I get old and grey telling stories to my grandsons! 

Don't get me wrong! 

We had a blast in Yuma,Az

The weather was fabulous. 

Our good friends, Joy and Gary Steinke had joined up for the winter.

Our friends, Bill and Terry Poll spent a week with us.

We made new friends like we always do! 

We really enjoyed our happy hour every day with our new friends.

Loretta and Charlotte

Both are 82 years young!

I can only hope to grow up as gracefully as these two!

Marty and Cindy from Illinois

Took Marty a while to warm up to the CC's

(Crazy Canadians as he called us)

We loved our day trips to Mexico

So much color and inspiration for a quilter! 

My girlfriend gave me some AZ inspired fabric to play with 

for

our first snowbird experience.

I didn't have a pattern

 but

 had a lot of fun chopping it up

using the Border Creek Scrap block 

to bring it all together! 

I am not sure where 60 days went to 

but

before I knew it,

 we were on the road home! 

I was hoping that my quilting buddies

 were

 not going to have to start a GO-FUND ME page for this part of the trek.

There are so many great truck rest stops in the States.

Kudoos to all the Americans for having clean safe rest stops! 

Canada definitely needs to work on that!

America is such a diverse continent of beauty. 

I loved every landscape of the trip.

Our first stop on the way home was Boulder City, Nevada

We LOVE Cararabba's Grill and had to hit that up

They make the BEST margaritas I have ever had.

We spent a day in Vegas. 

Had to hit up The Crack Shack by Park MGM on the strip.

Fried Chicken like you have never had.

This was the creation of Top Chef's Micheal Rosen and Richard Blais.

Fabulous.

Food is a memory which creates an experience! 

As you can see we always are on the hunt

 for

 the best food in our road

trips! 

You got to eat....it might as well be the best!

We walked the bridge to see Hoover Dam upclose.

Spectacular....

really...

 no words can explain the grandness of this creation! 

The next day we headed our way north through Mequite, NV

I warn you now.....

 If my sentence starts with 'We stopped for fuel..."

IT NEVER ENDS WELL.

 

Our daughter made this magnet for us for Christmas 

but 

we left it at home... 

Should have slapped it on the rig, I guess! 

Soooo... 

we stopped for fuel 

at

 Eagles Landing 

when

 a fellow spotted a low tire on the rig.

We backed into check that tire and all hell broke loose.

There was a broken shock which led to a few bushings that were toast 

AND

shackles that were too worn

AND 

Springs that really needed to be changed. 

What's another 2 grand right??

I was elated that they had all the parts 

and

 people who knew what to do ON A SUNDAY.

They had us up and running in about 1 1/2 hours. 

I teased them about having a spare set of axles as that is the only thing we didn't change. 

We got to Brigham City 

and

 caught up to my parents who were also on their way home 

We stayed at a KOA at Willard, Utah

We were not there long.

Pulled in in the dark and left early in the dark.

(Note to self...pivotal pit stop in the rest of the story)

My parents and ourselves hit the road for COVID tests in Pocatello, Idaho 

so

we could cross the border back into Canada in a few days. 

WE STOPPED FOR FUEL in Dillion, Montana.

Checked all the tires and rig.

I started driving out of Dillion and it seemed a little bouncy. 

Arnold told me to speed up.

I said I will...we are in no hurry!

Just then...only 4 miles out of town....

A Montana rancher passed us motioning to pull over now.

He was aggressive.

I said to my husband....

What now?? 

Are we going to be shot in Montana on the side of the road??

Seriously that would have been less painful in the end.

NOPE... 

The man said our tire had crossed his path.

He knew where it was.

Turn around and he will get it. 

You can imagine my response at this point of frustration.

I think that farmer was scared for HIS life.

I was like.....what the  ?$&%*??

HOW CAN THAT BE???

Oh it BEED!

We gibbled back to Dillion 

and

 went to General Welding as the farmer suggested.

Mom and dad carried on. 

Nothing they could do to ease my pain.

We needed two new axles at the tire had bent both of them.

The farmer commented on how it looked pretty new under that rig!

Yup... IT'S ALL NEW NOW!

WE can not thank Bill at General Welding enough.

He had axles shipped in and fixed up the next day by 5pm.

(The truck that brought the axles from Missoula even broke down on it's way to Dillon!!)

Surprise...surprise....

This is when I realized that our BRAND NEW Rock Tamer mud flaps had been stolen off the truck while 

we slept over them in the rig back in WILLARD!!!

Just bought them in YUMA!!

Another 700$

I had a good cry. 

There was nothing left in my brain to rationalize anything else. 

I was done.

We headed to Bozeman, Montana 

and

 spent our first night ever boondocking.

We were drained. 

My daughter texted to see if we had watched the series, Big Sky

Yup... but at this point we really didn't care.

I think if someone had chosen to mess with us, 

there may have been a murder and it wouldn't have been ours!

We made the Canadian border 1/2 hour before it closed. 

The officer couldn't believe our story either.

He came back and asked - 

"Tell me again, what was essential services that had to be done?"

Hmmm... let's see...

An injector pump, line and injectors - 10K

Frost plugs - 1 K 

(the guy in Yuma said we didn't need to change them but he doesn't know Canadian winters)

Under carriage - 2K

Mud Flaps - 700$

New axles - 2 K

Our next vacation is a cruise. 

No driving involved.....

We nicely got settled into winter that night 

When we were thrown right into a night of calving! 

6 calves in one night...

It's been steady even since. 

My parents car was under this snow bank. 

That took a few weeks to dig out! 

WE have been home for 3 weeks now. 

ALMooost caught up.

The weather has turned to Spring 

and

 I am so thankful for that.

Will we snow bird again????

I have to say YES!!

We may have to refinance or sell the farm to do it.

But YES.

Now to get my shop back in order! 

chirp...chirp...

Christa