I'll consult with " Solar Bill" when I get to Quartzsite.
On Nov 13, I drove to Tucson and did some errands. The first stop was at a Ford dealer for an oil change. As I was a drop-in with no appointment, I had to wait for about 3 hrs. They will always make time for an RVer passing through.
Their waiting lounge was a real delight with comfortable couches, a snack bar, and free WiFi. The time went by quickly and my MOHO was good for the road again. I may need to get 2 new tires at the next service check.
After I left there, I visited "The Bicycle Ranch" and finally got myself a good hybrid bicycle along with a rack for the back of my RV.The service was excellent and "Russell" spent some time with me making sure I got the right bicycle for what I needed. He also gave me a good deal and installed the rack for me.
I've waited a long time to get a good bicycle and driving it is a real pleasure.
After getting some groceries, I drove about 40 min to the Gilbert Ray campground in the Tucson mountain park. I was there last winter and found it to be one of my favourite places to camp.
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| view from my campsite |
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| ocotillo cactus |
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| saguaro cactus |
While at that park, I met Diane who is from Texas and travelling on her own with her cat and pulling a small trailer. She invited me to go into the city the next day for some supplies and it was a fun day. While she went off to shop, she dropped me off at the Museum of Miniatures. |
I found out that most miniatures are done to the scale of 1:12 , exactly replicating life size scenes but some, such as these houses, are 1:144.
It was a delight to see such intricate work and I marvelled at the patience of the artists.
We took a more scenic route back to the campground and shared RV stories including the challenges of driving in remote places on your own. We had both seen the movie of the man stuck in some rocks in the desert and, in order to survive, had to cut off his arm so he could get away for help. It gave me the shivers to think about that!
There was heavy rain on and off throughout the day and I was concerned about having left my awning out. It's not good to roll it up when wet.
The sun did come out and things dried up, so after dinner, I decided to rush outside to roll up the awning in case more rain was on the way.
By this time it was dark and getting to be quite cold but it would take only a few minutes.
One side of the awning seemed stuck so I went over to give it a push with my left hand. It snapped shut, locking into place with my hand crushed between 2 pieces of metal! There was no way I could wiggle it free and I realized I was in trouble. Luckily there were campers nearby so I called for help. No one came came! Maybe they were watching TV and couldn't hear me? I decided to be brave and start screaming. You should have heard those blood curdling screams! I could get a role in a horror show! Still, no one showed up and I began to panic as I could see my finger tips turning blue. What if I lose my fingers? It didn't help much that we had just talked about that man who got his arm caught in a rock while in the desert!
More screaming, for what seemed like an eternity. Why is no one responding?
Finally, I saw 2 men walking very slowly towards me and called for them to hurry. They asked if I was on my own and when they realized no one else was there, rushed to help release the mechanism. Being able to remove my hand was incredibly liberating and I rushed over to run cold water on it.
I was able to move my fingers and there were no cuts, My hand seemed OK except some deep grooves from the metal edges and bruising on my thumb.
By this time more people arrived. One person said she heard me call for help but didn't want to get involved. Another said she heard me scream for a long time and thought there was a woman being raped but did not take any action. One person said she finally decided to drive over with her gun, wondering if she would need it. No one called 911. It was shocking and very sad.
Someone suggested I go get an X-ray but I knew nothing was broken.
Another person gave me some ice and suggested I take some ibuprofen which I had .They all left after that and I was shaking on and off all night.
The ice and pain meds helped but the pain in my heart was far more intense.
I felt shocked that it took so long before anyone would come for help even though many people heard me calling and screaming. What has happened to people? I realized that many in the US live in fear. Many carry guns.
It's very, very sad and I experienced some loss of my belief in people's kindness.
I felt deeply disappointed and wept for a long but I also felt intense gratitude that my hand was going to be all right.
Reality isn't always roses. Despite my knowledge of the importance of staying focused on the present and dealing with it, I had panicked. Perhaps if no one had come at all, I would have been able to calm myself down and come up with a strategy for survival or......allow myself to let go, feel gratitude for my life, and float into the unknown.
I left there the next day and drove about 3 hrs south west to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Park which borders on Mexico. It was a lovely park and I spent 3 days cycling , hiking and relaxing.One evening, as I was walking near my site, I saw a coyote wandering by me. It just looked at me and kept walking. I've never seen one that close!
My hand still hurt a bit and my thumb remained quite bruised but mostly, I felt gratitude and also compassion for the people that live in such fear they feel the need to carry a gun.
This park is the only place in the US where you can see large stands of Organ Pipe Cactus.
While at that park, I met a very nice couple, Jim and Gina, who are also full timers. I noticed that I was not getting any power from my solar panels and Jim helped me fix a connection that had become undone, explaining many things to me. My faith in humanity was restored!
The weather remained beautiful and warm as I left there to drive to Yuma.
Along the way I had to pass by 2 check points. They have these set up along the border of Mexico, looking for people trying to come into the US illegally as well as any illegal drugs. The guards were friendly and polite.
By this time it was getting late despite it being only a 3 hr drive and I parked at a rest stop for the night, sandwiched between 2 large semis!
It is now Nov 19 and I drove on to Yuma to get some supplies and fill up with gas which was an excellent price at $1.99/gal. After that,it was a short drive to the Sleepy Hollow campground in Winterhaven where I had stayed last winter. It is right at the Mexican border and within walking distance of Algodones, Mexico where so many people get dental work done and where I have an appointment in a few days. The campground is "rustic" and only $50/week for dry camping and with showers, water, a dump stn and a laundry room.
I was greeted by some of the same people I saw here last year and it felt like a homecoming.
Delights and terror. If life had no darkness, we would not appreciate the light.
A painting with only light areas isn't nearly as interesting as one with some dark patches. What would happen with black and white photos if there was no black?
Life is a beautiful tapestry!
"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."
--- Lao Tzu
"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing."
"Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional."
--- found on Quora ( www.Quora.com)
Enjoy the delights that life offers
Maria
whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com
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