March 2025: Goodbye Quartzsite, the Coin Hunt, and March Madness
Wind and the Last Stretch of Quartzsite
March 1 - Wind and Crab Boil:
Finally some clouds on the east horizon this morning, so I am getting my first time lapse of the sunrise of this season. Hopefully it will be a colorful one. Had morning coffee outside and enjoyed the sunshine and calm before the wind kicked up. The wind is supposed to be in the 30+ mph range this afternoon, so it was good to take advantage of the calm. Did some reading as well as book listening today, which is always an enjoyable pastime.
March 2 - Relaxing in the Trailer:
Day started with coffee and attempting to sit outside till the wind drove us inside. Watched TV and relaxed, as the wind was miserably high where a person didn't want to be outside.
March 3 - Girls Day in Mexico:
So today started off with Cindy, Elizabeth and Nancy going to Mexico for prescription medicines as well as whatever other bit of fun they wished to carry on down there. I was able to get myself a shower this morning before going into town and dropping off the trash at the RV park Shady Lanes. Upon my arrival at the RV park, I was fortunately in time to be able to say goodbye to Ed and Beth before they were underway going back up to Panguitch. I also verified with John that it was OK to dump our trash in the dumpster, as well as come in later this month and stay for three or four days while we prepare for our summer journey. I also got an opportunity to talk with Larry on the phone this morning, as well as with Missy. Both were good conversations and it was good to hear that they are all doing well. After dumping off the trash, I went up to the other RV park and filled up with propane, as well as got 16 gallons of water for the trailer. Upon getting back to the trailer, I put the water inside the freshwater tank and reinstalled the propane tank. I also cooked a bean soup for tonight's dinner, which hopefully will be very, very good. Chatted with Kurt outside for a bit during the day. Went ahead and washed up the dishes while the water was warm. Watched a movie while the beans were cooking and got started with this journal, as Cindy is back, but they decided that they had to go in to the VFW. I am not for sure just how much money we have dumped at the VFW during this season, but I will be very happy to get out of reach of it to start saving some money.
March 4 - Queen of Hearts:
Breakfast of leftover seafood and hot dogs. Spent part of the morning talking with Kurt. Went to Bryan and Elizabeth's to pick up Kurt and Nancy's new generator and to look at Bryan's new trailer. Went to the VFW for the Queen of Hearts drawing. No one won today, but got a chance to chat with everyone in the group. Also enjoyed taco Tuesday at the VFW - 2 for $5. Decent tacos of hamburger, tomato, cheese, and lettuce in flour tortillas. Not bad food. Dinner of egg sandwiches back at camp, then listened to the DeSantis book for a bit before calling it a day and heading inside. Started pills that are supposed to help with shaking, but only did one in the morning and not one in the evening. Will start slow and make sure there are no issues with the pill, as well as to see if there is any difference.
March 5 - A Day on the Town:
Started the morning off today with coffee and listening to podcasts. We called and talked with Larry regarding the fact that we would try and be there on March 15. We went over the spreadsheet that Cindy put together to look at what we would possibly want to pay off with all the bills that we have. After Nancy got up and moving about, we went into town and checked out the merchants that are still left there. We got some food from the scratch and dent store. We also checked out the kitchen gadget store. And we swung into KB's to see what it would cost or take to purchase one of their tents. They told us that they could put together a 10 x 12 right there on site, so we will grab one of them when we get back down here next season. We went to the VFW and had some lunch as well as participated in a couple of the meat draws. This evening I went into the prospecting club monthly meeting and was able to get the Avenza map of the claims. Also participated in a few of their raffles; unfortunately, I did not win anything. After I got home, we watched a few of the episodes of 1923 from season one before heading off to bed. I was also able to get some pictures of the sunset and a video of the sunrise this morning.
March 6 - Strong Dusty Winds:
With the storm that is blowing in, the winds hit 50 mph gusts today, rocking the trailer and putting up a dust storm. It made for a day where staying indoors was really the only option. To protect the trailer somewhat, I moved the truck up close to the trailer as a windbreak. The wind finally started to slack off around 4 PM this afternoon. Being closed in the house, we ended up watching a lot of movies and not getting much else accomplished today. We went in for bingo at the QIA this evening and swung by and picked up Elizabeth. We took Kurt and Nancy's pickup in, and Nancy had me drive. We wrapped up the evening of bingo without any of our group winning anything. After dropping Elizabeth off, we came home and goofed on our phones for a bit before heading off to bed.
March 7 - Kurt and Nancy Head Home:
We ended up with some nice rain showers overnight and got up to cloudy skies and wet conditions outside. The temps were in the upper 40's with a slight breeze. I set up my action camera and captured a video of the sunrise. The clouds were heavy enough that the colors were not exactly spectacular. Nancy came over for coffee again this morning, as she has been doing, and we visited till around 10 AM, at which time she and Kurt decided to pack up and head home. After they got loaded up, we said our goodbyes and they were on their way. Cindy and I had a light breakfast, as we are going to pick up Elizabeth around 3 PM and go to the VFW for an early supper, as today is the last day this season that they are having their fish fry and seafood platter. We got our fish dinners at the VFW, eating them in the Cantina. After dinner we finished our drinks in the bar area. They had a gentleman playing guitar and singing, whom we listened to for a bit, before taking Elizabeth home and saying goodbye to Dawnielle while there. Upon getting home, we watched some TV before going to bed. During the evening Cindy got a text from Elizabeth that Bryan would not get to finish the Peace Trail ride, as his cart had broken down, which sucked for him. With all the work he had done, it was a real disappointment for him.
Back to Shady Acres
March 8 - Relaxing Before Moving Into Town:
We were planning on moving back into Shady Acres RV Park today so that we could begin cleaning things in preparation for traveling, but have opted to take a day and enjoy the sunshine and being just us on the desert for a day. So, I will do some grilling today as well as slowly get the truck ready for tomorrow and moving back into the RV park. In the meantime, Cindy and I can finally enjoy a day of solitude and we-time. Will be a change of pace not having someone up our butts.
March 9 - Settling Back In at Shady Acres:
After a little bit of breakfast, Cindy and I both started packing up our respective portions of our RV in preparation of moving into town. I had moved all of the outside stuff to the back of the trailer to make loading a little bit simpler this morning. Cindy was kind enough to come out and hand stuff to me as I was loading, so I would not have to get in and out of the truck. Even with her assistance, by the time I was done loading the stuff into the truck, my back was unhappy with me from being bent over all the time. Once everything was loaded up, and Cindy had closed up the slides on the trailer, we then commenced to hooking up the trailer so that we could head out. We pulled into Shady Acres and pulled into our spot. We began our set-up procedures, and while we were doing that, Kelly came by and took readings on the electric meter. Our set-up didn't take a terrible long time, so that we were ready to start relaxing within the trailer within about 30 minutes of getting to the RV park. I also was able to empty the black and gray tanks, as well as add water to the trailer. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching some tube, calling it bedtime around 10 PM.
Saying Goodbye
March 10 - The Week in Quartzsite Vlog Plan, and Shopping:
This morning I worked out a vlog plan for the week: "A Week in Quartzsite - Saying Goodbye." The structure: a warm welcome and the tone set, a quick montage of past moments to build nostalgia. Then daily highlights - Day 1, the sunrise and a favorite coffee spot; Day 2, exploring one last time (Gem Show area, Tyson Wells, the Hi Jolly Monument); Day 3, social moments and saying goodbye to friends around a campfire; Day 4, one last adventure (Palm Canyon, Kofa Wildlife Refuge); Day 5, packing up and preparing to leave; Day 6, the final Quartzsite sunset with a reflective voiceover; Day 7, the last goodbye and driving away. Filming tips: mix B-roll with talking to the camera, use nostalgic music, end with a question for the audience: "Have you ever had to say goodbye to a place that felt like home?"
Cindy and Elizabeth went shopping. After getting up this morning, Cindy got herself ready to go shopping up in Parker. Elizabeth came by the park at around 8 AM and picked her up and they headed out on their way. I spent the morning doing a few odds and ends around the house here, as well as watching some YouTube videos and a bit of reading. Once Cindy got back from shopping, we got everything put away and enjoyed a little bit of snacking, plus watching some videos. I did take time to grab a couple jugs and go down to the water fill station and got ourselves some fresh water for drinking. We enjoyed a bit of TV into the evening, calling it a day at around 10 PM again. I did take some time to record a video of my walk over to get water, as well as a video of the emptying of the gray and black tanks.
March 11 - The Final Queen of Hearts:
Started the morning by doing the laundry that was left over, which was basically my clothing which needed to be hung out. When she finished the washing, we got it hung up outside, and then took some time to enjoy some coffee. Cindy went ahead and made some breakfast burrito type stuff for us to have to take away the hunger pains that one wakes up with in the morning. After breakfast was completed, I gave Larry a call to let him know that we might not be in to their place until Sunday. Our arrival time will all depend on whether or not I decide to take part in the coin hunt that the local prospecting club is having. Cindy headed over to the VFW to get us a table at around 11:30, and I made sure to get the rest of the clothing in as well as catching up on this journal. I hope that I can get better about journaling so that I don't have to play catch-up all the time. I will hopefully go over to the VFW here in just a little bit, probably around 1:30 PM or so.
March 12 - Quartzsite Detecting Club:
Club outing today at the shed place, with washer toss, cornhole, coin hunt, miner stew, and raffle drawings. We got drawn for a gold nugget! TV and preparing the truck for tomorrow, with a fuel fill-up.
March 13 - Electrical for Micheal's RV:
Traveled down to Micheal's and installed an RV outlet for him with Cindy and Elizabeth. Visited for a bit before coming home. Watched some tube before going to bed.
March 14 - Rainy Friday:
Washed mud off the truck from yesterday's drive. Found that Dad's pressure washer didn't work properly. Aaron had relationship problems, with Hailey having left. Watched basketball tournaments. Filled water jugs. Filled the fresh water tank on the trailer. Checked trailer tire pressures and found out that the passenger rear tire isn't reporting in - will need to change out the battery and see if that fixes it. Had more rain showers this afternoon.
March 15 - Coin Hunting and Packing:
I began loading the truck this morning in preparation for starting our travels (journey) towards our summer residence in Panguitch. Because of the rain the past couple of days, I had to hang some items up to dry out. We got over to the coin hunt around 12:30 PM and I purchased my $20 entry for the event. This hunt was done over a much larger area, with a reported 180 participants. I was able to find 47 coins before it was over. I found it to be a very enjoyable event, and it was fun to be out doing something. Following the hunt there was a pizza party, and the club also did some raffle drawings. This was the club's final event for the season. Upon getting back to the trailer I grabbed a shower and Cindy got the dishes washed, so that our major water consumption was complete. We watched the Arizona Wildcats game, which they lost to Houston, plus a movie, before calling it a day.
Traveling East to Larry and Patty's
March 16 - Traveling East from Quartzsite:
So we managed to get everything hooked up and closed up by around 8:30 AM and headed towards Larry and Patty's place. Turned out to be good weather for the drive with very little wind, however, had the typical idiots on I-10 that one always has to deal with. We stopped and fueled up in Buckeye, as well as grabbed something to eat, before continuing our journey over to Larry and Patty's house. We arrived at Larry and Patty's house at around 2 PM, and got the trailer set up and unhooked, and then spent the evening enjoying visiting with Larry and Patty.
March 17 - A Day at Larry and Patty's, on P&C's Anniversary:
We went over and visited with Linda today. It was good to see her, as it's been a while since we had seen her. Overall, everything seems to be going well for her. We stopped at Safeway on our way back to Larry's place and picked up corned beef, as well as french fries and onion rings, to make dinner for the evening. Dinner for the evening involved eating Ruebens, which Cindy and I have gotten into the habit of doing for our anniversary, as well as celebrating Saint Patty's Day. Also, while we were out and about, we went by O'Reilly's and picked up valve extensions for the pickup. I will need to get them installed, which will probably happen while we are up at Joe's place.
March 18 - Hanging at Larry and Patty's:
Got up this morning and went inside and visited with Larry and Patty. The wind is kicking up today, so probably will not get much done outdoors. It has been good to see all of them. Our next visit with them will probably not be until December timeframe. Larry and I also watched a couple of the games for the play-in 16th seeds in the NCAA tournament today.
Alicia and Brandon's, and March Madness
March 19 - Moving to Alicia's and Brandon's:
We started packing up this morning and getting the trailer ready to move. By the time we were all packed up and ready to go, it was pushing 9 or 9:30-ish. Due to the way that we parked, the trailer had settled a bit, and backing up to it made the driver front high in relationship to the back, making it extremely difficult to get the trailer hooked up. I ended up putting blocks under the driver-side rear tires of the pickup, as well as tightening the weight distribution bars, so that we could get things to line up properly to hitch up. Our drive over to Alicia and Brandon's place required us to drive down I-10, which was extremely busy on the way into Phoenix up to the 202, making it a stressful portion of the drive. Coming back out onto the I-10 from the 202 on the west side of town was a lot quieter and was not terribly stressful. Our original plan was to boondock north of where Alicia and Brandon live on the state trust lands, but I realized how ridiculous that really was and turned around, and we ended up parking on the street as we had originally planned. The reason that we had changed plans was to try and accommodate Aaron after his break-up with Hailey. Fortunately, he was able to also park along the street here by Alicia's, allowing all of us to be closer and not spend a lot of time driving. After our arrival, I was able to watch one of the play-in games for the 16th seeds in the NCAA tournament.
March 20 - Watching the Start of the NCAA Tournament:
I was able to watch the opening round of 64 from the comfort of our home. It was a lot of fun to watch the games. However, there was mass confusion most of the day over here with all the family drifting in and out. Also adding to the confusion is Cindy trying to be in Aaron's face all the time about what transpired with the break-up with Hailey. I know she is just trying to help the boy, but I am afraid that she and her push to help him is actually making it worse for him. Last recorded steps since last step entry: 16,244.
March 21 - Watching Day Two of the NCAA Tournament:
So this is day number two of the tournament, playing down to 32 teams. Was able to watch a large majority of the games; however, still have the mass confusion going on around here, which unfortunately makes it not quite as much fun to watch the tournament. Aaron was able to get a tech out to work on his trailer and get his slide to go in and out, as well as fixing a few other items.
March 22-31 - No Entries: (No entries in the source for the rest of the month. March 22-31 left open for your notes if they turn up later.)