Campfire Ring is Growing

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Off for a mining expedition ... next time we'll bring the metal detector!

We’ve been really, really busy in the desert. Really!  Not everyone in our little group agreed to arrive at the same time and not everyone is leaving at the same time.  Thus, we are having a long get together.  At least it’s really long for those of us who have been hanging around.  Some folks just mingle with others for a few days while others spend a season.  For us a couple weeks is a real long time to stay put in one place.  The other day we even had to renew our camping permit.  The first one we bought was good for 14 days.  The second one is good for another 14 days.  We have no idea how long we’ll be here or exactly where we’ll go after this.  It’s two weeks at a time.

Food and more food

Ed and Linda pulled in on Thursday and so did Steve and Carol. Then, the next day Mike and Deb pulled out. However, they’ll be back in a few more days. Freddy and Delcie made it on Saturday.  The campfire ring has grown and it’s only going to get larger.  We are reconnecting with “old” friends and also meeting several “new” friends this year.  Some we’ve met and others are just friends we haven’t met yet.  Not all of our group will be able to make it this year.  We’ll certainly miss them.

Another campfire

And, another campfire

We count folks who pull in and pull out by the rigs and not by people in the rigs.  Right now we are sitting in a partial circle (kind of like wagon trains) of six RVs.  Four RVs have already moved on to other winter destinations either to work, play or for health reasons.  Some will return but others aren’t able to.  This next week we are expecting nine more RVs to squeeze into our circle … hmmm.  Three of those will probably arrive on Sunday including Dave and Nancy, Sue and Paul and even Joe and Linda.   Obviously, we’re playing musical coaches and isn’t that fun?.

This morning's sunrise over Linda and Ed's RV  ... a little HDR but not much.  It was gorgeous!

When you’re busy it’s really hard to think of a blog to write.  The best way to keep current is just to look back at the pictures taken to remember what all we did.  Here are a few.  This one shows what kind of mischief Terry and Steve got into.  They were making a minor adjustment on the ATV.  I did say minor.  Doug had to show up with a shovel to help out.

Getting into mischief!

Then, you could have put up a barber shop sign since the snippers came out and the hair cutting started.  We didn’t know we had some great barbers in our group. 

Barber at work

Another barber at work

We also had another potluck.  Check out the cupcakes made by Toni.  Toni even provided a white board this year.  The white board is to keep everyone informed of any daily plans.  Not only is everyone invited to our gatherings but we want everyone who is invited to feel welcome and included in all the activities.  Feeling a part of the group is important regardless if there’s only a few RVs or lots of them.  We know what it’s like not to be included and certainly don’t want folks here to feel that way.

SKP 2008 - 10 cupcakes

We did have time to take a few ATV trips.  On Saturday we ventured far enough on the trails and into the desert at the base of the mountains to discover a registered mining claim and a little mining operation.

Not our claim

There are a couple of mines close by the claim.  We didn’t see them but Ed, Linda and Carol did.  We plan on going back to check the mines out but it was getting late and I was getting cold.  Next time we’ll leave a little earlier in the day.  The sun is warm when it’s shining without cloud cover but when those clouds roll in it gets downright chilly.

Is this how it's done?  They didn't show us their gold.

‘Tis just life on the road.