Christmas 2009 Quartzsite

It really does not get any better than this Christmas outside in the desert

Christmas 2009 Quartzsite

The gang is all here and enjoying our outdoor turkey day sorry our Canadian friends

Christmas 2009 Quartzsite

Hungry anyone lets not let it get cold now help yourselves

Christmas 2009 Quartzsite

We all helped by having a pot luck turkey dinner Diane made the turkey this year

Quartzsite Arizonia

A job well done guys, now our fire pit is complete and we can continue with some desert wiener roasts and good company

Quartzsite Arizonia

Ken and our friend Jim are getting a firepit set up for our many friends who will be joining us after Christmas for our desert New Years Eve party where we hook up our karokee and sing to bring in the New Year we may however scare away a few coyotes but we are having fun in the desert sun.

Quartzsite Arizonia

Now if you look you can see we have mud puddles everywhere, some deeper than others even the washes we filling up with water. We have had rain a couple times since we got to Quartzsite in November and they had a really big rain storm before we got here, well in the desert you just never know what you might get into weather or otherwise hahah.

Quartzsite Arizonia

This picture looks blurry because the rain storm turned into a hail storm for a short while

Quartzsite Arizonia

Look at the black clouds we are sure in for a rain storm hope we do not float away

Yuma

Beautiful sunset on our way home from Yuma

Algodones Mexico

Ken and Diane in Mexico with their friends Jim and Carol at their favourite restraunt waiting for their margarites

Algodones Mexico

Ken in Mexico on the main street

Quartzsite the place to be

All of our friends are sitting around enjoying a wiener roast and campfire in the desert sun December 20th 2009 it just does not get any better than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quartzsite the place to be

It is December 20th 2009 we are having another wiener roast

Quartzsite Arizonia

Here we are all playing a game in the desert sun you had to throw two golf balls tied together with a rope over this pbc pipe each level up was a higher number it was fun.

Thanksgiving in USA

The gang is all here and the great thing about going to the states in October or November for the winter is that you get another THANKSGIVING Turkey day as theirs is later than Canadians so who does not love turkey dinners. This is our first pot luck dinner of our winter season it was beautiful and about 77 degrees so we had a beautiful outdoor turkey diner.

Hearst Castle

Friday the 13th we decided to go to the Hearst Castle it is located about 40 miles north of San Lou Obispo it was really an amazing structure to see, and we also heard the story of how it was built, it is amazing how they brought all the things up the mountain on horse pack and pack mules.

California near Buellton

There are however draw backs about the beautiful sunny south in our boxed canyon site we have came across 3 of this creatures the TARANTULA yes they are here, but as we all know they will not hurt you but they are still creepy !!!!!!!!!!!!

California near Buellton

Here we are with Jim and Carol in a boxed canyon, located not far from Buellton California, we are in a cow pasture, and oil wells, and wineries all around us, it is so beautiful with lots of rolling hills, and trails to walk. The weather is perfect and we are enjoying the quite of our surroundings

An evening out in Hazenmore

Diane and Ken at a restarunt in Hazenmore

Snowbirds R Us

October 8th 2009 so now you can see why there are snowbirds

Diane's sign is up

Diane pointing to her sign she designed and painted for her friend's new store in Ponteix Saskatchewan

Diane's sign is up

Diane looking at the sign she finished for her friend's store it is fineally up and looks pretty good

Tour of Sintaluta

This is in Sintaluta where Ken's grandparents on his mother's side are buried

Indian Head Saskatchewan

Indian Head Saskatchewan is where Ken and his mother were born, they were born in the same hospital

Roulea home of Corner Gas

The sign at the gas station as you enter the town of Roulea

Corner Gas the sitcom

This is the gas station built for the sitcom Corner Gas in a small Saskatchewan town of Roulea

Tour to Indian Head Saskatchewan

This train is in a little Saskatchewan town of Avonlea where Ken's father was born it is a typical little Saskatchewan town

Tour of the protected Grasslands of Saskatchewan

Wow even in the wilds of Saskatchewan Diane can still find a bathroom

Tour of the protected Grasslands of Saskatchewan

Although there are lots of rich farm lands in Saskatchewan there is also a desert affect to it, here you can see there are catus it looks like Arizonia's Prickly Pear Catus

Tour of the protected Grasslands of Saskatchewan

In the grasslands you can see several Prairie Dog Areas, the Prairie Dogs are protected here and they are millions of them they are a bit bigger than a gofer.

Tour of Protected Grasslands

Here Ken and Diane are climbing up what is called 70 mile high, at the top you can overlook around the Saskatchewan valley near the town of Val Marie, Val Marie is noted for its many rattlesnakes and the rattlesnake pits

Tour of Protected Grasslands

Here is what is called a buffalo rubbing stone, the buffalo would rug themselves around the rock causing the ground to wear down from there feet, and rubbing themselves as they went around the rock

Tour of the protected Grasslands of Saskatchewan

This is a stable for horses, it is partly underground for when this homestead was thriving it was very hot so to keep the horses cool they built it partly underground, notice the horse collar in the distant

Diane painting a store sign

Well the sign is finished and just waiting to get hung above the door of the Reel Em In Store in Ponteix

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

Many old buildings were open, blacksmith, general store, and elevator, and telegraph office some had volunteers in them, it would be a really neat place to volunteer at maybe

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

There was a parade of the old Vintage Tractors as they passed by you could just imagine how they managed with the simplest of machinery and now look at today with the modern tractor

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

A few more old relics at the Vintage Tractor Show

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

This old Hit and Miss engine is exactly like one Ken bought at an auction, Ken has been to many auctions here in Saskatchewan and finding all kinds of neat treasures

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

Here Ken is watching a fellow with his HIT and MISS engine the sound of these engines are very unique

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

And of course you will find Diane beside an old wagon

Ken and Diane at a Vintage tractor show

In Swift Current there is a park where they have many interesting things happening this day happened to be a Vintage Tractor show and you can see this neat old car Ken is standing beside

Diane painting a store sign

Once the letters were all transferred onto the wood and the colour of blue picked Diane began painting the sign she would add various details as she progress into the project

Diane painting a store sign

Here Diane is choosing the right colour of blue to start her new project

Diane painting a store sign

A view of the sign Diane is painting for her friend's store. Still a long way to go

Diane painting a store sign

Diane doing the border on the sign, with her is Lorraine. Lorraine is the owner of the new store she is helping Diane with the border

Diane painting a store sign

Diane busy working on the store sign, it has taken her over a week do this sign a new venture for Diane

Diane painting a store sign

Here Diane is adding some finishing touches

Diane painting a store sign

For a week Diane has been working on a sign for her friend's store it is almost done now and soon will be hanging above the door of her friend's store on Main Street downtown Ponteix Saskatchewan

Our garden

Have a look at this perfect Tiger Lily it is better this year than last year and still growing