February 2021

 February starts out with me working on the inside of the new courtyard.  I know this area will change and evolve several times before it looks the way I want it to. 

 I snapped a picture of the sketch I made to show the Brick by Brick guys when we first started this little wall.  I am so happy with the way it turned out.  

Diana & I got out her scorpion light and went looking for the little critters.  We actually found one!  Not that I am happy about that because it was in our yard, but it really is kind of cool to look for them.  Just glad this little guy was outside and not on the inside of our casita! 

There was a planned excursion on the RZR's on February 5th.  Chris is gone but that didn't stop Diana from driving their RZR.  We kicked up the dust like the others and had a great time doing it.  Bryan and Sandy have come along with us.  Cathy and Don have gotten some of their Canadian friends to come along so we have a good size group to explore.  

One of the stops we made was at one of the rescue buttons they have in several places in the Barry Goldwater Range.  This area is very brutal and these boxes have saved many (illegal and legal) people that get in distress. 

Our ride today was basically the same as a few weeks ago.  We went to the High Tanks and had lunch there.

  Then we followed the road to the old border wall.  It was a great time to get another pic of "the old wall"!!!  What a great ride today and I have to say that Thelma and Louise did just great!!!  I would ride with her anytime  :)

February 7th Super Bowl Party was held in our garage/game room!  

The garage has been our go to quite a bit this season as the weather has been a bit cooler and a whole lot more wind than last season.  We are so glad we got to have everyone over to watch the game.  Chuck has installed a new 43" ROKU TV for us to watch it from.  I am sure you are are all thinking why only 43"?  Its plenty big enough!!!!!  MaryEllen was in charge of our board for us to pick numbers and wager on the score at the end of each quarter.  Each quarter was won by girls!!!  

Cathy, Diana and Heidi were the winners.  Heidi won a quarter and also won the whole pot at the end of the game.  I had picked up some little football keyrings that were made from ironwood, so along with their money they got a football!  

All in all we had a fun day and enjoyed the game and all the friends that participated.

Our Tuesday Happy Hour for February 9th was hosted by Heidi and Tony.  Heidi had all of the girls Valentine scarves and we all wore them with pride.  

The guys didn't get anything except some really yummy food that Tony smoked.  

He fixed brauts for all of us and they were really good.  The weather was so perfect this evening and we enjoyed sitting around their back yard.  We got to see a beautiful sunset as well.  Heidi had boxes of chocolates for everyone this evening.  She was quite the hostess with the most-ess!  

Valentines Day Chuck took his two Diane's to lunch.  I even got roses and cherry dipped chocolates.   

The evening we played Fast Track with our neighbors Cathy and Don.  All in all a very nice and fun day. 

February 17th is our grandson Cash's birthday.  We were able to facetime him and talk to him for a bit.  He was having a great day that included a gaming van that would come to the house and he and several of his friends would be playing video games in it.  This boy is really growing up quickly.  He is such a sweet kid.  Love him so much.

February 18th Thelma and Louise set out on another RZR ride.  This morning our plans are to ride with our little group to

Ligurta Station in Wellton, AZ for breakfast or maybe lunch, can't remember :) 

 All I know is their food is good so either one works for me.  Bryan and Sandy are with us today and I think once again I can say we had a great time riding.  We visited a somewhat strange grave yard in the middle of the desert.  Some of the graves were quite old.  

Upon further investigation we found that it looks like people bring their dogs remains out here as well and bury them.  I swear you just never know what you are going to find when we ride.  

Back home we ask Bryan and Sandy to come over to eat dinner.  They say they will be here around 5pm.  Sandy text and said that they can't find Bryan's keys to his truck and they were going to look a little more and then head our way.  They show up later and alas the missing keys have NOT shown up.  We discussed the situation and Bryan is convinced he must have raked the keys off his belt when he was getting in and out of their buggy.  Chuck and Bryan decide they are going to retrace our ride from earlier today and see if they can find the keys.  Now this is what we are looking for, a needle in a haystack.  Bryan says he will call the restaurant in the morning to see if by chance they fell in their parking lot and someone would have turned them in.  

February 19th the guys set out to look for the missing keys as the phone call to the restaurant didn't turn anything up.  They drive the Horny Hornet (Bryans buggy) to look for them while we girls head to Mexico to shop.  

As we girls sit down to eat some lunch at Guadalajara Restaurant Sandy gets a text from Bryan.  They have found his keys.  This is absolutely amazing because if you only knew the vast area they had to look you would say there is no way.  The picture tells the story. 

Can you find the keys

 The guys had stopped and picked up some railroad metal pieces and they were on this hill throwing them down and it appears that Bryan's keys were dislodged during one of the throws.  Wow is all I can say.....totally amazing, or as Bryan would say "thank you Baby Jesus"! (the pic of the keys is like a Find Waldo puzzle!)

With all that wonderful news we girls finish our lunch and make our way to the long line to get back into the USA. This was Heathers first time over there with the Cheapo Chica's and I am hoping she will say that she had a wonderful time, cause I know the other 4 of us did.....oh, but we always do!

February 21st we were invited to Sandy and Bryans for a cookout.  I made some banana pudding to take to the festivities. 

 They have been working on their lot and moving a lot of rock and dirt around so we got to go and enjoy their hard work.  Little story about a palm tree....I was on Marketplace and saw a free palm tree, just dig it up....Bryan decides he wants to go check it out...well, it was Free!  The palm tree is about 4-5' tall so they tackle the job.  Not an easy job, but they get the tree.  Fast forward to their new area...they have planted the palm and got a drip system on it and are hoping it will make the transition.  The newly planted area is very nice and I know they are quite proud of it.  

We had a great evening outdoors and enjoyed the hillbilly heater that supplied plenty of warmth for all of us.  It helps that Bryan kept feeding the heater lots of wood.  So much wood and heat that the little hillbilly heater glowed "red".  Thanks for all the hospitality this evening.  The food was spectacular!!!

February 23rd we girls make another trip to Algodones.  Yes, more shopping, but not necessarily for myself.  Heather and Celeste make this trip.    

The border is still closing at 2pm so we have to hit the ground running.  Coffee for all us girls as we have to have some caffeine to make this short day of shopping profitable.  

Celeste is our big spender today.  She is having a great time.  The joy of listening to her New York accent mixed into the vendors is so funny.  We are ready to refuel at our favorite local restaurant and of course everyone is ready to eat some yummy Mexican food.  

As we sit and talk about the purchases that have been made so far, Celeste jumps up and runs across the street to a vendor that is outside selling their wares.  She comes back with a little little boy and girl sitting on a bench that looks to be made from some type of ceramics.

 In all her excitement she sits it on the floor and it proceeds to fall over.  Yep, and part of the bench breaks off.  The look on her face is priceless and the whole table erupts in laughter.  This girl is absolutely hysterical.  

We finish our lunch and start heading towards the dreaded "line".....along with the broken bench and all the other things that were purchased.  We have to stand in line for quite a while and of course the broken benched little girl and boy get a lot of attention from the vendors that walk by, so much so that a guy comes by with a "not broken" one. Every time any of us would look at Celeste we would break out in laughter.  Just one of those moments you had to be there to appreciate it! 

There is a dog that is always at the line and we have dubbed it "Diana's dog" because she would like to take him home with her.  I got a picture of the dog doing what he does best, sleeping.  He really is a cute guy and his owner that mans the restroom by the border seems to take good care of him.  Everyone is a sucker for a sweet dog!  

We make it out of Mexico with our broken pieces and also our other stuff without incident.  Celeste is going to use some glue and put her little boy and girl back together and put it in her garden.  I don't know if I can look at them without cracking up every time I see them.  What a fun day we have had!  Los Algodones is the best place.

The last statement I made above is so true and February 26th we (Heidi, Diana and I) go back to Mexico to pick up a few things we spotted on our last trip but didn't purchase. 
Heidi and I have decided we need some of the tissue paper flowers that they make over there. 

 There is one lady we like and like to do business with her.  She is an older lady and she isn't pushy about selling her flowers.  The price is wonderful as you get two flower for $1.  Her English is not that good but she has a guy that kind of watches over her and translates our request.  We have found that she will make any of the colors we like if we give her about 30 minutes.  This time I bought from ones she had already made up, but it is so nice to know we can get a custom order for the colors we need.   

This mask caught my eye so I had to take a picture of it....anyone proof read? 

That same evening I made a quick run to our local Fry's Grocery.  Something unusual for me to see was a guy sitting in the back of his truck with his music blasting from a stereo system he had set up with him and he was playing a horn.  The guy played beautifully and was getting quite a few people watching him.  I have never noticed anyone with such an elaborate set up playing.  Of course you see the panhandlers playing their guitars with their dogs sitting by them but this was a first for me.  You just never know what you will see nowadays.  

February 28th we ride the RZR's over to Ligurta Station once again.  At this point I can't even remember why we went but it was a nice day to take a ride so we did!  

That finishes up February....look out March!