Sprouting roots here in the Anza Borrego Desert, a 2nd Jeep drive to Palm oases, and a dry waterfall in Hawk Canyon…..

I think after almost 7 weeks here in our lovely free boondocking site, we may qualify for homesteading rights.  Honestly, every time we start to make plans to move on; Ogilby Rd., Imperial Dam, Kofa are all on our radar, Yuma, Scottsdale, Tucson, too; we go for another hike, and gaze at the night sky and say... maybe next week!

Phone shot collage as we were heading out to dinner...

Looking east with the last rays of sun!

A new (for us) trail up the side of Coyote Mt.

Howard in a prickly, green frame

Quatro ocotillos

There have been a couple more trips to Tito’s repair place in town to have motorhome issues resolved. Yes, we would recommend him. Yesterday was the final visit hopefully, and involved installing a new filter on the air system, a part that had to be ordered from Country Coach.  The dash air needs a new compressor but that’s going to wait till we can find an after-market replacement at about half the price.


Before Tom & Carolyn left for other parts, we finagled another Jeep drive.  We headed east on S-22 and turned south to Arroyo Salada, 17 Palms, and 5 Palms, stopping frequently for short hikes and photos. 

Driving thru Arroyo Salada

At the 17 Palms

To the 5 Palms...not a bad sky day!

Hooking up with the Cut Across Trail, winding south towards Butte Mountain and The Slot, we happened on Hawk Canyon.  This turned out to be a beautiful find with no less than a dry waterfall, an interesting sign, and a half-petrified piece of wood. 

The sign conjures up all sorts of mental images.  Possibly an alteration of "wood", tho there are sheep in these parts!

Notice how this piece of wood is petrified on the right side only!

The beautiful sandstone cliffs of the area are evidence of an ancient marine environment. The Coyote Creek earthquake fault runs north and south on the east side of the east mesa of Borrego Mountain in the highly active San Jacinto Fault Zone. The Borrego Mountain earthquake of 9 April 1968 was logged at 6.5 on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes have made their mark here in the form of fault scarps.

I see fossils, at least in my head..

Formations and colors reminiscent of the John Day Painted Hills Unit...

Navigating thru Arroyo Salada

We've done our fair share of socializing with neighbors and friends.  There was the rather impromptu Super Bowl party with Dan & Heather, and Patrick with his dog, Rinse. Probably the only time we'll root for the Seattle Seahawks, who consistently give our SF 49ers a boot to the butt.  But we had to go for the west coast team. Howard and Dan had a $1 bet, Howard taking the Patriots.  Luckily he quickly noticed Dan trying to paying him off with 4 Canadian quarters!

Another amazing day with good friends!

Heather does the gourmet turkey burgers, Dan & Patrick gaze at the mountains...

We met Bob and Kathie Maxwell for lunch a few days ago in Julian, about equidistant between here and their current location in Chula Vista.  Bob has been dealing with some serious health issues but is on the road to recovery and planning to be back on the road soon!

With Bob & Kathie in Julian...

We also offer doggy day care by appointment only.  Patrick was in need of clean laundry, a hike in Culp Valley, and a few podcasts downloaded from the library.  We got Rinse for the day!  His name, we found out, was originally Prince, which Patrick found unacceptable!

A big Thank You to the couple in the red pickup, towing the 5th wheel.  You made Howard's day when you stopped alongside him jogging on Rockhouse Trail, and asked...."are you Stillhowlyn"?!  We hope you got your water pump fixed.

Have you ever wanted to hike the Grand Canyon?  I was catching up on Gaelyn's Foto Friday Fun, and noticed a bridge pic linked with her 2009 hike!  Totally blew my mind.  This is as close as I'll get to the real thing!

Decisions, decisions, where to and when?!  Thanks for stopping by...

Adrift...

We made it! Three flights; Phoenix to Houston to Belize City to Placencia, went like clock work. Some even arriving early with baggage in tact no less. The landing field at Placencia was quite short with water on both ends. Not for the faint of heart, especially in a small prop plane holding about 10 people.


We've met up with friends aboard their 51' Beneteau sloop, with 4 staterooms,  4 heads, a huge galley and salon. The cockpit is large, comfortable and covered by a bimini.  Very nice accommodations, indeed!  We are at anchor so our lifestyle of minimizing water and power comes in handy.  We have allotted a month to sail with them, the endpoint destination being Roatan, Honduras.

At anchor in Placencia, Belize

The little town of Placencia is delightful. There is a large sailing community both private and chartered. All the comforts of home are offered:  fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, lobster and shrimp, bakeries, nice shops showcasing colorful Guatemalan wears and, of course, pubs and restaurants.  And the best gelato!  The owners of Tutti Fruiti had their original shop in Rome, near the Vatican, and moved here several years ago to "slow down"! The local Belizean beer is Belikin and quite good, especially ice cold on a hot, humid day. 

On shore

In town

We are finally "on the road" after several days of rain with a front passing through and get an early start for South Water Caye, approximately 20 nautical miles on a northeasterly course. We are now a fleet of 4 boats! As you might guess our plans are made in jello, much like our RVing lifestyle, always subject to last minute changes and frequently dictated by weather.

Following our leader to South Water Caye

Now imagine an island less than a half mile long, covered with white coral sand, tropical flowers, and coconut trees, surrounded by warm, crystal clear water, enveloped in coral reefs that wrap more than half way around the island. Imagine snorkeling in water waist deep, through the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, teeming with fish and marine organisms. This is South Water Caye...but only for a night, we must move on!

Sunset at our anchorage

We motored about 12-15 miles or 3-4 hours to our destination on the southern entrance to Glover's Reef, the smallest of three coral atolls in Belize.   Declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations, Glover's Reef Atoll is located 35 miles southeast of Dangriga Town. It is made up of about five atoll islands, one of them being the family-owned Island of Southwest Caye, home to Isla Marisol Resort.  

Anchored at Glover's Reef

Local fishermen selling lobster and grouper

The waters around the Cayes provide plenty of opportunities to see turtles, dolphins, schools of flying fish and myriads of sea birds. Pelicans and frigate birds were often seen following the fishing boats into the pier. We snorkeled along the reef and took the dinghy to shore for some much needed exercise, walking along the white sand beaches with rows of conch shell paths leading to the resort, where we all gathered at the bar for Happy Hour, and enjoyed three nights of beautiful sunsets and lazy days.

The essence of Howard

Happy Hour sunset

Sundowners!

"Hello...wake-up over there"...I guess I drifted off!