Needed a little attitude adjustment

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling a little down in the dumps mentally.  Nothing drastic, but I did notice that my attitude was a little more negative than usual.  I had fallen into a rut of working the VC three days, doing laundry and grocery shopping on my first day off, and then spending the rest of my free days just sitting around the rig.  The cold dreary weather didn’t help much. 

I also got an email from the refuge manager the other day asking all volunteers to let him know in the next week or so if we intended to return next winter.  That got me to thinking.  That decision is not an instant yes or no for me.  I’ll probably go over my pros and cons to that question in another post, but for today the sun was shining when I awoke, and temps were above freezing.  I decided to give myself a kick in the kiester, and get out and do something.

Even though I’ve been here over two months, I’ve never driven through the Big Gun entrance to the US Army Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG).  Emma hopped into the car, and we were off on a day trip drive.  First up was to look at all the tanks and howitzers that have been tested at the YPG since WWII.  I had tried to get a reservation on one of the five ‘Behind the Big Guns’ tours that are offered, but not a spot was available for this winter.

The road through the YPG took me on a slightly longer route to reach Yuma today.  I had one stop to make a little west of Winterhaven, CA, so the scenic route rather than US 95 suited me just fine.  I always enjoy seeing lush farm fields, and today was a ‘green’ treat.  Lots of lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, and many date groves. 

I’ve also always had a thing for hay bales.  It doesn’t matter if they are scattered about in the fields or stacked like this along the roadway.  They always grab my attention.  Guess I’m just a hayseed at heart.  I could feel my spirits rising as I drove along.

The drive to Sidewinder Road to pick up my order was so pleasant that I decided to retrace my drive home rather than taking the more direct route.  I saw the sign for Senator’s Wash road, and decided to investigate this Long Term Visitor’s Center Area (LTVA) run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  Lot’s of folks that enjoy boondocking use this LTVA to spend a part or all of the winter.  I can now understand why.  The views are wonderful.

It’s still a surprise to me to see all this water in the desert.  If you click to enlarge this pic, you can maybe make out the white dots on the other side of the wash on the left.  Those are all RVs camped out here.  My rig isn’t equipped for extended boondocking, and I’m not sure I’d be up for it, but I was glad I came to see how others enjoy this lifestyle.

Today’s trip helped get my attitude back in adjustment.  Most all of the other volunteers have been in to talk to the manager, but I still need a few days to think about things.  In the meantime, I’ve got another outing planned for Friday and tonight I’ll be converting some of the fresh oranges I got at a little stand into juice for tomorrow’s breakfast. 

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy