February 16th - Family night.

My sister and her husband were in town for Valentine's Day to visit David's mom.  We all got together at an Irish Pub in Hillcrest.  It was a very nice night catching up and talking about our childhood and all.  These times are precious.

David and Suzanne

February 10th - Hopping

We were in San Diego for a couple of days.  In the course of things, we visited our friends at Burning Beard.  Later, we picked up some Magic cards and opened a few at a new place (for us) called Helix Brewing.  They had musicians playing.  A duel playing acoustic guitars. 

Burning Beard

Helix Brewing

February 8th - A night at Rocky's

A grand meeting of nurses and karaoke at a little place in El Centro called Rocky's.  A bunch of Laurie's and my friends got together and shot pool and sang.  Well, I didn't sing, but some did. As always, Dale and Norma were fantastic and so was Laurie. It made me remember how much I enjoy shooting pool.

The gang

My love

Norma

Dale

January 31st - Laughing Bird

There was a great music/comedy show at Rio Bend that we attended.  A pair called "Laughing Bird" performed and kept us entertained that night.  Tupelo and Janey, a couple who appear to love each other very much through many, many years of marriage, told some stories and play various instruments and sang.

Janey did the bulk of the singing and played a dulcimer and various percussion instruments.  Tupelo played an guitar, an acoustic banjo, and an acoustic guitar harp, which is a cross between a guitar and harp. 

The music was positive and uplifting and we have fun watching and listening to them perform.

Here is their website, http://www.laughingbirdmusic.com/

Laughing Bird

Tupelo playing the harpguitar and Janey with her dulcimer

A dobro

January 27th - Sand, RVs, and Rocks. At a Discount!!

The town of Quartzsite, Az is the home of a major two-month event featuring a huge rock show.  Not music, mind you, rocks. rocks, gems, minerals.  Collectors come from miles to the event which also has a large RV show where you can view new RVs and campers as well as look for parts and accessories. http://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/

We drove out there this morning.  The desert was scenic. There were places where the dune buggy enthusiasts go to have fun. We passed A huge mine surrounded by fence and barb wire.

The town was just packed with cars and people.  We found the center of activities and parked.  We walked around and looked at the booths and had a good time. We stopped at the meet's watering hole and had a single Corona.  An older gentleman was performing and sounded pretty good.  We went on and walked around for a while longer.

We left and ate at a local Mexican Restaurant and checked out La Mesa RV's local site.  They have a restaurant and tavern that opens at night.

Kinda fun over all, we left and drove home.

Travelers

Stopped for a selfie, and this critter jumped in.

At the largest gem and RV show in the south west.  

New Fifth wheels!!!

We saw a few of these neat tiny camper units.

Colorado River

A local eatery

January 26th - A Musical Night at Pentagonal

We visited Pentagonal, our favorite (out of two) craft brewer in the area.  It was a special night where they were hosting a bunch of local bands.  Our friend, Linda, and one of her photog friends were up in Salton Sea that morning and were staying in Brawley just north of Imperial where Pentagonal is.  We met up with them and had beers and conversation.  Some of the bands were pretty good.

There were two vendors serving eats

Stage announcements and thank yous

This girl and her band, Little Ponies, were a surprise. I expected indie folk music, but they were rockers

Us

January 2018 - Welcome to the future

Life continues at Rio Bend RV and Golf Resort.  She works, I work (though not nearly as many hours).  What's really nice is the amazing sunrises and sunsets we have here and the weather is just a bit warmer than San Diego.  We attended a few events here at the park.  They held "Western Days" and served steaks and potatoes one night.  They also set up a makeshift jail so you could start a warrant against another resident.  I was surprised when a guy with a Sheriffs badge showed up and took me down to sit in the jail for pictures.  That was fun. 

On another night, we had a Mystery Theater Dinner where various residents played parts and walked around and spoke to people and left clues so you could guess whodunit once they announced who the murder victim was. 

On the night of the super blue eclipse moon, I was blissfully unaware and knew I didn't have the equipment to capture it anyway.  The morning before, there was a great sunrise followed later by a equally great sunset.  It might have had something to do with the local farmers burning off fields.  The next morning I saw a crescent moon sitting across the lake and took a pic.  I wasn't thinking about how it was actually the full moon coming out of the eclipse.

"If I had the wings of an angel..."

At the Mystery Theater Dinner. The suspects are lined up.

Sunrise

The entire sky was lit, not just in the east.

Sunset

The next morning. The moon coming out of the eclipse